There’s always something new under the sun, even if it looks like it belongs to the night, such as the black baguette introduced by a baker at the edge of Normandy.
The new loaf, which looks blacker on the inside than the outside, isn’t burned, and it isn’t made with dark flour: it’s infused with activated charcoal, the fine black material that’s used in filters, and is a long-time history as a soother for digestive problems. It’s an increasingly popular ingredient in other dishes as well.
At the Rose Boulangerie in Vernon, across the river from Monet’s home at Giverny, the bread is made with a traditional recipe, but the addition of the charcoal means the dough doesn’t need an ‘improver,’ a mix of additive that make the dough easier to work. The owner at Rose says typical baguettes these days contain about 14 additives.
So far, the new baguette has proven popular, selling nearly a dozen a day. The bakery is about to double production.
