LIST OF LEVELS

Ugh!

F | 0 - 1.9

D | 2 - 3.9

C | 4 - 5.9

B | 6 - 7.9

A | 8 - 8.9

S | 9+

escribe una introducción aquí

Escribe un título

@lookingforgoodbaguettes Baguette Tier List

Ugh!

F | 0 - 1.9

D | 2 - 3.9

C | 4 - 5.9

B | 6 - 7.9

A | 8 - 8.9

S | 9+

escribe una introducción aquí

Escribe un título

Artisan Boulanger Patissier | Philadelphia, PA

🥖 3.5 🥖 👀 Looks: 3 💥 Crust: 4 🫧 Crumb: 3 😋 Taste: 4 Notes: Nice length but a little stubby. Practically no score expression at all, solid color on the crust. The bottom is really light and has a bunch of little bumps that come from proofing and baking in a baguette pan. I really dislike that aesthetic (it reminds me of a supermarket baguette) and baking in a baguette pan also doesn't let the bottom get nearly as crisp as baking on a stone does. The crust is slightly crisp and has some flavor. It has small blisters and mediocre shine. The crumb is not great. Very tight and dense, but a little moist and has some flavor. Flavor overall is solid, nothing really complex but it tastes ok.

Four Worlds Bakery | Philadelphia, PA

Four Worlds Bakery | Philadelphia, PA 🥖 5.25/10 🥖 👀 Looks: 5 💥 Crust: 4 🫧 Crumb: 6 😋 Taste: 6 Nice length and uniformity, although one end is a little thicker. Not much of a taper at the ends. Most of the scores are pretty evenly spaced, but the expression is not great. Solid color, shine, and blistering. The crust is very hard. Goes past crisp and into thick and crunchy. Really chewy and kind of hard to take a bite. The crumb is moist but a little tight. There are flecks of bran throughout the crumb which add a nice aesthetic. It's very tangy. You can really taste that it's a sourdough baguette. There is flavor in the crust, but it's hard to describe. It's not the yeasty or deep maillard flavor on most crusts, it almost tastes like cornflakes.

J'amie French Bakery | Philadelphia, PA

🥖 5.75 🥖 👀 Looks: 6 💥 Crust: 5 🫧 Crumb: 6 😋 Taste: 6 Notes: Solid looks, very straight, great length and uniformity. I like how the ends are tapered but not too much. Score expression is solid, there are visible blisters on the crust which looks nice. Too much flour on the top of the baguette, doesn't look great, and it coats and dries out my lips when I take a bite. The crust is solid. It's crisp, but a little hard and stale. The bakery opens at 7 and I bought the baguette at 9 so it couldn't have been sitting out for that long. Good flavor but I prefer a darker bake on the crust. The crumb is pretty open and has flavor, but isn't that moist and is a bit crumbly. It has small flecks of corn flour which I think enhances the looks, flavor, and texture of the crumb. Flavor overall is solid. The crust lends a nice flavor, there is yeastiness from the crumb, but not a ton of complexity.

Market Bakery (inside Reading Terminal Market) | Philadelphia, PA

🥖 2.5 🥖 👀 Looks: 5 💥 Crust: 1 🫧 Crumb: 2 😋 Taste: 2 Notes: Long baguette, ends are a little lumpy, but overall it's pretty uniform. Solid crust to crumb ratio. Really pale, not much blistering, scores express nicely. This crust is not good. It's really light and really soft, not crisp at all, has sort of a rubbery texture, barely has any flavor. The crumb is very dense and very tight. Kind of dry, and chewy in a bad way. Doesn't really taste like much. Yeasty flavor at the beginning but it trails off quickly, leaving you chewing a flavorless lump of dense dough.

Tatte Bakery & Cafe | Newton , MA

🥖 3/10 🥖 👀 Looks: 6 💥 Crust: 2 🫧 Crumb: 2 😋 Taste: 2 Notes: Looks are solid. The baguette is straight and uniform with nice tapers at the end. Scores are even and well spaced, but the expression is mediocre. No real blistering or shine on the crust. Really really light bake. The crust kind of just sadly smushes apart when you try to crack it. It’s very very chewy and soft, it squeaks against my teeth when I chew which is not great. Barely tastes like anything. The crumb is tight, dense, and bready. Not only is it not moist but it almost sucks moisture out of my mouth. Also virtually tasteless. Doesn’t really taste like anything overall. It also seems a little bit stale despite being bought and eaten right when the bakery opened at 8. Tatte is a very beautiful space with nice looking pastries. The baguette is really disappointing.

Iggy's Bread | Cambridge, MA

🥖 5/10 🥖 👀 Looks: 7 💥 Crust: 5 🫧 Crumb: 5 😋 Taste: 3 Notes: Really uniform baguette. It’s a nice straight line. Considering the volume this place does I’m sure it was at least partially shaped by a machine. Interesting that they chose three scores considering how long it is. I think five would look better but the scores are really even and they express nicely. The crust is a nice color and the color throughout is really even. Nice blisters and nice shine. The crust looks great and has nice texture but it doesn’t really taste like anything. The crumb is also pretty flavorless, almost a little bitter. Again, considering the volume they do (their bread is sold in a lot of supermarkets in the Boston area) I wonder if they use preservatives that contribute to the weird flavor. The texture of the crumb is really nice though. It’s open, airy, and has a great mouthfeel. Doesn’t really taste like anything overall and that weird slightly bitter preservative flavor really hits you. The textures in this baguette were nice but the flavor was poor.

Salt Patisserie | Newton, MA

🥖 6/10 🥖 👀 Looks: 5 💥 Crust: 6 🫧 Crumb: 6 😋 Taste: 7 •••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••• Notes: Really lumpy baguette, really light bake too especially on the sides. Pretty uneven scoring and poor, uneven expression. The crust is pretty matte, it could definitely use better steam, but the baguette is a nice length and has nice thickness. The crust is pretty classic. It's thin and crisp and has good yeasty flavor. It could have a darker and more even bake but it's still a nice crust. The crumb is soft, moist, airy, and warm. It doesn't have a ton of flavor and it's a bit tight but it's above average. Overall flavor is good, most of it is yeastiness from the crust but it sticks around for a little while.

Metropolitan Bakery | Philadelphia, PA

🥖 7.75 🥖 👀 Looks: 7 💥 Crust: 7 🫧 Crumb: 9 😋 Taste: 8 Notes: They have three baguettes, french, sourdough and whole grain, I got the sourdough. Shape could be a little more uniform and a little longer. I prefer the aesthetic of multiple scores rather than a single long score, but the score expresses nicely. The crust is crisp, a little light and a little thick, but it has a very even color and nice blisters. The crumb is really good and really open, maybe a little chewy, but pretty textbook. It tastes really good. The sourdough complexity really comes through.

High Street Bakery | Philadelphia, PA

🥖 6.5/10 🥖 👀 Looks: 6 💥 Crust: 6 🫧 Crumb: 7 😋 Taste: 7 Notes: Nice baguette. A little short and stubby, scores expressed well, crust was a little light, too much flour on the bottom. Moist crumb, a bit tight but still very good and open. Taste was nice, yeasty flavor then some nice sourdough tang, but could've been more complex.

Ursa Bakery | Philadelphia, PA

🥖 6.5/10 🥖 👀 Looks: 5 💥 Crust: 6 🫧 Crumb: 8 😋 Taste: 7 Notes: Really interesting baguette, Ursa is definitely going for something a bit different here with a lot of whole grain flour. It's a little short and not very uniform. One end is a lot thicker than the other. It has some nice darker brown color on the scores and ends. It's tapered nicely and the scores do express well, albeit a little inconsistently. Some of the scored spots are puffing out a bit which can be a sign of under proofing. The crust is crisp and flavorful, although not as crisp as it could be (probably because I bought it at an outdoor farmers market on a 40 degree day). There is really nice flavor complexity from the darker spots, solid blistering and solid shine. The crumb is very moist and flavorful, nice open structure. Flavor is unique, you can really taste the fermented whole grain flour. Doesn't have a yeasty kick at the beginning like a lot of other baguettes, wouldn't be surprised if sourdough is the only leavening.

Machine Shop | Philadelphia, PA

🥖 7.25 🥖 👀 Looks: 7 💥 Crust: 7 🫧 Crumb: 9 😋 Taste: 6 Notes: A little short, a little lumpy, a little light, there are some nice darker spots on the score and the ends. Don’t love the single score but it expresses well, a little blond on one side, solid shine on the crust, blisters are there but nothing spectacular. Really thin crisp crust, not too chewy. Really nice soft open crumb, very moist, great mouthfeel. Crumb is easily the best part of this baguette. There’s some yeasty flavor, a little sourdough flavor, but both are subtle.

Michette | Somerville, MA

🥖 8.25/10 🥖 👀 Looks: 8 💥 Crust: 7 🫧 Crumb: 9 😋 Taste: 9 Notes: Long and skinny but the shape is very uniform overall. There are nice dark spots on the score and the ends, but the sides are pretty blond. As usual I prefer multiple scores but the single score on this one expresses really well. The crust is good. It’s nice and thin. Could be a bit more crisp and a bit darker, though it does have nice crisp and there are darker spots on the score and the end that have really nice flavor. The crumb is really delicious. It’s open, airy, and really moist, it also has a really unique flavor with just the right amount of tang! I wonder what kind of flour and starter they use to coax such unique, interesting, and complex flavors out of the ingredients. The overall taste is really terrific. It’s wonderfully unique flavor mostly comes from the delicious crumb, but the crust is a really nice complement with it’s deeper yeasty flavors.

Parc | Philadelphia, PA

🥖 4.75 🥖 👀 Looks: 4 💥 Crust: 5 🫧 Crumb: 5 😋 Taste: 5 Notes: Parc is a fancy French bistro, but you can walk in and buy a baguette for $5. This is a very long and skinny baguette, very pale. Inconsistent and poor score expression, no real blistering on the crust. I’m guessing the big lump one end is an anomaly and that most of their baguettes are more uniform, but it doesn’t look great. Some of the seam is still visible on the bottom. The crust is fairly crisp, not shiny at all, looks like it wasn’t steamed so well. Crust tastes a little stale, but I bought it at around 1:30 so it couldn’t have been sitting out for that long. The crumb is solid, it’s fairly moist and open but nothing to write home about. It’s so skinny that there really isn’t enough crumb for much flavor to come through. It tastes very yeasty, not a lot of complexity, but there is nice flavor from the crust that lingers for a while which is nice. Overall this is a very mediocre baguette.

Ursa Bakery | Philadelphia, PA

🥖 6.5/10 🥖 👀 Looks: 5 💥 Crust: 6 🫧 Crumb: 8 😋 Taste: 7 Notes: Really interesting baguette, Ursa is definitely going for something a bit different here with a lot of whole grain flour. It's a little short and not very uniform. One end is a lot thicker than the other. It has some nice darker brown color on the scores and ends. It's tapered nicely and the scores do express well, albeit a little inconsistently. Some of the scored spots are puffing out a bit which can be a sign of under proofing. The crust is crisp and flavorful, although not as crisp as it could be (probably because I bought it at an outdoor farmers market on a 40 degree day). There is really nice flavor complexity from the darker spots, solid blistering and solid shine. The crumb is very moist and flavorful, nice open structure. Flavor is unique, you can really taste the fermented whole grain flour. Doesn't have a yeasty kick at the beginning like a lot of other baguettes, wouldn't be surprised if sourdough is the only leavening.

Tatte Bakery & Cafe | Newton , MA

🥖 3/10 🥖 👀 Looks: 6 💥 Crust: 2 🫧 Crumb: 2 😋 Taste: 2 Notes: Looks are solid. The baguette is straight and uniform with nice tapers at the end. Scores are even and well spaced, but the expression is mediocre. No real blistering or shine on the crust. Really really light bake. The crust kind of just sadly smushes apart when you try to crack it. It’s very very chewy and soft, it squeaks against my teeth when I chew which is not great. Barely tastes like anything. The crumb is tight, dense, and bready. Not only is it not moist but it almost sucks moisture out of my mouth. Also virtually tasteless. Doesn’t really taste like anything overall. It also seems a little bit stale despite being bought and eaten right when the bakery opened at 8. Tatte is a very beautiful space with nice looking pastries. The baguette is really disappointing.

Iggy's Bread | Cambridge, MA

🥖 5/10 🥖 👀 Looks: 7 💥 Crust: 5 🫧 Crumb: 5 😋 Taste: 3 Notes: Really uniform baguette. It’s a nice straight line. Considering the volume this place does I’m sure it was at least partially shaped by a machine. Interesting that they chose three scores considering how long it is. I think five would look better but the scores are really even and they express nicely. The crust is a nice color and the color throughout is really even. Nice blisters and nice shine. The crust looks great and has nice texture but it doesn’t really taste like anything. The crumb is also pretty flavorless, almost a little bitter. Again, considering the volume they do (their bread is sold in a lot of supermarkets in the Boston area) I wonder if they use preservatives that contribute to the weird flavor. The texture of the crumb is really nice though. It’s open, airy, and has a great mouthfeel. Doesn’t really taste like anything overall and that weird slightly bitter preservative flavor really hits you. The textures in this baguette were nice but the flavor was poor.

High Street Bakery | Philadelphia, PA

🥖 6.5/10 🥖 👀 Looks: 6 💥 Crust: 6 🫧 Crumb: 7 😋 Taste: 7 Notes: Nice baguette. A little short and stubby, scores expressed well, crust was a little light, too much flour on the bottom. Moist crumb, a bit tight but still very good and open. Taste was nice, yeasty flavor then some nice sourdough tang, but could've been more complex.

Artisan Boulanger Patissier | Philadelphia, PA

🥖 3.5 🥖 👀 Looks: 3 💥 Crust: 4 🫧 Crumb: 3 😋 Taste: 4 Notes: Nice length but a little stubby. Practically no score expression at all, solid color on the crust. The bottom is really light and has a bunch of little bumps that come from proofing and baking in a baguette pan. I really dislike that aesthetic (it reminds me of a supermarket baguette) and baking in a baguette pan also doesn't let the bottom get nearly as crisp as baking on a stone does. The crust is slightly crisp and has some flavor. It has small blisters and mediocre shine. The crumb is not great. Very tight and dense, but a little moist and has some flavor. Flavor overall is solid, nothing really complex but it tastes ok.

J'amie French Bakery | Philadelphia, PA

🥖 5.75 🥖 👀 Looks: 6 💥 Crust: 5 🫧 Crumb: 6 😋 Taste: 6 Notes: Solid looks, very straight, great length and uniformity. I like how the ends are tapered but not too much. Score expression is solid, there are visible blisters on the crust which looks nice. Too much flour on the top of the baguette, doesn't look great, and it coats and dries out my lips when I take a bite. The crust is solid. It's crisp, but a little hard and stale. The bakery opens at 7 and I bought the baguette at 9 so it couldn't have been sitting out for that long. Good flavor but I prefer a darker bake on the crust. The crumb is pretty open and has flavor, but isn't that moist and is a bit crumbly. It has small flecks of corn flour which I think enhances the looks, flavor, and texture of the crumb. Flavor overall is solid. The crust lends a nice flavor, there is yeastiness from the crumb, but not a ton of complexity.

Michette | Somerville, MA

🥖 8.25/10 🥖 👀 Looks: 8 💥 Crust: 7 🫧 Crumb: 9 😋 Taste: 9 Notes: Long and skinny but the shape is very uniform overall. There are nice dark spots on the score and the ends, but the sides are pretty blond. As usual I prefer multiple scores but the single score on this one expresses really well. The crust is good. It’s nice and thin. Could be a bit more crisp and a bit darker, though it does have nice crisp and there are darker spots on the score and the end that have really nice flavor. The crumb is really delicious. It’s open, airy, and really moist, it also has a really unique flavor with just the right amount of tang! I wonder what kind of flour and starter they use to coax such unique, interesting, and complex flavors out of the ingredients. The overall taste is really terrific. It’s wonderfully unique flavor mostly comes from the delicious crumb, but the crust is a really nice complement with it’s deeper yeasty flavors.

Salt Patisserie | Newton, MA

🥖 6/10 🥖 👀 Looks: 5 💥 Crust: 6 🫧 Crumb: 6 😋 Taste: 7 •••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••• Notes: Really lumpy baguette, really light bake too especially on the sides. Pretty uneven scoring and poor, uneven expression. The crust is pretty matte, it could definitely use better steam, but the baguette is a nice length and has nice thickness. The crust is pretty classic. It's thin and crisp and has good yeasty flavor. It could have a darker and more even bake but it's still a nice crust. The crumb is soft, moist, airy, and warm. It doesn't have a ton of flavor and it's a bit tight but it's above average. Overall flavor is good, most of it is yeastiness from the crust but it sticks around for a little while.

Machine Shop | Philadelphia, PA

🥖 7.25 🥖 👀 Looks: 7 💥 Crust: 7 🫧 Crumb: 9 😋 Taste: 6 Notes: A little short, a little lumpy, a little light, there are some nice darker spots on the score and the ends. Don’t love the single score but it expresses well, a little blond on one side, solid shine on the crust, blisters are there but nothing spectacular. Really thin crisp crust, not too chewy. Really nice soft open crumb, very moist, great mouthfeel. Crumb is easily the best part of this baguette. There’s some yeasty flavor, a little sourdough flavor, but both are subtle.

Market Bakery (inside Reading Terminal Market) | Philadelphia, PA

🥖 2.5 🥖 👀 Looks: 5 💥 Crust: 1 🫧 Crumb: 2 😋 Taste: 2 Notes: Long baguette, ends are a little lumpy, but overall it's pretty uniform. Solid crust to crumb ratio. Really pale, not much blistering, scores express nicely. This crust is not good. It's really light and really soft, not crisp at all, has sort of a rubbery texture, barely has any flavor. The crumb is very dense and very tight. Kind of dry, and chewy in a bad way. Doesn't really taste like much. Yeasty flavor at the beginning but it trails off quickly, leaving you chewing a flavorless lump of dense dough.

Parc | Philadelphia, PA

🥖 4.75 🥖 👀 Looks: 4 💥 Crust: 5 🫧 Crumb: 5 😋 Taste: 5 Notes: Parc is a fancy French bistro, but you can walk in and buy a baguette for $5. This is a very long and skinny baguette, very pale. Inconsistent and poor score expression, no real blistering on the crust. I’m guessing the big lump one end is an anomaly and that most of their baguettes are more uniform, but it doesn’t look great. Some of the seam is still visible on the bottom. The crust is fairly crisp, not shiny at all, looks like it wasn’t steamed so well. Crust tastes a little stale, but I bought it at around 1:30 so it couldn’t have been sitting out for that long. The crumb is solid, it’s fairly moist and open but nothing to write home about. It’s so skinny that there really isn’t enough crumb for much flavor to come through. It tastes very yeasty, not a lot of complexity, but there is nice flavor from the crust that lingers for a while which is nice. Overall this is a very mediocre baguette.

Four Worlds Bakery | Philadelphia, PA

Four Worlds Bakery | Philadelphia, PA 🥖 5.25/10 🥖 👀 Looks: 5 💥 Crust: 4 🫧 Crumb: 6 😋 Taste: 6 Nice length and uniformity, although one end is a little thicker. Not much of a taper at the ends. Most of the scores are pretty evenly spaced, but the expression is not great. Solid color, shine, and blistering. The crust is very hard. Goes past crisp and into thick and crunchy. Really chewy and kind of hard to take a bite. The crumb is moist but a little tight. There are flecks of bran throughout the crumb which add a nice aesthetic. It's very tangy. You can really taste that it's a sourdough baguette. There is flavor in the crust, but it's hard to describe. It's not the yeasty or deep maillard flavor on most crusts, it almost tastes like cornflakes.

Metropolitan Bakery | Philadelphia, PA

🥖 7.75 🥖 👀 Looks: 7 💥 Crust: 7 🫧 Crumb: 9 😋 Taste: 8 Notes: They have three baguettes, french, sourdough and whole grain, I got the sourdough. Shape could be a little more uniform and a little longer. I prefer the aesthetic of multiple scores rather than a single long score, but the score expresses nicely. The crust is crisp, a little light and a little thick, but it has a very even color and nice blisters. The crumb is really good and really open, maybe a little chewy, but pretty textbook. It tastes really good. The sourdough complexity really comes through.