Who can resist the scent of freshly baked bread? Many of us associate this aroma with childhood when we most often used to break the bread we’ve just bought and was still hot from the oven, smear it with butter, sprinkle some savory and it was the most delicious food.
Well, today we’ll bring you back to these memories and we’ll reveal to you some places where the bread is the real one - soft, melting in the mouth and tempting. In fact, in recent years the bread from our carefree childhood days has disappeared and what was offered in the shops was the so-called factory bread. In order to endure more, it is often full of enhancers and sweeteners. Even the way of packing and the fact that you couldn’t get it warm made it somewhat less tempting. But lately, we couldn’t help but be happy that the tradition of handmade bread is coming back. On the one hand, older places for which this isn’t a new occupation are actively trying to revive this craft, and on the other - craft bakeries are created that are not afraid to experiment and try to be different and offer a wide variety of products on the market.
Bread making is one of the oldest activities and for many people, it is a symbol of various rituals. In Bulgaria, it is a sign of hospitality and traditionally guests are welcomed with bread with salt or honey.
In case you are a fan of the baked good, there is a street in the Old Town, which you shouldn’t miss. The artisan bazar of Strymna Street is one of the most attractive places there. The first thing you’ll feel when approaching it is the tempting aroma of freshly baked bread. It comes from the Master Baker's House, where the master prepares different types of bread with lots of love every day. He is now in the process of patenting two new loaves - Pulpudeva and Evmolpian. Every day there is a list of the items and whatever you choose, you won’t be wrong. On the spot, kids can even knead their own bread and the Master will bake it. The delicious bread can be eaten with coffee, compote, dried fruit, ayran, or home-made lemonade.
And how about a baguette with dried tomatoes or hot bread with carrots and seeds? It's certainly not a good idea to go past Don Baton when you've decided to follow a diet. Their suggestions are always very tasty and of good quality, prepared with love and diligence.
Wholegrain bread with sourdough and einkorn is absolutely in line with the latest nutrition trends where we rely on quality and healthy food. Its taste qualities are indisputable, and even those of you who don’t eat bread will like it. It’s prepared manually and from the hands of the smiling staff of the small bakery to the Bread with sourdough near the Rowing Channel.
Not putting the Kapana bakery and their olive bread here would definitely be a lapse on our side! The pleasant setting you can sit in, surrounded by thousands of treats, is not to be ignored, and their choice of sweet temptations is also worth noting. We also love the croissants with almond cream, coffee and white chocolate cookies, and caramel tart with nuts! They managed to surprise us pleasantly with heart-shaped baguettes. People in love could choose between white and wholegrain.
Another artisan bakery finds its place here. In Хлябъ they rely on the so-called sourdough bread, the basis of which lies in the long-lasting natural fermentation. The whole process gives a characteristic flavor and aroma to the bread, which surely brings us tens of years back. Their selection of white, whole grain and rye products is great, and their Easter bread is also not to be missed. Around Easter time, the order sheet is kilometers long, but they also make it the rest of the year.
There’s no way we miss Bakery Art, where bread making is art, and it is precisely the passion for the baker's craft that motivates the owners to return from America and open the boutique. What distinguishes them and makes them special is the bagels that are superb. But we can’t go there without trying the Belgian bread with walnuts made from 100% rye flour with added malt. We guarantee that you’ll leave with at least two in your hands, and one won’t make it home.
"No one is bigger than bread," says an old Bulgarian proverb, and we, from the team of the digital guide of Plovdiv, will add how much we admire everybody, engaging in this ancient and highly valued craft.
