Welcome to Bread Week

Given the current climate, I’ve seen so many people making bread from scratch. We had had this planned for months, so we hope to get you even more inspired as we celebrate bread.

For the love of bread! Does anyone else agree with that sentiment?

I would say my bread journey began while I was studying in Paris. Every day—sometimes twice a day (no shame in admitting this)—I would line up with fellow Parisians at Maison Kayser on Rue Monge, which was right around the corner from where I was living (this was way before Maison Kayser branched out to other parts of the globe) to purchase my warm baguette. Oh the delight! It was perfectly crusty and spongy and the perfect counterpart to tangy goat cheese showered in dried herbs or peppery olive oil. When I returned back to the States, I knew that my views on bread didn’t only change because of the quality, but how the French viewed bread in general. Back then and still to this day, the majority of people shun carbs on this side of the pond and maybe it’s because they haven’t tried something as fresh and as wonderful as what they masterfully produce elsewhere?

Luckily living in New York, many bakers have taken note of how the French and other countries make their bread and turn out exquisite loaves like Fabrique Bakery—a Swedish import—Sullivan Street Bakery to She Wolf Bakery. Since tasting my first baguette in college, I have gotten my socks knocked off by bread made in other parts of the world like Sweden and Denmark. We have come to learn a few things about bread over the years and can agree that all is not created equal and second, while loaves can be beautiful, baking it is definitely a science. So this week we are excited to be saluting bread here at ROSE & IVY. - Alison Engstrom