S'Era

A new era for bread begins

This is a meeting point for all those who love bread well-made, the traditional type of bread. This is S'Era.

Author: Joan Ramis Boscana

This afternoon we grabbed the car because we wanted to go specifically to a place where a whisper has reached our ears and has ignited our spirits. It seems like there is a bakery that opened its doors three years ago in the region of Es Pla, a project that was born in the central and flatter part of an island that knows how to appreciate those who do take care of it. That is why we have driven from Palma to the geographical core of Mallorca. We have left behind the noise of the city to enter a territory where everything happens more slowly, more gradually. We are grateful to reach the municipality of Sineu to be soothed by its calm, a place that has seen the growth of an initiative where they bake bread with sourdough that, according to what they say, is a pleasure. It is located on carrer dels Menestrals and is called S'Era, a name engraved in metal letters on the wall of its facade, next to the entrance, accompanied by two words that make us cross its door: Forn artesà. We don't need much more to want to meet the creator of such a place.

The figure of the baker has always been caricatured with an aura of sacrifice. His image is usually associated with those who get up earlier than anyone else, those who spend hours in the heat between the fires of their ovens and work tirelessly for hours. When we see Simón Moreno's smiling face, the stereotypical image of the baker we had imagined magically vanishes. At S'Era, things are done a little differently, and although the owner gets up early to make all his products - no one can question his courage and tenacity - his business hours are different from those of his competitors, as they extend into the afternoon, from Tuesday to Friday. On the other hand, the production of his breads is somewhat more limited than in other places for a very specific reason: here, quality is more important than quantity, and this is evident in the wonderful loaves that our eyes can't stop looking at.

Simón is all smiles, someone who three years ago was encouraged to refurbish the space where we are now to give it an ambiance of austerity. Both the architecture of the premises and everything that comes out of his workshop exude frankness. Moreno spent five years in Germany. He worked in organic bakeries and returned to Mallorca with an amount of invaluable knowledge. Today his breads are one of the prides of Sineu, and it is Mona who presents us the offer with a sympathy that takes hold of us. The sourdough and the hours of fermentation allow him to prepare all kinds of varieties. Simón makes a bread that he describes as simple because simple things are twice as good, and he has given it the name Prima; then he has another one made with blue cheese and dates that he has baptized Pa Piol; then he has created a Marjaler that combines whole wheat with a bit of xeixa, bombeta rice from Sa Pobla, toasted flax and Mallorcan almonds; nor does he forget the classic baguette that everyone knows, called Fabiol, which has a very moist crumb and a crunchy crust like few others.

There is one ingredient that may not be visible to the naked eye, but it is indispensable for Simon's work to be so nourishing: his daring. His boldness has led him to collaborate with Món Beer to create a bread from its bagasse. His originality has led his creations to the reopening of the Brut restaurant in Llubí. His ambition allows him to collaborate with flours as authentic as those of Rafal Genàs. We return home with a baguette that we do not know if it will reach our kitchen in one piece, and also with the feeling of having met a project to which we wish all the luck in the world. This is a meeting point for anyone who loves bread well-made, the traditional type of bread. This is S'Era.