我愛麵包, 我愛法國麵包! 也愛我的饅頭!

其實西式麵包=中式饅頭/發糕, 一個是烤, 一個是蒸. 我試過麵包的配方用蒸的, 出來就是甜饅頭!
這又讓我想起葡萄酒和茶, 也是在某種程度上是一樣的, 它們的種植條件, 製作過程和用具...敏感, 細膩, 複雜, 時間的重要性.......
BREAD

 

In 1997 a law was passed in France regarding bread.  This law was passes to maintain the standards of this important staple of the French diet. For a boulangerie to call itself a boulangerie a baker has to choose its own floor, make the dough and bake the bread on the premises.  The real boulangerie artisanale was feeling that it was being put in the same classification as the big supermarket bakeries that sometimes sell bread from a factory.  These supermarkets can churn out up to 40,000 baguettes a day.  The high quality baker on the corner was feeling the pressure putting out what was a costlier product.  This law informs the public what they are buying.  The chain bakeries still call themselves by their chain title, such as La brioche chaud.  The in-store supermarket bakeries (unless they meet the challenge and are the real thing), who do not bake their own bread have titles such as 'rayon chaud' or 'pains et brioches'.  The real boulangeries have a plaque on their wall stating that they merit this title, proclaiming itself 'boulangerie' or 'boulangerie artisanale.'

Bread is still important to the French, though their bread consumption has dropped dramatically since the 1930's.  (It helped start the French Revolution) Back then the average Frenchmen ate 450 grams of bread a day-that's about a baguette and a half. The lowest bread consumption by Parisains was at an all time low in the 1980's.  Then the typical Frenchmen was only eating 150grams of bread a day.
"Fake" bread may look convincing to you at first, but that soft cotton interior may turn to rock too soon.  "Real" bread will usually have more air holes.  If in doubt about your baguette turn it over, if the base is covered in little dots it may have been cooked from frozen dough on a rotating oven and therefore not 'real' bread.  The genuine product should have a chewy, slightly sour taste with a longer shelf life.  There have been more and more bakers using organic products and methods to create their goods.

SOME BEST BOULANGERIES OF PARIS:
Franck Debieu 8 rue Monge, 5th 01 44 07 01 42 Metro: Maubert-Mutualite
Great traditional pain rustique, pain bio (organic grain bread), and delicious nut bread. 
Lionel Poilane 8 rue du Cherche-Midi, (6th) 01 45 48 42 59. Metro: Sevres-Babylone

This is possibly the most Parisian bread and most famous bakers.  The round sourdough pain Poilane is used in many bars and cafes.  This is a small shop that is always crowded with people.  There is more there to choose from than this well known loaf, fruit breads, whole grain loafs, and simple tarts are also produced fresh.

Rollet Pradier 32  rue de Bourgogne (6th) 01 45 55 57 00 Metro: Assembly National

Not just a bakery, but also a traiteur, with a fancy sandwich counter and tearoom on the upper level.  The specialty breads here are the hand rolled baguette called a flute Rollet, and on Friday's the boule de levain.  This is a bread produced with very little yeast and a 48hour fermentation.

Jean-Luc Poujauran 20 rue Jean-Nicot (7th) 01 47 05 80 88 Metro: Invalides

Only the finest quality flours are used to make the breads at this establishment.  This place also pioneered the pain biologique- organic grain breads.  Try all the various kinds offered: nuts, anchovies, olives, or fig.

Fontaine de Mars 112 rue Saint-Dominique (7th) 01 45 51 31 01  Metro:Ecole-Militare

Traditional bakery that still make wood-oven baked bread.  There is also a cafe serving patisseries (pasteries).

Rene Gerard St Ouen  11 bd Hausmann, (8th) 01 42 65 06 25 Metro:Miromesnil

Here they create with the use of a secret recipe using flour from Chartres and olive oil from Provence; breads in special shapes like the Eiffel Tower, the Ach de Triumph, suns, flowers, and animals.

L'Autre Boulanger 44 rue de Montreuil (11th) 01 43 65 06 25 Metro: Faidherbe-Chaligny

The baker creates in full view behind a glass screen at the back of this shop.  Specialties are siegles-rasins-noisettes, pain six cereales.

A la Flute Gana 226 rue des Pyrenees (20th) 01 43 58 42 62  Metro Gambetta

Daughters of famous baker Bernard Ganachaud have tradmarked their fathers famous traditional bread making methods.

Au Levain du Marias 32 rue de Turenne (3rd) 01 42 65 06 25 Metro Mirosmenil

Organic offerings of country syle breads of textured baguettes. 

Maison Kayser 8/14 rue Monge (5th) 01 44 07 0142/31 61 Metro:Cardinal Lemoine

Great tasting selections of breads.  Try the baguette au froment.

Foucher 169 rue Championnet (18th) 01 42 54 80 50 Metro: Guy Moquet

A popular neighborhood bakery that doesn't look as good as the high quality bread it produces.  Try the sour pain au levin for proof.

 

The Bread Glossary

Baguette a l'ancienne/baguette tradtion- cooked in a wood oven with a traditional recipe

Brioche - soft and sweet fluffy bread made with eggs.  More of a breakfast or an afternoon treat to be eaten with hot chocolet.

Boule - a round loaf

Couronne - a baguette in the shape of a ring

Flute - short, light colored and thin baguette

Ficelle - a thin and crusty baguette

Levure - leavening

Pain - a larger and fatter baguette

Pain biologique - organic grain bread

Pain de campagne/ pain rustique/ pain paysanne - a country style white bread with a thick crust. Often the loaf is shaped or round in shape.  Goes good together with cheese  or charcuterie.

Pain aux six cereales - a multi grain bread

Pain complet - a wholemeal or whole grain bread, that is good with soft cheeses.

Pain d'epice - a dark spiced bread made with honey 

Pain au froment - is made with stoneground wheat flour

Pain au levin - is a sourdough bread

Pain au lait - is a sweet , soft white bread

Pain de mie - this is a white sandwich bread that is best when toasted

Pain aux noix - is a bread made with walnuts, great eaten with cream cheese, or foie gras

Pain passion - is a sweet bread filled with dried fruits and nuts

Pain de seigle - this is a usually dense rye bread- also comes as seigle aux noix (with walnuts) and seigle aux rasins (with rasins)

Pain au son - this is bran bread

Pain viennois - is a baguette that is a shaped glazed loaf that has horizontal slashes made with milk and sugar.