For French baker, China is all about love and loaves

Bruno Maestrini / China Daily

Most of the ingredients are imported, and they use different types of French flour to make different breads in the style familiar to well-traveled Chinese customers, Morel says.

Most importantly, the breads are fresh and made without chemical preservatives that might be harmful to people's health, Morel adds.

"We named the bakery 'Morel's Bread Dream', because we want to make affordable good French breads and dessert for Chinese people," he says.

The classic baguette is the bakery's flagship offering and the most popular with customers, Jenny says. A good baguette, according to the couple, requires a crust that's very crispy, while the inside is very soft and delicious.

They are also very proud of their trinity bread, which is made with multiple fruits and nuts, including grapes and walnuts. Another favorite is fig bread, which is made only for holidays－such as Easter this Sunday.

On the dessert list, lemon tartlet is the shop's signature product. Made with lemon juice, sugar, egg and butter, it's a common French sweet that requires skill and patience to prepare. Morel's version tastes vibrantly sweet and sour, making the mouth water.

The bakery now sells 26 types of French bread, and more than 24 dessert delicacies－with more to come.

"It takes passion, patience and love to make great delicacies," Morel says as his wife translates. This couple has plenty of all three.

If you go

Morel's Bread Dream

9 am-8 pm, No 150 Sanyuanli market, 1 Shuanyuan Street, Chaoyang district, Beijing. 010-53667668.

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