Through my travels around Barcelona I came across this bakery that was not too far from my hotel, Baluard. I actually visited them on two different occasions. The family that owns this bakery is a fourth generation baker. It is in their blood, dating all the way back to 1892. All this history still amazes me.
They had a big window that looked into the bakery. I could see them making the different loaves.
It smelt wonderful as soon as I walked in, I love the smell of fresh bread. It is comforting and makes me hungry. They had many options in their glass cases. There were so many different types of bread, fresh pastries, and an assortment of sandwiches on their fresh baguettes.
I got a white baguette with jamon (Spanish ham). The sandwich itself was good. The bread was extremely crispy on the outside and soft on the inside. There was a great crunch when I took a bite.
The meat was not as flavorful as I was expecting. I expected it to be slightly more salty. There was no cheese on this sandwich. If there was it would have added more flavor.
They had fresh eclairs in their case when I visited. The cream filling was calling to me. I made sure to get one. They called them Éclair Crema.
The fresh éclair pastry was light and airy, this allowed for the cream to get into every nook and cranny of the pastry. The cream was also flight and extremely fluffy. It was definitely homemade whipped cream. It was totally delicious and satisfied my sweet tooth.
The next morning I did make my second visit to Baluard. I wanted to get a pastry that would go well with coffee. I ordered the Brioix Canyella I Fruits Vermells. This pastry was not in their case the day before. So it appears that they offer different items each day.
It looked like a cream cheese filling but after taking a bite it was more like a vanilla custard. The fresh berries were great and added some sweetness. There was also a sweet glaze on top of the pastry. It was almost like honey. it was sweet and made my fingers a little sticky. This was the perfect way to start my morning.
Both visits to Baluard were wonderful. They take great care in everything that they make and that is reflective in the taste of their bread and pastries. I would definitely go back to see what other creations they come up with.
http://baluardbarceloneta.com/en/principal
Enjoy!
T
