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I figured I'd start a new thread based on some posts by others on the state of our local breads. I generally agree with them that the quality of the French bread has declined since K. How I long to go to the Schwegmann's on Division and pick up some seeded Gendusa pistolettes. They were and still are my favorites.

I usually buy Leidenheimer at Breaux Mart unless I grilling sausages in which case I buy the Frenchie's. They are pretty good if you toast them just right. Do not cut them before putting them in a 350 oven for 5-7 minutes. Done right (by my standard) they will be nice and crispy on the outside and hot on the inside. Perfect for gilled onions and brats.

So where can I buy some good ciabatta? Making it myself is just not an option. Last time I fooled with dough I burned up my food processor and made some incredibly sticky play dough.

La Boulangerie, WF.

I second the ciabatta from La Boulangerie. Oddly enough, if your local WalMart carries a variety of breads, the burger & hot dog buns labeled as "ciabatta buns" aren't so bad, but they need toasting (and they're full of corn syrup & dough conditioners). Wallyworld's ciabatta has big holes, a shiny crumb, and a medium-thick crust greatly improved by heating.

EAC, ciabatta's easy-peasy, it just requires a long, slow rise and a light touch, and a long knead in a stand mixer. A food processor won't cut it.

Watch out for the Walmart fresh baked breads. In May I watched a "bakery person?" unloading a wheeled rack from the bakery on to shelves. The French looking loaves were in the usual white bags with about 6" of the loaf exposed. The "bakery person?" knocked about four loaves off the shelf on to the floor, and then merrily picked them off the floor and placed them back on the shelf for sale.

I fired an email letter to them when I got home, but never received a reply. I trust the buyers enjoyed the "extra crunchieness".

Art,
Kind of used to bread hangin out around here. When I leave for work at 7 am, the bread is leaning against the door for the Po-boy shop which opens at 11am. Seagulls, Pidgeons flying around everywhere. Just a huge bag full of loaves, leaning against the door. Never heard of one case of e-coli, or anything else terminal from bread. Do not want to even think about mentioning about what sandwich shops do with bread that hits the floor accidently...

Matter of fact, I don't think they even use bags at all in many countries. Tuck it under you arm, or in your satchel and carry it home.

Oyster, we think alike. I used to buy "unwrapped loaves" from the rack behind the counter at Dufrene's Bakery in Golden Meadow--the server grabbed 'em with bare hands and handed them over. If you wanted a paper bag, you had to ask.

I work not too far from the Vietnamese bakery Chez Pierre on Vets between Williams and Roosevelt. A couple times I have picked up some of their pistolettes. Honestly, I was underwhelmed. I know that there have been good reviews about this place so I was wondering: is there a special type of bread I should look for there? The place is convenient so it would be great if their bread is exceptional.

Any comments?

The problem is when hot bread is bagged. The crust gets soft. Open ends help prevent this. I prefer to have my bread bagged when I order it, as at La Boulangerie. Most bakeries up north adhere to this practice as well and use paper vs cellophane bags to retard soft crusted goods.

EatinAintCheatin wrote:I work not too far from the Vietnamese bakery Chez Pierre on Vets between Williams and Roosevelt. A couple times I have picked up some of their pistolettes. Honestly, I was underwhelmed. I know that there have been good reviews about this place so I was wondering: is there a special type of bread I should look for there? The place is convenient so it would be great if their bread is exceptional.

Any comments?

I usually buy the short loaves at Chez Pierre (like a 6 or 8 inch loaf, just the right size for a bahn mi). The quality is best early in the day, and they're better if purchased unwrapped from the bin behind the counter (rather than prebagged). Still, they're not nearly as good as Hi-Do or Dong Phuong.

Sadly, real-deal, old-school french bread is almost extinct. Driving to LeJeune's in Jeanerette isn't really practical when I want a sandwich!