No. 1 Morning Bun
Hey! It's Graham, Maria's husband, and I’m here to share my intense enthusiasm for the morning bun.
The morning bun is the perfect pastry. First of all, it's LAMINATED. That means it has those flaky layers of dough like a croissant. But it is better than a croissant because it is sweet! There are many ways to make a morning bun sweet: bake it in a cinnamony syrup, sprinkle sugar and citrus zest between the layers, or drizzle a glaze over it, and all are bomb. Here are my current top five morning buns:
Tartine morning bun
1. Tartine
Tartine's morning bun is the number one morning bun. And since the morning bun is the perfect pastry, Tartine's morning bun is the best pastry you can get. The dough has amazing flavor. It tastes like it has some fermentation going on, which would not surprise me because have you tried Chad's bread?! The Tartine bun has a crispy exterior, but the interior is full of soft, airy layers of dough, with cinnamon and orange zest (or something giving it an orange flavor).
2. Bovine Bakery
I've only had this morning bun once, but it was incredible. It's very doughy, which works well with the dark syrup that's on it. It's the perfect bun for Point Reyes. If the Tartine bun is a city bun, then this is a bun for the windswept seashore.
Bob’s Well Bread morning bun
3. Bob's Well Bread
We've been in Los Alamos a lot lately because I've been working with Greg and Daisy, the amazing duo behind Bell's. Bob's is just down the street and offers a few morning bun styles. I alternate between one with a lemony glaze and one with pecans. Both are really good. I appreciate that Bob's morning buns get pretty browned in the oven and have a nice, toasted flavor.
4. Midnight Bear Breads
This bakery is on Kauai. I've only been to Kauai once, but these morning buns really stuck with me. Maria and I first had one at a farmers market, and it was so good that we went to the bakery in Hanapepe the next morning. These buns have ginger in them, a really unique touch that I'm into.
Proof Bakery morning bun
5. Proof Bakery
Proof's morning buns are very classic and very good. I brought one to my grandmother who said, "The trouble is, you waste a lot as you eat it. Half of it is in the dish!" She's not wrong. It's sort of an exploding morning bun. Proof really took the flakiness to the next level. This bun is coated with sugar and the dough has a classic croissant-like flavor.
Which morning buns are your favorite? I need more bun recommendations!
