Tuesday 30 September 2014

I need 'Smell-o-Blog'.



We are totally addicted to this bread. Just smelling it sends us into raptures.

Every Sunday morning we drive the 10 Kms to Frayssinet le Gelat to buy two of their fabulous 800 gm Sourdough Loaves (pain au levain); one to eat at once, the other (when cool enough) to go in the freezer. Its flavour is a bit like a cross between good ordinary bread and English crumpets; delicious enough to eat by itself.

Have you ever wondered why a Boulangerie is called a Boulangerie? 

Up until the 17th Century all bread in France was baked as 'round' loaves; The Boule in Boulangerie simply suggests a round (ball) loaf.

Nowadays every shape imaginable can be bought. Is that an improvement; probably not! 

I'm pleased to say that my baker restricts himself to about 6 different loaves; some very big. I'll buy one one day to show you.



35 comments:

  1. I think I can smell it without smell-o-blog. Delicious.

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  2. Oh yum! Yes, I've wondered why a bakery is called Boulangerie. Thanks for sharing the info. Have a great day. Greetings, Jo

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  3. I also think I can smell it:)

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  4. Well it certainly reached me, smell-o-blog, or not. Good bread is my absolute favourite food, especially the crusts!

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  5. That looks so lovely. We have a fantastic bakers is Orford called Pump Street they do the best sour dough in Suffolk (my own opinion)

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    Replies
    1. A small baker who makes good sourdough bread is a treasure (anywhere).

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  6. The staff of life - you can't beat it

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  7. If you type Soleil d'Oc into the search strip (top left), you will find the actual bakery, and the baker's lovely wife.

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  8. Morning. Not sure about it. I only eat cut-loaves. Might be nice with some Nutella on it though.

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    Replies
    1. YUK! Paté, ham, or mature cheddar cheese, but not nutella.

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    2. Thick cold butter and Vegemite or Promite is pretty good too

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  9. Mmm, nothing like the smell of fresh bread for getting the tastebuds tingling.

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  10. Sometimes a girl just has to treat herself

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  11. I love that kind of bread, we get a loaf called Pave Rustic which also has that crumpety texture. Although what language that is, is anyone's guess.
    On a different note, I have a fanciful theory about the origin of the word Aubergier/euse (inn keeper of either gender) or some such. It must be related to the big round, shiny purple aubergine, surely? Because such people seem to always be big and round and purple and shiny too!

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    Replies
    1. A 'Pavé' is a road paving stone (in French). Such named loaves are supposed to represent Parisian student's favourite missile, when confronted by the CRS.

      As for the local Auberge, of course it's named after the vegetable..... what else!

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  12. Your comments today are a font of interesting morsels!

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  13. Sourdough is the favorite bread of choice in this household, kids and all. I'm salivating.....

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    Replies
    1. After eating sourdough bread for a while, anything else just tastes nasty.

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  14. Fresh bread....nothing like it. Interesting to learn the origin of boulengerie. That particular bread you get sounds delicious.

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  15. Haven't tried that particular loaf from the boulangerie - will have to give it a go.

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    Replies
    1. Ask for a 'pain au levain' (levain being the sourdough bit; but you knew that).

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  16. I would be all over that bread like a cat on cat-nip. Enjoy, Cro. Deb

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  17. No one can make better bread than the French.

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  18. They look wonderful.

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  19. Our baker makes great corn bread - but only on Saturdays. It's best to get it

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  20. I fancy this with a thick layer of good English butter Cro - although I have a feeling most Frenchmen would eat it without the butter.

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    1. If it's to eat with ham (Parma style ham), it would be eaten with butter. If it was to eat with Paté; no butter. And just with a meal; no butter either.

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  21. I wish you had smell-o-blog too! I love love love good bread.

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  22. I think bread is my favorite food; would be my last meal.

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  23. I love bread, and when i lived in France, i ate lots of it. The pâtisseries, although lovely, didn't beckon to me the way the bread did.

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