Bruno Albouze

Today, we let the TGV be our guide, whisking us west from Paris into the emerald heart of Bretagne. We are traveling not just for the granite coastlines or the salt-kissed air, but for the soul of our next baguette. For in Brittany, two essential components of this bread have been perfecting their partnership for centuries. Look out the window as we pass the ancient, low-rise farmhouses. In the fields beyond, the humble buckwheat plant blooms. This farine de sarrasin is not just an ingredient; it is the main event. It forms the backbone of the batter for la crêpe Bretonne au sarrasin—that iconic, savory buckwheat pancake that has warmed generations of fishermen and farmers. And what is a crêpe without its perfect companion? The same cider that fills ceramic bowls to accompany those golden-brown pancakes is the very liquid we will use to start our dough.
So, the baguette we’ll be making today reflects just that—a delicious homage to a classic pairing. It begins as an epic liquid starter, where apple cider meets the rustic strength of rye and that dark, nutty buckwheat flour. After a night of slow, pre-fermentation, where the yeasts work their magic on the cider’s sugars, this living culture is slowly, deliberately kneaded with crisp spring water, and traditional unbleached flour. The final result is a baguette of profound character: a brittle, brownish crust that springs open in the oven’s heat, revealing a unique, airy crumb that carries the faint, haunting whisper of apple and the earthy soul of Brittany.