If you periodically crave perfectly-executed breads and pastries, where the ingredients are few and pure, and the staff both live and breathe dough, look no further than Brookline’s Clear Flour Bread.
It is a small and humble-looking place, where lines stretch out the door early on a Saturday morning just as the doors open. Many cars drive by, hoping to snag a parking spot or contending to double-park. Now I know why. This is seriously good stuff. Calories be darned, but how bad can this stuff be? French people are so skinny.
You walk in, and there are irresistible scents of fresh bread and caramelized sugars all around you. There is that earthy whiff of yeasty dough resting somewhere and proofing. The place is clean, and you could be at a small patisserie in France somewhere.
The croissants are crisp on the outside and airy and flaky on the inside. I don’t think I’ve had a better one in the U.S. The morning bun also is light and flaky, with just enough brown sugar to accentuate the dough and not drown it out. The baguette is crisp and chewy, with just the right amount of spring. With just a touch of good butter, it can be a simple but satisfying meal.
Periodically, I scroll through Yelp to see what’s new and exciting out there. A bit bummed after hearing that a classmate has died (a great person and a mother to two young children), I saw the ridiculously high marks given for Clear Flour Bread and decided to head over first thing. I’m glad I did. After wolfing down a croissant and a morning bun, the line was even longer when I left.
The goods I brought home to the family were well-received. Everyone agreed that it was all good stuff.
I think the food scene in Boston has really become more and more interesting. Do yourself a favor and support a fine, local business like Clear Flour. It is that good.