Best Bread in the USA
#46
Moderator: Travel Safety/Security, Travel Tools, California, Los Angeles; FlyerTalk Evangelist




Join Date: Dec 2009
Location: LAX
Programs: oneword Emerald
Posts: 24,735
All of a sudden I developed a craving for La Brea Bakery rosemary olive oil bread.
#47
Original Member

Join Date: May 1998
Location: Portland OR Double Emerald (QF and AA), DL PM/MM, Starwood Plat
Posts: 19,593
#49
FlyerTalk Evangelist




Join Date: Feb 2010
Location: ORD
Programs: US Air, UA BA LH AI DELTA MARRIOTT CHOICE SGP
Posts: 10,033
I'm always amazed at how bad bread is in the USA. The bread you will get from an average bakery in France is better than 99.9% of the bread in the United States. It's surprising, given that food in the United States is generally quite good (the only other major food group we don't take much of an interest in is cheese).
Perhaps influenced by this bias, the best bread I've found in America is at Le Panier outside the Pike Market in Seattle. I stop there every time I'm in Seattle. It's like a Paris boulangerie to me.
Perhaps influenced by this bias, the best bread I've found in America is at Le Panier outside the Pike Market in Seattle. I stop there every time I'm in Seattle. It's like a Paris boulangerie to me.
Moved here from YUL decades ago, still miss the rye bread and freshly baked French bread....by the time O got home, my wife always found half a loaf !
Found good double baked rye bread at Star Bakery Deli in Southfield, outside DTW.
This is followed by Sourdough Batard at some Trader Joe's.
#50
Join Date: Dec 2010
Programs: Flying Blue Gold and Virgin America for a few months
Posts: 507
if you have a Smart and Finals store they have pretty good bread for packaged bread ,
Good Rye bread and also Sourdough plus a few others , That and Traders Joes are good places if you cannot find a real bakery
Soarer
Good Rye bread and also Sourdough plus a few others , That and Traders Joes are good places if you cannot find a real bakery
Soarer
#51
Suspended
Join Date: Jan 2004
Location: UK
Posts: 11,968
True for "most" breads, but small or flat breads with a crisp crust require baking at 280C (550F) as well as using a stone. Some US ovens cannot go above 500F (maybe some silly safety regulation) though mine does go to 550F. While it does reach that temperature easily, it is also the maximum that can be set 

I don't know what flat breads you mean but most thin flat breads are cooked at a much higher temperature than 280 in a tandoor or a beehive type oven for example and most other are cooked on pans over hob heat. Achievng sufficient heat in a domestic oven for this is easilly achieved by cooking under a grill on top of a preheated cast iron skillet with the grill set on high. A stone makes virtually no difference for breads cooked in a few seconds or a minute or two but you can buy a stone pretty easily if you want one.
Anyway, nobody in the thread said that they were yearning for a bit of flat bread and even using your number - most ovens sold now are fan assisted in which case 280 in a standard oven is equivalent to around 240/250'ish in a fan oven which covers 99% of domestic ovens sold.
I was however responding to this specific comment ....
I'm sorry I answered it now!
Last edited by uk1; Sep 15, 2012 at 11:52 pm
#52
FlyerTalk Evangelist




Join Date: Oct 2002
Location: Currently in Bloomington, IN, but Normally NYC, CDG, and even POZ or wherever FT takes me.
Programs: Northwest Airlines. MTA pay-per-ride Metrocard; zero-balance Oyster card.
Posts: 14,081
Uk1 I know how you make pizza. Okay, let me rephrase: *most* people need a professional hot oven. 
Yes, I've actually turned out some decent loaves at home starting with a biga, but I realized that (unlike with pizza) it is not worth the effort, if a good bakery is around. Ya know?

Yes, I've actually turned out some decent loaves at home starting with a biga, but I realized that (unlike with pizza) it is not worth the effort, if a good bakery is around. Ya know?
#53
Suspended
Join Date: Jan 2004
Location: UK
Posts: 11,968
Uk1 I know how you make pizza. Okay, let me rephrase: *most* people need a professional hot oven. 
Yes, I've actually turned out some decent loaves at home starting with a biga, but I realized that (unlike with pizza) it is not worth the effort, if a good bakery is around. Ya know?

Yes, I've actually turned out some decent loaves at home starting with a biga, but I realized that (unlike with pizza) it is not worth the effort, if a good bakery is around. Ya know?
Let's move on otherwise we'll simply bicker.
#54
A FlyerTalk Posting Legend




Join Date: Jul 2000
Location: PHX and LIH
Programs: AA: 2 MM, HA, VS
Posts: 91,908
Have it your way. The idea that most people need a professional oven to make first class bread is rediculous and I've never heard any serious bread maker say so in any book or article. I think I know what good bread tastes like and my domestic oven does it.
Let's move on otherwise we'll simply bicker.
Let's move on otherwise we'll simply bicker.
#55
Suspended
Join Date: Jan 2004
Location: UK
Posts: 11,968
Funnily enough I've developed a really easy going ritual which gives us extraordinary quality baguettes twice a day. Only one dough batch per day whichj is shared between morning and evening - but on a simple three day cycle ie day 1 poolish starter - day 2 mix dough day 3 bake using half in morning half in evening.
So in essence every day I'm just mixing a little yeast and flour (100gm mix of rye and plain) and water in a square bowl and putting it on the window ledge. I'm mixing yesterdays starter with some flour water and salt and putting into the square tub which goes into the fridge for 24 hours to mature and rise. I'm using yesterday square tub of dough from the fridge for todays bread. As I'm emptying and refilling the rectangular dough box in the fridge each day it's only one tub needed and doesn't take up much room in the fridge.
It really just takes around 10 minutes a day and beats anything shop bought and provides 4 fresh baguettes morning and evening every day for around 50p in total. The morning it's with jame - and in the evening it's either with salami, or cheese or a sausage or something.
Sometimes there's some olive and oregano sourdough bread for lunch or something else to divert me but every day is a fresh bread day .......
I sound obsessed with bread don't I? How sad does that make me?
Last edited by uk1; Sep 27, 2012 at 5:58 am
#56
FlyerTalk Evangelist




Join Date: Jun 2001
Location: Redondo Beach, Ca
Posts: 34,893
I don't know where to put this so mods please move to a better place if there is one.
I came across this article from Food & Wine magazine (my friend's son's bakery is listed) and I thought it might be of interest to some. Of course it is subjective....best bread in every state.
https://www.foodandwine.com/travel/r...xPJ_71Puvxno9I
I came across this article from Food & Wine magazine (my friend's son's bakery is listed) and I thought it might be of interest to some. Of course it is subjective....best bread in every state.
https://www.foodandwine.com/travel/r...xPJ_71Puvxno9I
#58
A FlyerTalk Posting Legend




Join Date: Jul 2000
Location: PHX and LIH
Programs: AA: 2 MM, HA, VS
Posts: 91,908
I don't know where to put this so mods please move to a better place if there is one.
I came across this article from Food & Wine magazine (my friend's son's bakery is listed) and I thought it might be of interest to some. Of course it is subjective....best bread in every state.
https://www.foodandwine.com/travel/r...xPJ_71Puvxno9I
I came across this article from Food & Wine magazine (my friend's son's bakery is listed) and I thought it might be of interest to some. Of course it is subjective....best bread in every state.
https://www.foodandwine.com/travel/r...xPJ_71Puvxno9I
https://jlpatisserie.com/product/french-baguette/
#59
FlyerTalk Evangelist




Join Date: Jan 2004
Location: About 45 miles NW of MCO
Programs: Acapulco - Gold, Panama - Red, Timothy Leary 8 Mile High Club
Posts: 31,250
I don't know where to put this so mods please move to a better place if there is one.
I came across this article from Food & Wine magazine (my friend's son's bakery is listed) and I thought it might be of interest to some. Of course it is subjective....best bread in every state.
https://www.foodandwine.com/travel/r...xPJ_71Puvxno9I
I came across this article from Food & Wine magazine (my friend's son's bakery is listed) and I thought it might be of interest to some. Of course it is subjective....best bread in every state.
https://www.foodandwine.com/travel/r...xPJ_71Puvxno9I
#60
FlyerTalk Evangelist




Join Date: Jun 2001
Location: Redondo Beach, Ca
Posts: 34,893
The pictures had me drooling like a St Bernard. And then you mentioned Hawaiian rolls...more drool.


