What is your favorite loaf of bread?

[Krys Stanley]

We are so fortunate to have so much excellent bread in this area. What do you like?

I love the Como bread by DOWNTOWN BAKERY (at Ferry Plaza Market). Dense and yeasty, I use thick slabs of it for breakfast with jam. In the summer, it is perfect for fresh tomatoes, absorbing the juices without falling apart. My favorite dish to welcome autumn is gypsy peppers and sausage fried in Sciabica’s spicy, emerald green first press olive oil with a thick slab of Como bread.

I don't think this is traditional Como bread like the one at Grand Central. It is more like a heavy loaf of white bread. It doesn't seem to match the recipes for Como bread that use biga and cornmeal. There is no cornmeal in this bread.

MOSCOW AND TBILIS BAKERY STORE on Geary has a nice European rye . It is not your artisan crusty rye, but close to the rye a lot of the neighborhood Polish bakeries made in the area I grew up in. Not worth going out of your way for, but nice if you are in the neighborhood. It could be a nostalgia thing for me.

In terms of baguettes to go with my cheese, I like, in order of preference, Cheeseboard/Arizmundi’s, Acme and Bay Breads. Is there a baguette you like better?

Edited January 14, 2005 by Krys Stanley (log)

[JAZ]

For baguettes, my favorite is Bakers of Paris. I like Semifreddi's Sweet Batard or and Grace Bakery's Pugiliese for toast and sandwiches.

For specialty breads, Noe Valley Bakery makes a great Asiago bread, although I haven't had it in ages.

[fiftydollars]

I don't buy loaves. But my favorite baguette, and hands down my vote for the best baguette in America, is Acme. Although semifreddi's, which is available at Albertson's, is very good in a pinch.

[winesonoma]

Artisan Bakers dry jack and garlic.

[Lexica]

I love Acme's pain au levain - it toasts up so nicely. Most often, we buy our bread at Arizmendi (city bread, baguettes or baguette pieces, wolverines, chocolate things, cheese rolls... mmmm). As a fallback for when Arizmendi's not open, there are also the baguettes at most of the Asian groceries lining International Blvd. between the lake and about 14th Ave, but they're a bit fluffier than I really like. Excellent for banh mi, of course, but for eating as is I like a bread that gives my teeth a bit more to do.

[milla]

In no particular order...

Baguette at the Cheese Board in Berkeley

Anything from De la Fattoria...

Olive Bread from Acme

[ludja]

Acme---

Walnut Wheat

Rye

Olive Bread

[dexygus]

i'm with lexica. acme pain au levain is my favorite. as for baguettes, i love la farine's rustic baguette. i may be biased though, since i used to work there.

[jgarner53]

Acme, though I'm working on producing decent artisan quality bread on my own.

[melkor]

as for baguettes, i love la farine's rustic baguette.  i may be biased though, since i used to work there.

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La Farine's rustic baguette is my favorite as well. Somehow I almost always have the good fortune of turning up there while they are still warm. The Acme baguettes run a very close second and since they are available nearby, they are what we most often end up with.

[merle]

I used to be thrilled by the english muffins at Arizimendi (the Grand/Lakeshore one in Oakland). Six for $2.50, fresh and large.

But they go stale very quickly. Like, overnight. You really have to use them the same day.

I still like them, but one can eat only so many english muffins. I go back there when it's a long weekend and we make potato salad, but otherwise we just make our own bread, and bemoan the lack of variety.

[EdS]

I'm not much of a bread lover but I picked up an Acme sourdough levain at the local Draeger's market here and it put a smile on my face.

[tsquare]

For baguettes, my favorite is Bakers of Paris.

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Wow, are they still around? A friend worked there many years ago (early 80's maybe?) - I finally tossed out an old bag last week - let's just say, some things are better off trashed. But I recall them having great products.

[JAZ]

For baguettes, my favorite is Bakers of Paris.

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Wow, are they still around?

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I think they only sell wholesale now, except for one last shop out on Taraval, and that might not even be there anymore. But you can find their products at some Bay Area markets. I even get them at Safeway (the one on Market). I've always liked the fact that they make demi-baguettes and mini-baguettes, since the main problem with baguettes is that they don't keep at all.