I'm not really eating bread much these (I know, it's sad...)
But you can't *always* say no, especially to a man holding a glorious, rustic, crusty loaf of perfection right in front of your chin at the West Side Market.
So, I gave in. And what a way to give in, people. I didn't waste my bread cheat day on some whack rolls or flatbread pizza that I'd regret later, oh no. I went all out.
To start from the beginning, we went to the WSM. On a Saturday. After 3PM. (We've lived in Ohio City for *years* and you still can't avoid this all the time.) Anyways, not only was it a madhouse, but most all the typical bakery stands we go to were sold out.
That is, until we saw Mediterra. And honestly, I'm not really sure what took us so long to notice this place. I mean, it's near a bunch of the stands we frequent on a regular basis... Anyways, we turned to see this glowing case full of crusty loafs looking rather delicious. The gentleman came right up to us to see what we were looking for. My beau replied that we were making a roast (meat from Vince's, of course) and he was looking for a nice loaf of crusty bread to serve it with. The gentleman knew right away, picked it up and showed us. Then, here's the best part, he squeezed it a little to show us its perfect crust. All you heard was this glorious "crunch," and we were sold. He wrapped it up WITH instructions hand-written on the package of the proper temperature/time to reheat it. Mind you, we didn't ask for this info, it was just given. He also threw in a free package of buns (the most delicious-looking ones I've seen-almost too perfect) since it was towards the end of the day and we were new customers.
So, we took it home, warmed it up in the oven at 325 degrees for 20 minutes and it was utter perfection. Perfectly toasty, crunchy on the outside, chewy, giving way to soft in the middle.
And don't tell anyone, but it's perfect for French toast making in the AM...
Four stars for now, until I come back to try more varieties. read more