Forn de Barri

Sourdough in the Tramuntana

Forn de Barri is a place that transpires closeness, a place full of breads elaborated by means of an artisan procedure.

Author: Joan Ramis Boscana

Photographer: Jaume Oliver

One of our visits to Sóller started with a recommendation that we did not intend to ignore. Just as we pass in front of Ca'n Pau Gelats Artesans, we ask a good Samaritan where the best bread in town is baked. The gentleman informs us that in Sóller it is definitely Forn de Barri, a project that takes care of the sourdough as if it were some kind of deity, and that has another establishment in the neighboring municipality, which is Fornalutx. It is in this other place where we can find the workshop of Mauro, the person who bakes some delicacies that everyone talks about in the Serra de Tramuntana. 

We take the car and the road shows us a mountainous landscape that unfolds before us like a postcard. After fifteen minutes we park in Fornalutx, in the center of a cobbled village that, even in spring, gives off a comforting smell of firewood. We walk up Carrer Arbona-Colom, a tree-lined backdrop stretches out behind the houses and Forn de Barri, housed in an austere building with a stone façade, appears on one side of the street to guide us to its entrails. When we enter, we understand the good reputation that their products have acquired. 

The bakery counter is located next to the entrance, a small bar where some customers - we suspect some people from the village - talk to the two girls who serve them full of complicity. Forn de Barri is a place that transpires closeness, a place full of breads elaborated by means of an artisan procedure. It is not surprising that a project with such characteristics is so rooted in Fornalutx; the pause with which their breads are baked is in harmony with the quietness of the village. Around us, the products multiply like mushrooms after a rainy day. The typology of breads is so heterogeneous that we do not know what to choose: multigrain, raisin and walnut, pagès blanc, brown... The offer looks so tasty and artisan that we have to really make an effort to decide. 

Just as we are about to point out a loaf, Mauro pops his head out from behind the bakery. He shakes a flour-soaked hand and introduces us to his workplace. One of his assistants uses a shovel to take a loaf out of the oven. Mauro is young and has an Argentinean accent, he speaks with fervor about his profession. He thanks us for our visit, we tell him that we are going to take half a loaf of rye and corn bread in which the sourdough, as it could not be otherwise, has given it a miraculous flavor and texture. Before we leave, they invite us to sit on the terrace with a cup of coffee and a ham and cheese croissant. As we're about to get comfortable, we notice a display case filled with sandwiches that are impossible to ignore, so tantalizing that they awaken our inner foodie. Each one is packed with a mix of ingredients that can make any gourmand's mouth water: pork and mustard; tomato, bacon, and goat cheese; lamb, fried kale, and hazelnuts... The fluffiness of the bread is visible at a glance.

Since the morning is meant to be enjoyed, we sit on the terrace, watch as customers come and go with their orders, and we relish our breakfast. This croissant isn't crescent-shaped; it's straight, and its size makes our eyes pop wide open. The cheese drips just enough over the ham, inviting us to take a bite that nearly makes us levitate. Next to it rests a chicken, mayonnaise, and vegetable sandwich, enhanced with sourdough bread for an unparalleled flavor. If there's one thing that stands out about Forn de Barri, it's their array of sandwiches and the bread we're taking home, which sits on our lap radiating a warmth that comforts us. When we return, we’ll have to grab a piece of cheesecake, a couple of cookies, or their alfajores. We leave feeling at ease, knowing that the locals in this part of the sierra are more than well-supplied.