I love making sourdough breads at home (yes, I started during the pandemic, along with half the world). Recently I heard about Madruga, how they mill their own flour, and after seeing pictures of their loaves I knew I had to make a pilgrimage to see what this local rustic bread bakery has to offer. I ordered the country blonde loaf, a 100% whole wheat, a chocolate croissant, a mini lemon cake, and some chicken salad.

The country blonde had an amazing soft tenderness and a somewhat open crumb that was mostly even, except for a couple of “mouse holes” (which I honestly liked because it was the perfect compartment for stuffing with their delicious chicken salad). I could taste the tang from the fermentation before it even hit the roof of my mouth; the flavor was undeniably complex. Crust was good too, not too thick but still plenty of crunch; it had a nice little crispy ear which is just a lovely bonus.

The whole wheat loaf was insane; how they get that delicately soft, somewhat airy and fluffy texture with 100% whole wheat is a testament to their mastery of dough. It had a nice nutty aroma and flavor but that same sour kick that you can quickly become addicted to. This is really the one that delivers on flavor the most, with minimal compromise on texture.

Threw a half pint of their amazing chicken salad on it and called it breakfast, lunch, dinner, midnight snack, whatever...it was the perfect meal for any time of day.

OH and their pan au chocolat is maybe the best I’ve ever had, which either means I haven’t had enough chocolate croissants in my life, or I have already peaked (either way it’s a win- if better chocolate croissants exist, then that’s great, but if not I’m still dying happy).

Lemon cake was a riot as well. Love this place. New favorite bakery.