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Le Pain Quotidien, NYC
Le Pain Quotidien is a bakery cafe chain started by Alain Coumont in Belgium some years ago. Now with several locations in both NYC and LA it has become one of our favorite places to enjoy bread and soup.

As soon as you enter one of the first things you will notice is the long communal table that is the focal point of the cafe. The menu reflects Alain's commitment to organic ingredients and sustainable production practices and the items change, slowly, with the seasons.

It is the bread, however, that fully establishes the identity of LPQ. The loaves, on display as you enter, are richly colored (even the baguette) and have a rustic look to them. The large signature rounds, made with a flour custom milled for them, are the darkest and have a great dense chewy texture that compliments the soups and salads they are served with.

If you find yourself in NYC, LA or Western Europe you should seek out one of their locations. Their beautiful website can guide you there.

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New Job Website for Bakers and Bakery Owners
After slaving away at it for sometime now I'm pleased to announce the arrival of a new website. It's called journeymanbaker.com and serves two purposes: help bakeries find qualified and dedicated bakers for their production staff, and help bakers find interesting and rewarding places to apply and grow their skills. There are many job websites out there but their generality makes them, in my opinion, less than effective for a niche job... Read
Posted by Tod on: April 30, 2008

New Photo Section For a while now we have been collecting pictures taken in bakeries of all sizes and styles. From time to time we have made a half-hearted effort at presenting them. Well, we finally go it right. Please head over to our 'Bakery Shots' section. We will be updating it on a regular basis as we take photos of bakers caught in the act of practicing their craft. We hope you enjoy.
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Scratch Baking Company is located in South Portland, Maine-not a locale known for its bagel making traditions. This current location is the bakery's second home and is really a lovely space just off Willard Square not far from the beach.
Starch damage occurs during the milling process and while it is simply 'what happens' when you grind wheat kernels into flour it is of critical importance in the successful conversion of flour into leavened bread.
There are few places in the mid-Atlantic region of the US that are more lovely than Charlottesville, Virginia. Pushed up against the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains, the climate is mild, the air is clear, and being a university town there seems to a perpetually positive vibe to the place.
We have taken all of our online articles about flour analysis from our 'School' section and put them together in one document. You can read it right here, or feel free to download it and print it. Pleas share it with anyone who may have an interest.


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