The Fresh Loaf

A Community of Amateur Bakers and Artisan Bread Enthusiasts.

Last weekend's baking, or "Let Ken do it."

dmsnyder's picture
dmsnyder

Last weekend's baking, or "Let Ken do it."

This past weekend, I attended a conference in Portland, Oregon, so I wasn't home to bake. I want to assure you my suffering was not intolerable. Susan and managed a long-deferred visit to Ken's Artisan Bakery. 

After checking the hours and offerings online, we went to Ken's for lunch on Sunday, before heading to PDX for our flight home. The bakery was in active production, and new batches of breads and pastries were being brought out for sale and consumption more or less continuously. Ken's offered about a half dozen different breads, a variety of viennoiserie and a few pastries and cookies. They offer sandwiches, salads and soup to eat in or take out. Oh, also Stumptown coffee, including espresso. The work areas are open to the ordering line and tables. There are huge windows on two sides of the corner building which were wide open where we sat on a gorgeous, sunny day.

Here are a few photos:

I had a tuna sandwich on Ken's Multigrain Bread, and we shared a salad that came with some sliced baguette. The multigrain bread was very good. I'm quite sure it was a sourdough bread spiked with some commercial yeast. It had a really crunchy crust and nice tender crumb with some mixed seeds. The baguette was super classical Parisian baguette. I'd bet anything it was sur poolish. It had a thin, crackly crust with a very sweet, wheaty crumb that was quite open. Here's a crumb photo of Ken's "Parisian Baguette:"

I (sort of) shared a Canelé and a cherry and strawberry crostata. Both pastries were very good. We'll have to return - hopefully soon - to try Ken's croissants, which have a stellar reputation and did look delicious. 

So, I'm back home ... with the levain ripe and ready to make Pain de Campagne. From FWSY, of course.

David

 

Comments

WoodenSpoon's picture
WoodenSpoon

Did ya happen to get over to his pizza place or try any of portland's other bakeries?

dmsnyder's picture
dmsnyder

David

mcs's picture
mcs

It's always cool to see how other bakers do it, especially those with an open kitchen like Ken's.  Thanks David!

-Mark

dmsnyder's picture
dmsnyder

Hi, Mark.

I'm glad you enjoyed seeing the bakery photos. I'll remember that for future travels.

The photos in the OP don't show the other part of the working area, which is at the front of the store, with a big window looking onto the 21st Ave sidewalk. Here's a not great photo of that part:

David

P.S. The baker in the 4th photo of the OP was shaping bâtards using a technique an awful lot like yours - rolling the piece away from himself while tucking in the ends. I found that interesting. 

mcs's picture
mcs

I picked up that technique at the bakery I worked at 20 years ago in Vermont.  Everyone did it that way and it seemed pretty natural to me.  After about 1 week, it became permanently ingrained in my brain and hands  :) 

dabrownman's picture
dabrownman

might as well go out of town, find it and eat it - Portland doesn't hurt either.  Thanks for the Artisan update,