Gold and silver, the star ingredients of this bread
"I was handing out bread in a gourmet store. I had been looking at the 'most expensive coffee in the world' for several days, and I thought: Why don't I make the most expensive bread in the world? ". This is how the idea was conceived that has led Juan Manuel Moreno to world bread stardom. And it was not something premeditated: in 2007, without knowing anything about this product, he decided to take over the bakery of his wife's family, Pan Piña, located in Algatocín, in this Malaga town of 800 inhabitants, under the mentorship of his wife -"She is guilty of having infected me with that love for bread, for things well done, slowly and without haste , just what the bread needs", he assures-, picked up the witness of a tradition that he had started in 1940.
"Currently, despite the large number of orders we have and the lack of time that this entails, we have organized ourselves so as not to lose our essence: we continue fermenting our bread doughs in wooden cabinets -in this way, the bread ferments at its own pace; in winter, slower, and in summer, faster - and we continue to use the wood oven , which gives the bread that characteristic flavor of the people, "explains Moreno. Of course, despite respecting tradition, from the beginning he has introduced innovations in his products, paying special attention to people with intolerances and allergies , in addition to proposing all kinds of extraordinary challenges.
A RECORD BREAD
"First I set out to do the largest bread in Spain , 167 kilos, and then we got the Guinness record with a bar that weighed 268 kilos and measured 9.57 meters", recalls the professional. Moreno recalls that, in order to introduce the dough into a large tiled oven, it was necessary to have the firefighters help . "They had to use the fireproof suits they use in fires to be able to carry out this action, and even they broke a record, because they had only two minutes to put the bread in the oven (the time their suits last) and during the Drills always took longer. However, when the time came, they only took a minute to pull off the maneuver." Later, said bread was distributed in different soup kitchens.
WHAT DOES THE MOST EXPENSIVE BREAD IN THE WORLD TASTE?
"The most expensive bread in the world is made with carefully selected top quality ingredients: rock salt -extracted by hand avoiding detonations so as not to damage the environment and not pollute-, organic quinoa, chia and oat flour , dehydrated tomato, toasted malt and hard water from the Algatocín mountains", Moreno lists.
The 'glamor' made bread
Of course, the ingredients that justify a price of 1,480 euros per loaf of 400 grams Are others: gold and silver , which are mixed with the dough in three formats: powder, flakes and shabin -pieces-. Despite this glamorous addition, the professional assures that the most expensive bread in the world has " a traditional flavor , of those that transport you to another era", and defends that what gives it that taste, endorsed by its decades of good work and recognized with a star on the Spanish Route of Good Bread, are the flours used for its preparation.
"Gold and silver do not add flavor , they are tasteless. Furthermore, contrary to popular belief, the gold has beneficial properties for the body, helping to eliminate toxins and slowing down the aging of the skin. Already in ancient China, back in 2,500 BC, it was used for medicinal purposes and was considered an elixir to lengthen life."
FROM ALGATOCÍN TO THE WORLD
The inhabitants of Algatocín, as Moreno explains, do not have such a well-off economy as to afford to purchase a product of these characteristics. "We are a town of working people," says the baker. However, they have tasted it: "Once, we baked a loaf and I cut it up so my neighbors could at least taste it ", assures the professional.
"The neighbors have welcomed it very well, as they feel proud to belong to a town that produces a unique product in the world . In addition, this has had an impact on the increase in sightseeing in the area: it is a sector that has suffered a lot from Covid-19, and indirectly, people who did not know how to locate Algatocín on the map are now curious to come and enjoy its surroundings", indicates Moreno.
Traditional methods are used in the elaborations of this bakery
Thus, the most expensive loaves that come out of the labyrinthine and whitewashed streets of Algatocín, from the old Pan Piña oven, must travel many kilometers to meet those who buy them: "Countries like Arab Emirates assiduously they send us planes expressly to pick up the bread and transfer it to cities like Dubai," admits Moreno, who recalls: "From Russia, a client ordered 11 loaves of bread from me in a single order, and when it came time to pay, he left us a tip of 500 euros ". It was, of course, the delivery man.
In The Angels They have also received their gold leaf by mail, while in Spain they have only had three clients: an Arab prince residing in Marbella, who commissioned 18 loaves for his wedding, a retiree who told them that "he didn't want to die without trying it" and a youtuber who wanted to expose it on his channel.
BREAD AT 10,000 EUROS PER KILO
In Madrid Fusión, where they present their creations, an attendee took a loaf to China . It will also be at this fair where they will present their next elaboration, a bread that will be around 10,000 euros per kilo . "The only thing I can say about this new project is that it will be a customizable bread, in which the final consumer will have the last word," Moreno details.
This new record bread will be baked in a much larger facility: of the 90 meters of his workshop will go to 2,500 thanks to the increase in demand that they have experienced in recent years, and not only for especially expensive breads: also for all kinds of elaborations, which They can be ordered online with a minimum order of 15 euros . It will be, yes, in another town, because in your locality, according to the professional, this type of infrastructure is not allowed. However, Moreno assures: " Our headquarters will continue to be the workshop in Algatocín, the town that has seen us grow , where bread will continue to be made for our neighbors".