makes 4 small loaves or 1 large loaf
I first tasted a bread like this when I was a stagiaire (a kind of a low-level apprentice) in the town of Blois in France’s Loire Valley. Like most young, aspiring chefs, I rarely had the time or money to take advantage of being in such a legendary dining country. Most days I ate dinner with a local family who took in paying dinner guests. Breakfast was at the bakery, usually black tea and leftover brioche from the day before. That’s what our chef ate, so that’s what we ate. When I had a few extra Euros, which wasn’t often, my other meals were some combination of goat cheese, local wine, lots of ratatouille, and bread.
There were three or four bakeries in town. They were good but not extraordinary, except for one bakery that made one special bread, which was creamy tasting and soft textured, thanks to a good amount of olive oil in the dough. It looked like a baguette and tasted like ciabatta (hence the Italian name by which it was known in France), but its shape was a little flatter. These breads were so good that I often consumed them en route to my room. Living as I did, in very modest circumstances, I appreciated simple pleasures when they came my way.