TASTER'S CHOICE -- The Surprising Truth About San Francisco Sourdough

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Sourdough bread is an indisputable San Francisco classic. It goes back to Gold Rush days, when using a sour starter was just about the only way the Forty Niners could assure themselves a reliable supply of fresh leavened bread.

But sourdough is much older than that -- its history dates from ancient times. Much later, legend has it that Columbus brought some starter on his voyages to the Americas.

Sourdough can be made anywhere, but San Francisco sourdough is popularly regarded as the best. The indigenous yeasts in the air, the temperature, the humidity, perhaps even the water all contribute to its unique flavor. The taste panel set out to discover the best of the best, rating sourdough baguettes available in Bay Area supermarkets. The panel did not consider the sourdough loaves baked by large-scale commercial bakeries such as Parisian and Columbo, but instead focused on baguettes from newer companies, often baker-owned. The aim was to see what a new generation is doing with a venerable classic.

Results of the tasting were startling -- so startling, in fact, that the tasting was repeated several days later. Although the breads, like all Taster's Choice products, were tasted blind, when the manufacturers were revealed afterwards panelists were astounded that Semifreddi's bread had scored so low. They feared the breads might have been mixed up in the supermarket bins or when they were bagged. But at the repeat tasting, although the scores varied slightly, the products still finished in the same order. Today's ratings are from the second tasting.

The surprising results: A sourdough baguette from Los Angeles topped the chart. La Brea Bakery (10 ounces, $1.89 at Whole Foods in San Francisco) placed first, and in fact scored the most points of any product tasted this year (Double Rainbow Mint Chocolate Chip ice cream was the previous record-holder, with 90 points).

The company, founded in 1989 by owner-baker Nancy Silverton, uses a sourdough starter derived from its original one, which incorporated yeasts and flavors from Concord grapes.

The La Brea breads headed for the Bay Area (and several Western states) are "par-baked" 80 to 85 percent through, then flash-frozen. They are sold only in markets that have in-store bakeries where the breads can finish baking and then be sold immediately. (La Brea fully bakes the breads it delivers to stores in the Los Angeles area.)

Because of this requirement, La Brea breads are currently available only at Whole Foods in San Francisco, Cupertino and San Rafael, and are slated soon for Palo Alto. But according to sales and marketing manager Matthias Pippig, wider distribution is in the works. Tasters commented that the La Brea loaf was more rustic in appearance than a traditional baguette, yet all were enthusiastic about its looks, flavor and texture. "I can taste the wheat, not just sourness, and it's the only crust that stayed crisp -- the others toughen," said one panelist. "A great wheaty flavor with dense, chewy interior," said another. Still a third praised it's "hand-shaped quality, which I really like."

The overall consensus: a great bread, with five strong "buy" votes.

In second place: Acme Bread Co. (eight ounces, $1.30 at Rainbow Grocery; available at independent and small chain grocers throughout the Bay Area). Baker- owner Steve Sullivan founded Acme at the corner of Cedar Street and San Pablo Avenue in Berkeley in 1983. Acme now bakes from two locations in Berkeley and one in Mountain View.

Panelists also called this a "great bread," praising it for its "not too sour" balanced flavor and overall chewy texture. One taster disagreed, calling it "airy inside." Still, all five panelists would buy this bread. Artisan Bakers (10 ounces, $1.99 at Whole Foods in San Francisco; available at independent markets in San Francisco and Marin, and at Lucky's in Marin and the North Bay) placed third. Head baker Craig Ponsford and other members of his family opened the bakery in Sonoma in 1992. Panelists liked the "handsome" appearance of the crackly crust, and its moist, chewy interior. Most detected an assertive sour quality in the baguette, although one noted the sourness was more in the aroma than the flavor. Four would buy this bread, and one might.

Scores for the remaining baguettes dropped off dramatically. The best of the rest, in fourth place, was Bakers of Paris (eight ounces, $1.25 at Rainbow Grocery; available at many markets).

Panelists disagreed about the taste and texture of this bread. Most enjoyed its strong sour taste, although one found any sourness to be "faint." Adjectives for texture ranged from fluffy and soft to chewy and tough, but panelists all noted a "machine-made" appearance. The "buy" votes indicate the split: One would buy it, two might and two would not.

Grace Baking Stormy Baguette (eight ounces, $1.49 at Rainbow Grocery; available at many markets) placed fifth. Panelists were disappointed with the unexpected softness and the overly fine crumb of this good-looking loaf. "Not too sour; soft and fluffy -- a harmless bread," one said. Two might buy it; three would not. Semifreddi's (eight ounces, $1.25 at Rainbow Grocery; available at many markets) came in sixth. Its flavor bothered many panelists -- comments ranged from "not very sour" to "floury" to "a baking powder . . . almost chemical taste." Its texture did not rate high marks, either, although one panelist enjoyed its crisp crust. The bread held little appeal: One might buy it but four would not.

Metropolis Baking Co. Italian Durum (eight ounces, $1.75 at Rainbow Grocery; available at many markets) placed seventh. Tasters found the sour aroma did not translate into much of a sour flavor, and objected to its overall lack of character. None would buy it.

Still, the overall high scores for sourdough baguettes indicate that what's available in Northern California markets is very good -- even though the favorite version of a renowned San Francisco classic did come from Los Angeles.

SOURDOUGH BAGUETTES Bakers/ TASTERS La Brea Acme Artisan Paris Grace Semifreddi Metropolis Carroll 20 17 16 11 7 5 4 Katzl 16 17 18 8 8 8 8 Passot 19 16 15 14 12 3 2 Rodgers 20 16 13 2 5 7 2 Webber 20 18 16 12 6 4 2 TOTALS 95 84 78 47 38 27 18 Panelists were John P. Carroll, cookbook author; Donna Katzl, chef-owner, Cafe for All Seasons, San Francisco; Roland Passot, chef-owner, La Folie, San Francisco, and Left Bank, Larkspur; Judy Rodgers, chef-owner, Zuni Cafe, San Francisco; and Kirk Webber, chef-owner, Cafe Kati, San Francisco. A perfect score for any product would be 100.