Naming breads and rolls

[Erika]

Hi. For the last 8 months I've been eating the same long white crusty bread loaves because the only way I could ask for bread in the bakery was 'una barra de pan'.

I'd really like to branch out and buy some bread rolls or even a different kind of loaf eg sourdough, round etc, but there are so many different ones and I don't know what they are called. I know it will probably vary a bit by region (we certainly have use different names in different parts of Oz anyway) but if anyone could give me some pointers as to what to ask for that would be great.

I know I can wimp out and go to a supermarket but I'd rather support the bakeries if I can.

[gerryh]

You could go to your local supermarket, have a look at the names on the different breads and then you will know what to ask for in your local bakers.
Cheers
Gerry

[luckyjim]

I can help you with a few, some you might know.......pan de leche quite a sweet bread, quite yellow inside bit like English bridge rolls. Pan Rustico...lovely rustic quite crunchy and airy bread. Masa Madre although I'm not sure if the Spanish will know it like this is Sour Dough although the true translation would be Masa fermentada. Mollete de Antequera flat soft roll. Bocadillo like small baguette. Lots of others but I have found the names vary from bakery to bakery.

[gavilan]

it might be fun to go into your local/favourite panaderia (when they are not busy!) and ask them to tell you the name of the bread/s which interest/s you and/or write it down for you ...

[gus]

II usually call my rolls Freda.

[El Cid]

I know it is always good to support local bakeries, but some of the bread in supermarkets can be particularly good, especially in Mercadona. They have a huge range of bread, much of it cooked in store and often still hot when it reaches the shelves.

The packaged bread can be good, but much Spanish bread has far too much sugar. If the bread is pre packed, even if it has been baked locally, there will be the usual list of ingredients on the packaging. Look for the sugar content. Anything at 2% or lower is fine, but above that it will taste too sweet.

The Barras are usually OK but the packaged sliced stuff can be awful, Bimbo is a good (bad?) example. Mercadona have an excellent multi seed bread and their sliced Hogaza Rustica is really good.

Back to the local bakeries, their bread will vary based on their own way of baking. All you can do is buy some and if you like it, buy it again.

When we came to Spain 15 years ago, the bread was pretty awful, now it has improved enormously and you are spoilt for choice. That said, I have never found a Spanish baguette to equal a good French one. Close, but not quite there yet.

Sid

[BENIDORM]

In all parts of the world the variety of bread on offer differs quite dramatically and the names of the various types also can be really localised, so as suggested earlier I would say that you should ask at your local bakery and I´m sure that they will give you a ´guided tour`and give you the local names and types.
When we first moved permanently to Spain in the 1980`s the selection was very limited,but we lived in an area with many Northern Europeans so we also had a German Bakery so always had a good selection.
At that time the most popular bread was the very crusty and hard Government subsidized barra, if you attempted to eat it after a few hours of making it would leave you with a very mutilated mouth !
I did learn after awhile that the local people only used it to ´Dunk`or cut into very small pieces.
Supermarkets now do offer a good selection of bread, although the ín-house`produced is usually either part baked or frozen dough, but still very good, Lidl now offer the nearest that we have been able to find to French sticks and seeded rolls etc.
You can of course use a bread machine and produce your own bread made to your own taste and all the ingredients are readily available in Spain now...
Regards,
Gordon.

[Free at Last]

I recommend the "artisan" bakery chain, Granier. They have several branches in Málaga capital - one right alongside the bus station, as you walk across to the Vialia shopping centre where the railway station is. The nearest one to you is in Vélez-Malaga (I don't think they have any others East of Málaga) just at the start of Camino Vieja de Malaga, on the right hand side if walking away from the Ayuntamiento.

They have a wide selection of loaves, some quite expensive but others no different in price from Mercadona. They are unsliced but you can just ask for them "cortado" and they will slice the loaf for you using their machine. Their croissants are the best I've found locally, €1.50 for 3. The coffee in their in-store café is good too, and cheap!

http://www.pansgranier.com/franquicias- ... tros-panes

[alisonb]

I'll second the recommendation for Granier. They do onion bread cakes, a huge range of small round rolls, and in addition to their normal croissants they do a seeded granary croissant, which is a bit expensive, but absolutely brilliant. If you check out their website they show all their breads with names and what type of crumb they have.

I second Sid's comments about too much sugar but the Granier bread weve tried isn't a problem. and in the velez shop, several of them speak good English. http://www.pansgranier.com. Click on the third picture down on the left - nuestros productos y panes

[Erika]

Thanks all for your suggestions. Much appreciated. Will start with Luckyjim's list and move on from there. I have bought from Lidl and Mercadona and agree their selection is good and I also remember having walked past Granier in Málaga and Vélez-Málaga in the past. Will stop in next time I am there and their website has provided me with a great 'cheat sheet'. Thanks everyone.