Gorgeous loaves of artisanal-quality bread that you'd expect to find in some remote French village- made here in Canada!
On many a trip to my favourite food city in Canada- Montreal, I stumbled across some fine breads at a bakery chain like no other- Première Moisson. Back then, all I knew was that their sourdough baguette with a sturdy, burnished crust and a fantastic crumb meant delicious business.
Upon chatting with local pals, I was informed that yes, these bakeries exist all over the province. Apparently, they’re du rigeur in la belle province. “Lucky dogs!” was my initial thought-“ what I’d give to have these breads in Ontario.”
Well now we’re the lucky ones (finally!) because Première Moisson is now in Ontario and available at: A&P, Dominion, Ultra Food & Drug and The Barn Markets (in Hamilton) and Loeb (in Ottawa).
If you’re reading this wondering: What’s the big deal? Let me enlighten:
Première Moisson is the first bakery in Quebec to grow its own wheat by partnering with Meunerie Milanaise (an organic miller) and Agrifusion- a wheat growing collective that uses no pesticides or chemical fertilizers in growing their grains. Any good baker knows that it’s all about the ingredients at the base level- good flour, water, salt and yeast usually translates into good bread. The bakery even hired an agronomist to choose wheat varieties with a lower protein content to allow for slow rising breads.
Breads are fully baked in Montreal, slowly frozen to preserve flavour and moisture, shipped to stores in Ontario and baked off at each location with delectable results. I’ve sampled the French Baguette with its honeycomb crumb, the organic sprouted grain bread, the wonderful sourdough walnut bread and the olive fougasse. My favourite hands down is the honey, raisin, and hazelnut loaf- the perfect accompaniment to a cheese platter or a cup of morning tea! Aren’t we lucky!
