Brioche and baguette: French Twist

French Twist, the bakery, has stores in James St, Fortitude Valley and in Melbourne St, South Brisbane.

Produce is pretty good, and they make a big effort to get the breads and tarts authentic. (However, I've had the real thing, and trust me... it ain't all that legit.) They have a nice pain de campagne and a couple of sourdoughs, plus all the usual seedy, nutty artisan breads, baguettes and whatnot. Definitely worth a visit, to make up your own mind. The little fruit tartlets / friands are always good.

When I popped in recently, the baguette and the brioche I bought were both pretty stale. Before I jump to conclusions about their quality, I really should try them first thing in the morning. Just because real French bakeries do two bakes a day doesn't mean everyone does.

(I do know though that all of it is baked either on-site or at the other store. No other suppliers here That's good).

So because the brioche was fairly blah, I ended up toasting it, sprinkling it with sugar, and enjoying it out on the deck: hot cup of tea, newspaper, some light rain, warm blanket. Heaven!

The baguette: I took a tip from Pork & Sons. Chop chives and gherkins, mix with some unsalted butter. Smear this on half of crusty baguette, top with ham, and close baguette. Lunch for a king.