| San Francisco Bread Review | Semifreddi's country levain |
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| Summary | |
| Appearance : | Above average |
| Taste : | Fairly good |
| Overall grade : | B |
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| The bread | |
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| The wrapper | |
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| Ingredients | |
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| Nutrition | |
| Click on the photos for larger view | |
| Bread name | Country Levain |
| Baker | Semifreddi's |
| Purchased | Tuesday, May 6, 2003, 2:30PM |
| From | Safeway, 4100 Redwood Rd, Oakland |
| Tested | Tuesday, May 6, 2003, 6:00PM |
| Price | $2.89 |
| Weight | 20 oz. |
| Size (LxWxH) | 12" x 5.5" x 4" |
Appearance
This bread comes in a white paper bag. Good point there : the paper is not waxed, allowing the bread to breathe. And indeed the loaf looks and feels good, the bottom is not soggy and the crust is, well, crusty. The loaf has a handsome appearance, with a crust that is firm and has a very nice, satisfying color. The loaf is of average density. It is easy to cut, with enough resistance that the bread does not get flattened, but not so much that it is difficult to cut. The smell before cutting is slight and about average. Once cut, the smell is still relatively weak, but pleasant. It smells like a good country bread should. The color of the body is pleasant, a nice tan, with a few grains visible.
Taste
The taste is reasonably nice, the crust turns out to be softer than expected, which I regret. The body has a nice consistency, with the right amount of bubbles. There is a hint of sour, which is good and expected in this type of bread. There is no hint of sweetness, for which I was thankful. The aftertaste is somewhat indifferent.
Nutrition
This is a no-nonsense bread, baked with all-natural ingredients. No chemicals here! The sodium content is about average at 255mg, the dietary fiber relatively low at only 1g per serving.
Conclusion
This is a handsome bread, which delivers on its promise of a solid, country feel. The flavor is good but not great. This is a slightly above average bread, which may say more about the sad state of affair of bread in this country than about this bread.