[supermarket finds] Gail's San Francisco Style Sourdough

I chanced upon Gail's Bakery near Tottenham Court Road a few months ago. The window display was fabulously festive. Rustic-looking loaves, delicate cupcakes and a reindeer made with light bulbs were all very inviting. One afternoon in November, I decided to check out its croissant and cappuccino. I was, and still am, on a quest to look for the best croissant in the town. I wished Gail's was the right place to answer my prayer to the Almighty Croissant heaven.

Unfortunately it wasn't. I left with huge disappointment.


I could just be unlucky. Apparently it was something worth to celebrate among the staff members. Maybe it's someone's last work day or some old friends visiting. Anyway. The staff members were busy tossing and sipping cocktails, leaving grumpy customers unattended. That would be okay if the food was fine. But no. That croissant... please pardon me for my use of words. But that croissant was a piece of joke. C'mon. A croissant isn't just a crescent-shaped pain de mie ok? That croissaant looked and tasted similar to something I bought from Waitrose. The Essential range. And the cappuccino was a miracle. I couldn't believe the coffee could still taste that bitterly burnt with so much milk added in.

Ok. Enough complaint. But that's the row I had with Gail's Bakery. And that's why when I recently found out my local Waitrose carrying bread from high-end artisan bakeries including Gail's, it was the last one I wanted to try. I am so far very happy with Poilane. But I can't just have country loaf or walnut bread all the time but that's what my local Waitrose offers from Poilane. Also Poilane isn't cheap. I feel maybe I should leave my bad impression behind and give Gail's a try with an open mind.

That's how I got my first loaf of Gail's bread on Tuesday. There were several different types of bread to choose from. As a big fan of sourdough bread I picked up the San Francisco Style Sourdough Bread without any hesitation.

What perplexed me was... I couldn't find any Best Before Date on the brown bag. I knew it's common that the fresh bread baked on site in supermarkets may not possess Best Before Date labels but I assumed this bread, obviously baked in Gail's Bakery, should use a label to give more information. I asked a Waitrose staff member. He assured me that the bread was baked and delivered every morning and it was definitely a fresh one. I think my question about Best Before Date hasn't been properly answered but I guess knowing the bread was just freshly baked on that morning was good enough for me.

This was how it looked. I by means a good bread baker. And I didn't really know if this loaf was "beautifully scored with lovely ears" or not. I think I'll need to take an artisan bread baking class before I can further comment on its appearance.

Yet judging from the interior I think it looked great. The irregular holes quite evenly distributed throughout the crumb, consistent with the long fermentation time in sourdough. The crust was reasonably thick too. Looked good.

I tried a piece without spreading anything on. It was a mixed bag I think. The crust was reasonably crunchy. But in terms of flavour. I am afraid it leaves something to be desired. It wasn't bad. It's miles better than the commercially produced loaves. Yet it didn't sing and ring as I expected. I hate to compare. But I indeed could enjoy the sourdough bread from Poilane, Karaway or stall bakeries from Broadway Market without smearing any butter nor jam. This one? I simply couldn't.

I ended up having them with Bonne Maman bitter orange marmalade and Lurpak butter. Not bad. Not too bad. But not the best sourdough I've had. Nor the second nor the third best. I guess they did disappoint me but not so much that I'd never go back to grab another loaf from Gail's again. To be short, I guess I won't be buying this San Francisco Style Sourdough Bread again. But I may go back to try other types of Gail's bread, preferably sourdough, before I can confirm I don't like Gail's Bakery products.