The Fresh Loaf

A Community of Amateur Bakers and Artisan Bread Enthusiasts.

Artisan Bakery in Orange County

troglodyte's picture
troglodyte

Artisan Bakery in Orange County

TL;DR: I am looking for an artisan bakery that makes the best artisan breads in Orange County, California. Your suggestions would be most appreciated.

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When I wrote my introduction here, I said that I had been working on bread recipes "in isolation for a very long time." See:
https://www.thefreshloaf.com/node/70192/hello-bread-making-recluse

After joining The Fresh Loaf, reading some modern books, and making a variety of breads, I realized that I do not know what the very best breads are like. It helps to have a high standard to serve as a goal and for assessing one's progress by comparison. I do not know how those "best of breed" loaves look, feel, smell, crunch, and taste. My only real exposure to well-made bread comes sliced and served in restaurants. I haven't bought bread in years, and we do not eat very often at fine restaurants that serve the best artisan bread. We have hardly eaten out at all since the pandemic took hold.

I decided to buy a few representative loaves from the best bread bakeries in the area so we could compare them with my own loaves. The new problem became, "Where to find the best breads here in Orange County? 

I searched the internet and found "BREAD Artisan Bakery" in Santa Ana. They supply local delis and restaurants, but you can order online at least two days in advance for pickup on Wednesday or Saturday. I do not know if they make the best breads in the area, but we decided to give them a try. So far, we have tried their Sourdough Pan Loaf and Baguette Tradition. Yesterday we tried their Ciabatta Rustique, which can be special ordered through their website in the comments field, but we bought the Ciabatta at Cortina's Italian Market in Anaheim, just after it was delivered by the bakery. 
https://www.breadab.com

The judging has been biased and unfair. That is because the judges are me and my family. In fairness, I asked my family to give me truthful, objective opinions. According to the family, each of my loaves was either "as good" or "better" than the purchased equivalents from BREAD Artisan Bakery. I am skeptical, but I feel encouraged that I could be doing better than I thought when I joined The Fresh Loaf.

The flavor of some purchased artisan loaves had a "broader palette" than my bread. If you look at the ingredients stickers, I found unexpected ingredients. For example, their ciabatta includes whole wheat and spelt flours while my ciabatta has only bread flour. There is nothing wrong with that, but it may explain the difference in flavor.

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We were shopping at Sprouts market when an employee started to load a display of French Bread. The bread was still warm, and my spouse wanted to buy one for comparison. I asked, and Sprouts bread is delivered as dough to the stores. The loaves are shaped, proofed, and baked in the store. I hope I do not insult anyone here, but Sprouts' "French Bread" is not close to genuine French bread. To us, the crust and crumb were close to "Wonder Bread" in crust, texture, and flavor, but shaped like a baguette.

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I have a friend who has been pining for the true traditional baguettes he remembers from living in Paris. He has been searching for a bakery that makes that same kind of bread. He told me that the best he found so far is a bakery called Paris Baguette. I looked them up, and they are chain of franchises with many stores in our area. I called the closest one, and they told me that their baguettes are delivered to the stores already shaped, proofed, and ready for baking. That can't be good if you are looking for "the best" for comparison. I will still go out and buy a baguette to try, since my friend recommended them, but we don't have high expectations for Paris Baguette.

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Bottom line: 
-> I am looking for an artisan bakery that makes the best artisan breads in Orange County, California.
-> Your suggestions would be most appreciated.

My target breads for now are: traditional French bread baguette, San Francisco sourdough, ciabatta, and Jewish deli rye. 

troglodyte's picture
troglodyte

I will give this thread a bump to see if someone notices it this time.

-> Does anyone here live near in Southern California? Do you have a favorite bread bakery somewhere close to Orange County?