Leave it to me to get thoroughly sick right before World Bread Day, and no matter how long I planned my post, become unable to gather the strength to complete it! Luckily, it was just a bug, and the worst seems to have passed. Let’s just pretend that this is dated for the 16th of October and simply proceed, shall we?
Summer quickly fading from mind, it seems like ages since our little trip to Paris. In fact, it’s hard to believe we were even there at all, barely having begun to sink out teeth into the culture when we had to relinquish that grip and return home again. Regardless, those dreamy memories are still fresh, vibrant, and wholly inspiring.
So what is it that I think of first, and miss the most from that trip? Perhaps unsurprisingly, I can tell you in no uncertain terms, it’s the bread. Sure, we have our local bakeries in town that do wonderful things with flour and yeast, but it’s just not the same. No matter how many baguette I try, none compare to those that I had for breakfast while in Paris, sampling a new loaf from a new boulangerie every day. Oh, and the supermarket “french bread”? That stuff is just a sick joke, better suited as a doorstop than edible foodstuffs.
Short of having one of those lovely breads shipped halfway around the world, I was determined to find a suitable substitute. Starting from scratch, it was the baguette aux céréales, multigrain baguette, my absolute favorite pick from that vacation, that I craved the most, complete with its signature crispy crust and open crumb, plus the bonus of nutty, toothsome grains and seeds galore.
Now, I don’t profess to be a master baguette maker; far from it. I’m certain both my methods and results would be laughed right out of any self-respecting bakery, but I was proud of my skinny, nubbly loaves as the came out of the oven, hot and toasted to a golden brown. Although the bulk of my exterior seeds became casualties of rough handling, just enough hung on to get the point across- This isn’t your standard, plain old baguette. Imbued with spelt, oats, quinoa, sunflower, sesame, poppy, and chia seeds, it’s composed of a melange of ingredients that traditionalists would probably be horrified to find in their beloved daily bread. For me, however, the combination perfectly hit the spot.
Although it’s too much work to have these crusty beauties on hand for breakfast everyday, it’s comforting just to know that this treasure isn’t doomed to exist only in my memories now. Plus, in the comfort of my own home, I have the tools and time to make it into so much more than a stand-alone treat. I have a feeling that any true Parisian wouldn’t be caught dead snacking on a vegan cream cheese, tomato, and sprout sandwich on a multigrain baguette… But they’re the ones missing out this time.