Sourdough

But as all admirers of things sour know, French bread is traditionally untraditional. The bread tastes different from one day to the next, depending on the weather. On warm days, like San Francisco's Indian summer, the dough rises faster. On foggy, humid days, it is slower to rise, producing varieties in taste. "Every day is different," said master baker Fernando Padilla.

In addition, the bread is shaped and scored -- given the ridges that mark the crust -- by hand.

That means no two loaves are the same, each with a slightly different crust and texture. "They are all beautiful," said Strain, "but in their own way."

Good bread, like a good newspaper, is always made at night so it will be fresh in the morning. Neither news nor French bread contains preservatives.

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