| San Francisco Bread Review | Grace Baking Crusty Baguette |
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| Summary | |
| Appearance : | Average |
| Taste : | Not bad |
| 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 | Crusty Baguette |
| Baker | Grace Baking, Richmond |
| Purchased | Monday, May 19, 2003, 5:30PM |
| From | Safeway, 4100 Redwood Rd, Oakland |
| Tested | Monday, May 19, 2003, 7:00PM |
| Price | $1.89 |
| Weight | 11 oz. |
| Size (LxWxH) | 23" x 3" x 2" |
Appearance
The bread comes in a white paper bag with ingredients and nutrition information -- usually Grace Baking does not have to be ashamed of its ingredients, and this bread is no different. The loaf has very flat scores on top, I would prefer to see a bit more relief. The crust is a bit shiny, which I always find slightly suspicious. The bottom has a nice appearance, though. The density of the loaf is average. The crust is quite soft, which is disappointing for a baguette that advertizes itself as crusty. The outside smell is not unpleasant but not all that satisfying either. The cut is very easy, and making good-looking slices was a snap. The crumb is very white and fluffy, with big bubbles. The inside smell is that of a baguette, very unlike the outside smell. This reminds me of the real baguettes you can get in France.
Taste
The crust's consistency is way too soft, it feels like a day-old baguette that has been sitting in a humin environment. However, the taste is OK. The crumb tastes OK too but it smells better than it tastes. The consistency was unspectacular.
Conclusion
This is not a crusty baguette -- the crust is just not where it needs to be. Overall the taste is average, I am raising the grade just a bit because of the wholesome ingredients.