The San Fancisco French Bread Co. is a combination of well known
sourdough bakeries, such a Colombo and Toscana, into one large bakery in
Oakland California. They have changed their method of preparation so that
the work is done by machine. They produce thousands of loaves of French
bread which they ship all over the world.
The regular Columbo round sourdough bread does not have the great flavor
it used to have, The round loaves, which they supply to local resturants
still does. I do not know how to describe this flavor, but can recognize it
the minute I taste it. When ever I eat at a Bay Area resturant that serves
Columbo round sourdough bread I order some. Sometimes I guess the bakery
goofs and delivers the wrong bread. I can recognize it is not right on the
first taste.
I have eaten sourdough bread from the smaller bakeries around the area
and even the one in La Brea, trying to find one that makes this flavorful
bread, to no avail. I have even tried baking sourdough bread in hopes of
duplicating this flavor, but have never been succesful.
Ernie