Wednesday, March 25, 2009

A slice of France in the Heart of San Francisco: Pascal Baker and Founder of Bay Bread

This is dedicated to Pascal Rigo, a friend and TOP baker for the last 10 years. In 1998, I met Pascal on Pine Street a few weeks after moving to San Francisco. Pascal's bakery was not opened yet but he gave me free bread while trying his new ovens. (If I remember 6 baguettes) I gave him the "symbolic" dollar that he has kept as of today. In 2009, Pascal has 11 bakeries and provide food to all major hotels like the Hilton around San Francisco and companies as Trader Joes, Williams Sonoma, Whole Food,and Restaurants like Gary Danko *to name a few. Pascal makes the BEST BREAD, THE BEST PASTRIES, THE BEST BAGUETTES, THE BEST MACAROONS, THE BEST GRANOLA, THE BEST JAMS...I can go on. And today he opened his doors of his new factory. And we took a peak at 100 p. cent butter food. What a smell, what an operation, what a guy! The baker meets the Bantransfats.com man a.k.a. Steve.

Tasting a bad croissant from another bakery. We are talking butter, "pate feuilletee"
Making Croissants
B U T T E R
The dough is almost ready
Machines, machines...
Ciabatta cut and getting ready for the oven
Finished products

There were more things to do but we did not want to abuse our host's kindness but we knew behind all these machines, tropeziennes, mille feuille (napoleons), tarts and chocolate under all its shapes were being made. Pascal, MERCI BEAUCOUP!

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