Why “Artisan?”

The word “artisan” is becoming increasingly tossed-around in the bread world. You’ll see it in small bakeries such as ours, supermarkets, fast-food chains, the frozen food section, and almost any other place professional marketing firms can place it. “Artisan” is in danger of going the way of the word “gourmet,” which was pummeled into meaninglessness over the last twenty-five years by folks who wanted to make bad food sound good.

We chose the name of our bakery carefully, because we believe that just because mass-marketers over-use a term, that should not condemn it to a life of non-sense.

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So what is it?

Artisan breads are created using sound technique, a reliance on tradition, and as little mechanical interference as possible. Since almost every step involves manipulation by the baker him/herself, be it creating bread formulas for distinctive tastes or slashing the loaves just before they enter the oven, each piece is a unique fingerprint. These fingerprints convey so much more than just taste and looks; a conscious taster can analyze a loaf and discern everything from the baker’s level of training to exactly how long it took to create the loaf – sometimes as long as 48 hours or more.

The methods one artisan baker uses will always differ from the next. While staying within the basic guidelines of the craft, bakers are always looking for different ways to improve their methods. One prefers a slightly longer mixing time with a long, cool bulk fermentation, while another prefers using a high amount of preferment, a shorter mixing time, and many folds (or “punches,” as they used to be known). Sourdoughs will always taste different from region to region, depending on the wild yeasts and bacteria in the air that make up the culture – real San Francisco Sourdough can’t be made anywhere else, despite what some menus say.

The term “artisan” denotes locality, personality, and technique. If you see it in a convenience store, then leave it be. Making these breads is anything but convenient.

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