A Desire For Creative Baking: Artisan Breads

They say a real Filipino Food meal isn’t complete without rice. Not necessarily for Leslie Rabat, owner of Pan Italiano’s Artisan Breads. For Leslie, bread is much more than a convenient substitute to rice. It’s a universal food, which is a filling and a healthy choice for any meal.

Truth be told, Filipinos love bread more than they say. Bread is always present in Filipino Food selections. Every time the buying price of sugar or flour rises; individuals are worried that the taste or size of their trusty bread products is going to be affected. The number of bread products in any Filipino bakery- pan de sal, monay, putok, Spanish bread and kabayan – are testaments on the Pinoy’s love for bread.

“You would be surprised at how good bread baked with assorted fruits, nuts, seed, cheese, and even spices or herbs, can taste,” explains Rabat. This is also true for artisan breads which are hand crafted with special focus on quality of compounds and baking strategies. Particular breads require certain baking strategies and tools, all in pursuit to create bread that gratify any food pairing.

Rabat, an expert from the corporate world, started preparing bread with “Bun Express”, a hamburger and hotdog cart enterprise, which required they prepare their own buns. In 2005, their bread production extended to a line of Italian breads offered exclusively to Italian restaurants. Rabat’s adoration for creating breads specially customized for that client’s needs blossomed, “We accommodate the chef’s imagination. It is fulfilling to come up with specialized breads exclusive to their demands. It is in itself an artistic process.”

As with all true passions, Rabat sees it challenging to craft increasingly more bread varieties aside from her bestsellers of apple-cinnamon rolls, garlic bread, dulce de leche rolls, walnut and raisin wheat batard, along with braided brioche. “I find myself wandering towards bread shops. (When) friends and family come back from recent travels and rave about their recent bread finds, I get them to describe the taste, texture, color, shape and visuals of breads they’re longing for. Discovering my variation is personally gratifying.”

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Filed under: Health and Fitness

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