Let me divulge a little-known fact that most chefs would rather I did not mention: very few of them bake their own bread. A few insist on executing this intensive labour of love – but not the majority. Investigating the commercial arrangements between chefs and the bakers they work with revealed a more secretive world than I had expected.

    讓我透露一個鮮為人知的事實
，或許大部分廚師寧願我保密：很少廚師自己烘焙麵包。某些廚師——但並非大多數
，堅持熱愛這項精細的勞動。對於廚師和麵包師之間的商業合作的調查，揭開了一個比我想象中更加秘密的世界。

    My investigation began after a conversation with one baker who supplies London's leading hotels and restaurants with more than £750,000 worth of loaves, croissants and rolls a year. He had just had lunch in one of the restaurants he knew his driver had delivered to that morning but, out of curiosity, he asked the waitress who supplied the restaurant with their bread. She didn't know the answer, went off to the kitchen and returned a couple of minutes later to say how pleased they were that he liked the bread as they had baked it themselves!

    我的調查始於與一位麵包師的談話。這位麵包師每年為倫敦頂級的酒店和餐廳供應超過75萬英鎊的長條麵包
、niujiaobaohemianbaojuan。tagangzaiyijiacantingyongwanwushan，erzhejiacantingshidangtianzaoshangtadesijisongmianbaodeqizhongyijia，chuyuhaoqi，tawenfuwuyuancantingdemianbaoshishuigongyingde。fuwuyuanbuzhidao，bianwangchufangxunwen


，shufenzhonghou，tahuilai
，shuotamenfeichangkaixin
，yinweitaxihuantamencantingzijihongbeidemianbao！

    I had hoped to visit this bakery but the initial enthusiasm on the baker's part soon gave way to reticence and my visit was cancelled. But not before I had begun to form a picture of the complex relationship that unites, and often divides, those involved in the seemingly simple world of bread-making for restaurants.

    我曾希望參觀麵包店，但是最初對麵包師那部分的熱忱不再，我的行程取消了。但是，那時我已經開始理清為餐廳烘焙麵包、那看似簡單的世界裏，時而聯合
，時而分離的人們的複雜關係。

    The nub of it is the difficult, often dysfunctional, relationship between baker, pastry chef and chef. To prosper, restaurants need harmony between the last two but often that is not easy: the chefs view pastry chefs as essential but with a tendency to be prima donnas. Pastry chefs often consider chefs as overbearing, bordering on “control freaks”, as one of them curtly put it.

    關鍵是麵包師
、點心師和廚師之間難以處理、時而失調的關係。為了生意興隆
，餐廳需要後兩者關係和諧

，但往往不是那麼容易：廚師認為點心師不可或缺，但是覺得他們愛慕虛榮。點心師常常認為廚師傲慢專橫，一位點心師簡稱他們為“控製狂”。

    Surprisingly, bakers and pastry chefs don't mix either. One restaurateur who has had first-hand experience of both described this relationship as “invariably like oil and water”. This is perhaps difficult to comprehend because their essential tools and ingredients are so similar. But pastry chefs, and particularly classically trained French p?tissiers, tend to think of themselves as the stars of the show and bakers as mere journeymen.

    奇怪的是，麵包師和點心師能和諧相處。一位擁有兩者直接經驗的餐廳老板把這種關係描述為“如同油和水永不變更”。huoxuzhenanyilijie，yinweitamendejibengongjuhepeiliaorucixiangsi。danshi，dianxinshi
，tebieshishouguozhengtongxunliandefaguodianxinshi
，huijiaodezijishiyanchudezhujiao
，mianbaoshijinjinshijigongeryi。

    There is also a significant difference in their sense of involvement. Pastry chefs have to be part of a team while the appeal of a baker's life is that once you are prepared for the antisocial hours that the profession demands your independence is guaranteed.

    他ta們men的de參can與yu意yi識shi也ye很hen不bu一yi樣yang。點dian心xin師shi必bi須xu是shi團tuan隊dui的de一yi份fen子zi，而er麵mian包bao師shi這zhe一yi職zhi業ye的de魅mei力li在zai於yu，當dang職zhi業ye需xu求qiu一yi些xie非fei社she交jiao時shi間jian時shi，他ta可ke以yi相xiang對dui獨du立li些xie。

    Yet despite all these challenges there is no doubt that many more chefs would like to bake their own bread. Chefs who have just opened their own restaurant frequently admit that they are initially buying their bread in but claim that as soon as their business has settled down they intend to bake their own.

    然(ran)而(er)
，雖(sui)然(ran)麵(mian)臨(lin)這(zhe)些(xie)挑(tiao)戰(zhan)，毫(hao)無(wu)疑(yi)問(wen)
，更(geng)多(duo)廚(chu)師(shi)願(yuan)意(yi)自(zi)己(ji)烘(hong)焙(bei)麵(mian)包(bao)。剛(gang)開(kai)始(shi)經(jing)營(ying)自(zi)己(ji)餐(can)廳(ting)的(de)廚(chu)師(shi)常(chang)常(chang)承(cheng)認(ren)開(kai)始(shi)的(de)時(shi)候(hou)，買(mai)入(ru)麵(mian)包(bao)，但(dan)是(shi)宣(xuan)稱(cheng)一(yi)旦(dan)生(sheng)意(yi)稍(shao)有(you)起(qi)色(se)，他(ta)們(men)傾(qing)向(xiang)於(yu)自(zi)己(ji)烘(hong)焙(bei)麵(mian)包(bao)。

    This usually does not happen, however. As a result, over the past decade a number of excellent bakeries have opened around London to supply restaurants with their daily bread. They include Bagatelle, Clarke's, Exeter Street Bakery, Gail Force, Millers, St John, Paul and Flourpower. Some supply both retail and wholesale; others just supply restaurants; some extend their range to include cakes, biscuits and chocolates. 

    然而，這種情況鮮有發生。結果，過去20年，倫敦附近開了許多出色的麵包店
，為餐廳供應每天的麵包。這些麵包店有Bagatelle
、Clarke's、Exeter Street Bakery、Gail Force
、Millers、St John、Paul 和Flourpower。有些既批發又零售；有些僅為餐廳供應麵包；有些拓展業務，製作蛋糕、餅幹和巧克力等。

    What these companies also have in common are unglamorous surroundings. The bakeries are invariably located in purpose-built industrial units with access to public transport for their staff and access into the centre of London for their van drivers. A significant factor in bread-making is the ambient temperature and what is crucial is proximity between the final point of production and the area in which the bread is loaded into the van. Excess dampness and heat are the enemies.

    這zhe些xie麵mian包bao店dian的de共gong同tong點dian是shi周zhou邊bian環huan境jing很hen單dan調tiao。麵mian包bao店dian總zong是shi位wei於yu特te別bie建jian造zao的de工gong業ye單dan位wei，便bian於yu員yuan工gong搭da乘cheng公gong共gong交jiao通tong和he貨huo車che司si機ji運yun貨huo到dao倫lun敦dun市shi中zhong心xin。烘hong焙bei麵mian包bao的de一yi個ge重zhong要yao因yin素su就jiu是shi周zhou圍wei的de溫wen度du，麵mian包bao製zhi成cheng的de地di點dian和he把ba麵mian包bao裝zhuang入ru貨huo車che的de距ju離li是shi關guan鍵jian。烘hong焙bei麵mian包bao忌ji諱hui潮chao濕shi和he高gao溫wen。

    To discover the other secrets behind baking the best bread I set out late one morning for an industrial unit next to an Underground line and a busy arterial road. The front door was difficult to spot because of the thick plastic flaps surrounding it in order to maintain a constant temperature.

    為wei了le發fa現xian烘hong焙bei最zui美mei味wei麵mian包bao的de其qi他ta秘mi訣jue，臨lin近jin正zheng午wu的de時shi候hou，我wo啟qi程cheng前qian往wang毗pi鄰lin地di鐵tie和he忙mang碌lu公gong路lu幹gan線xian的de一yi個ge工gong業ye單dan位wei。很hen難nan發fa現xian它ta的de前qian門men
，因yin為wei為wei了le保bao溫wen，前qian門men已yi被bei厚hou厚hou的de塑su料liao蓋gai子zi圍wei起qi來lai。

    Once inside, I was handed a white hat and coat by a friendly Frenchman dressed in white from head to toe and told to fill in a visitors' medical questionnaire in which I had to declare whether I was carrying typhoid or paratyphoid, or was suffering from skin rashes, boils or discharges. The storage area was piled high with staples such as British and French flour, yeast, salt and tubs of the ingredients required for the more fashionable breads such as walnuts, raisins and buttermilk as well as virgin olive oil for Italian ciabatta and focaccia.

    進(jin)入(ru)以(yi)後(hou)，一(yi)位(wei)友(you)好(hao)的(de)法(fa)國(guo)人(ren)馬(ma)上(shang)遞(di)給(gei)我(wo)一(yi)頂(ding)白(bai)色(se)的(de)帽(mao)子(zi)和(he)一(yi)件(jian)白(bai)色(se)的(de)大(da)衣(yi)，這(zhe)位(wei)法(fa)國(guo)人(ren)從(cong)頭(tou)到(dao)腳(jiao)一(yi)身(shen)白(bai)衣(yi)，他(ta)讓(rang)我(wo)填(tian)寫(xie)一(yi)份(fen)訪(fang)客(ke)醫(yi)療(liao)問(wen)卷(juan)，在(zai)問(wen)卷(juan)中(zhong)我(wo)必(bi)須(xu)說(shuo)明(ming)我(wo)是(shi)否(fou)帶(dai)有(you)傷(shang)寒(han)、副傷寒，或是否患有皮疹、皮膚燙傷或皮膚潰瘍。儲藏區高高堆放著材料
，例如：英國和法國麵粉
、酵粉、鹽，和一桶桶烘焙時下流行麵包所需的原料，如核桃
、葡萄幹、脫脂乳，還有烘焙意大利ciabatta（查巴塔）和focaccia（佛卡夏）所需的初榨橄欖油。

    As I emerged into the main baking area I began to appreciate why these artisanal bakeries are such an integral part of restaurant life. Here, 11 bakers were hard at work in an area the size of a football pitch, bigger than any kitchen I have seen outside a large hotel or a cruise ship.

    進入主要的烘焙區域

，我開始意識到
，為何這些傳統手工作坊麵包店是餐廳不可或缺的一部分。11位麵包師在一個足球場大小的廚房裏努力工作，這個廚房比我在大型酒店或郵輪外見過的任何廚房都大。

    The three mixers – 300kg, 200kg and 100kg models – looked even more imposing now they had finished for the day. The Kosovan head baker busily shaped, divided and rolled the loaves on a long mixing table. From there everything passed to a vast machine at the back, probably 20 metres wide and 6 metres high, far bigger than any set of commercial kitchen ovens. This enclosed the proover, which allows the shaped loaves to rise gently before going into the ovens on either side. From there the bread went next door to be packed.

    為當天準備的三個分別為300公斤、200公斤和100公斤的攪拌器模型，現在看起來更加壯觀。Kosovan的首席麵包師在攪拌桌上忙著定型
、切割和滾動長條麵包。所有麵包將被傳送到後麵的一架大型機器
，這架機器也許有20米寬，6migao
，yuanyuandayurenheshangyongdechufangkaoxiang。xiaoyanzhuangzhifuzaikaoxiangshang，rangchengxingdechangtiaomianbaoqingqingdishangshengdaoliangbiandekaoxiangli。jiezhe
，mianbaojiuhuibeiyunsongdaogebibaozhuang。

    As we walked around, the baker left me in no doubt as to why he was happy to be out of restaurants. “It's war out there between the different chefs,” he claimed. But what he was most happy about at the moment was that he had just finished training someone who had started as a kitchen porter to become a baker. He feared, however, that it would not be too long before the young man headed back to his native Uzbekistan to open his own bakery.

    我們四周逛逛時
，麵包師讓我清楚明白，為何他如此樂意不在餐廳工作。他說：“在那裏，不同的廚師之間有爭執。”但dan是shi，他ta現xian在zai最zui開kai心xin的de是shi他ta剛gang培pei訓xun完wan一yi位wei小xiao夥huo子zi


，這zhe位wei小xiao夥huo子zi已yi開kai始shi擔dan任ren廚chu房fang雜za工gong，將jiang會hui成cheng為wei麵mian包bao師shi。可ke是shi
，他ta擔dan心xin這zhe位wei年nian輕qing的de小xiao夥huo子zi不bu久jiu將jiang回hui到dao自zi己ji的de祖zu國guo烏wu茲zi別bie克ke斯si坦tan開kai自zi己ji的de麵mian包bao房fang。

    Bread-making may be relatively straightforward but the process of getting the best bread to your restaurant table is anything but.

    相對而言
，烘焙麵包也許輕而易舉，但是，把最好的麵包呈到你餐廳的過程卻絕非易事。