Kneaded Buns at The Loaf
For many years now, Basque chefs and their restaurants (and with stars) have been at the forefront of the world of gastronomy. Now, a food as basic as bread claims its place in the culinary scene of San Sebastian.
It does, for example, in the Basque Culinary Center, the Faculty and Center for Research and Innovation in Gastronomic Sciences: a pioneering project in Spain whose U-shaped building shows the image of various dishes stacked on top of each other, a literal metaphor of the plate as a support for gastronomy. Here bread is one of the star topics of the training programs: In addition to master classes, participatory workshops and creative processes are organized.
We have selected two spaces where you can savor this bread revolution that San Sebastián is experiencing. Both respect the rigor of the search for quality: one does it from the point of view of tradition, without further ado, and the other from disclosure, with the challenge of raising customer awareness so that they know what “real” bread is like. Both follow the spirit of the city: on the one hand, the most traditional shops survive; on the other, experimental projects arise.
Basque culinary center
The northern tradition in bread
Aguirre , an old goldsmith's shop that keeps the essences of the most precious jewels, offers the usual cakes and breads . He began his career in Irun and a few years ago he opened his second establishment in Saint Sebastian . They are masters of puff pastries, pastries, cookies, cakes, biscuits and roscones. But the brightest jewel is its brioche : every morning, a long table laden with succulent sweet breads of French origin, with its golden crust, is spread out here. Aguirre opts for the absolute tradition of bread: they only have four formats: loaf of white bread, loaf of wholemeal bread, loaves and ciabatta . With these premises it is natural that his bread is one of the most precious in the city.
The bread, in an avant-garde box
in the ephemeral project The Loaf Box design, experimentation and communication come together in this unusual adventure that is drawing so much media and public attention. This pop-up bakery is located in front of the Estación del Norte in Saint Sebastian , in two metal containers reminiscent of a small spaceship.
Inside, you find a pleasant surprise: bakers kneading bread and teaching how to do it. Those responsible are the creators of ** La Salsera **, a local communication agency focused on gastronomic leisure. At the head of the project are Dan Lepard , one of the most recognized bakers in the world, gastronomic critic in Guardian , and ** Ibán Yarza ** journalist, baker by vocation, and translator of Dan Lepard's book " Handmade ".
The Loaf, an ephemeral bakery that will live until September