In French, to say you’re tired of an experience, you might say “long comme un jour sans pain,” or “as long as a day without bread.” In many places around the world, bread is both literal nourishment and a symbol of well-being, community, and home. Though Pullman loaves, burger buns and rolls are readily available at grocery stores across the U.S., good, hearty bread can be hard to find unless you live near a bakery. Fortunately, some of the country’s best bakeries ship their bread nationwide.
Consider a shipment of whole-grain, naturally leavened bread an investment in your future comfort. All of the bakeries listed below pack their loaves in plastic to preserve freshness; if you find that you’ve ordered too much, bread freezes very well. To make your home smell like fresh bread, consider giving a loaf a quick crisping in a hot oven. (Refer to the specific instructions in each shipment, as they vary from bakery to bakery.) Then, toast a few slices for breakfast with butter and jam, make a sandwich out of a loaf for lunch, and serve a few slices with dinner, perhaps rubbed with a bit of garlic and olive oil. If you can, evoke the etymology of the word companion—which comes from the Latin for “with bread”—and share a large loaf with friends or family.
