REPORT: Baguette de tradition July 19

[BradenP]

Here is round three of the Paris tasting group. This time I think we should do Baguette de Tradition. It seems like everyone wants to know how their local loaf ranks against the rest. So let's have everyone bring a loaf (or two) from their neighborhood. The only criteria is that it must be made in house (Ptipois can point out how to tell if it's made in house or not).

WHAT: Baguette de Tradition

WHERE: My apartment, I live on Etienne Marcel near the Pompidou. We had the Chocolate and Olive Oil Tastings here, so I am fine with having the Baguette Tasting as well. Coordinates will be given later.

WHEN: Thursday July 19th at 19:00. This day/time seemed to work well for everyone last time, so let's keep it the same.

Okay, here is the roundup of what we tasted...

(1) Eric Kayser: Light crust, mild taste, slightly dense crumb, floured exterior.

(2) Moisan:Lightest crust of the lot, watery/baking soda taste, dense crumb, no flour on exterior.

(3) Jacques Bazin: Darkest crust, most exciting taste with hints of corn flakes, porous crumb, flour on exterior.

(4) Generic Baguette Tradition: Very light crust, dull/nothing taste, medium crumb, floured exterior.

(5) Phillip Gosselyn: Second darkest crust of the bunch, interesting but mild flavor, medium crumb, floured exterior.

(6) Abess: Light crust, very mild/neutral taste, medium crumb, floured exterior.

Hands down the winner in this bunch was the Jacques Bazin. It had the most flavor of the lot, with a slight sweetness, a crisp crust and soft crumb.

Several people noted the presence of a chemical taste in the Moisan.

CCO had pointed out that while the Bazin had the best taste, it would be best suited for cheese or strong flavors.

Forest, and a few others liked the Abess as a second favorite and noted that the neutral taste would lend well to butter/jam.

The generic baguette of our tasting was from a bakery on Rambuteau (a few doors west of Pain de Sucre). It could be best described as lacking any distinguishing characteristics, or simply bland.

[Margaret Pilgrim]

Jacques Bazin

85 bis, rue de Charenton Paris (12ème)

Métro : Ledru Rollin

[John Talbott]

Since the four of us from the deepest 18th had to exit Paris before the tasting and loladrian wanted the vote from here,

Looking forward to this. Hopefully those from the 18th will be sharing some of their baguette kingdom with us southern folk

here's the consensus from July 4th’s tasting of five baguettes from the 18th by 8 noble, intelligent folk dining on Texas BBQ (brisket, shoulder and sausage schlepped over by loyal member Paga), cauliflower with Amurican Sauce Sallie, incredible cherries and Gruyére and abondance cheese, accompanied not with Lone Star beer but St Louis La Perdrix Costieries de Nimes Rouge:

#1 - hold your your breath - Retrodor (a chain) 174 or something Rue Ordener

#2 - Arnaud Delmontel, 57, rue Damrémont, the number 1 in the celebrated 2007 recent tasting reported here.

Far, far down were (ratings as per the reported tasting):

# 3 Au Duc de la Chapelle, Anis Bouabsa, 32, rue Tristan Tzara

# 4 Le Grenier à Pain Abbesses, Djibril Bodian, 38, rue des Abesses

# 6 Coquelicot des Abbesses, Thierry Racoillet and Sylvie Fourmont, 24, rue des Abesses

# 8 Alexandre Planchais, 40, rue Lepic.

I wish you'd included one from Au Levain d'Antan on the rue des Abbesses, out of curiosity. Didn't they even win 2nd or 3rd baguette in Paris a few years back?

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Your wish was our command: July 5th, we (yours truly, Colette, Paga and Elan) with leftover brisket, tested the baguettes from Au Levain d'Antan at 6 rue des Abbesses, Le Grenier a Pain Abbesses Djibril Bodian, 38 rue des Abbesses and the Coquelicot des Abbesses Thierry Racoillet and Sylvie Fourmont at 24, rue des Abbesses (recommended to us to try again today by Clotilde (Chocolate & Zucchini) on the street.) However, I must report, that the best bread tonite was a loaf from Serge Gontier, 54, rue Custine in the 18th as well. And Sharon, your memory is terrific - Au Levain d'Antan won the 3rd place in the 2001 baguette competition.