Loafology: Divine Breads

There was a time, not very long ago when the only bread we found in our cities was Dawn ki white wali bread. Foreign sounding breads weren’t available in Pakistan until they came with a big bang.

Loafology in Islamabad took the lead when it comes to producing the best bread in Pakistan. And as an avid bread finder and baker, I say that with full authority. There is no better multigrain bread in the country than the one at this bakery-cafe.

Making bread is a real art. After spending a week of learning how to make bread in a bakery in small-town France, I quickly realised that it isn’t an art. Its downright precision. The ingredients, the temperature, humidity, space where it’s kept varies from bread to bread. Writing on a small note pad as a young Frenchman explained with gestures and broken English on what temperature to keep for which bread, I felt small in the even smaller white space.

I am not a fan of their popular brioche and sourdough bread but their raisin and walnut bread and the eight-grain bread will take your breath away. So much so that you’ll be sure to buy the bread in bulk and lug it back to your city, freezing it for a month, cutting a piece every day and hoping it lasts forever.

Its not always the bread that makes the sandwich. It might be the core of a good breakfast or sandwich but if the other ingredients don’t hold up, it can’t be the only saviour. Sadly, Loafology’s breakfast and sandwiches have never done their bread justice.

The interior is quaint, a guaranteed hit with foreigners and aunties out for a lunch. Bright and happy, it reflects the openness of Islamabad and the joy of the abroad. But the food stops short of being good. The Loafology Omelette walks the bland line and bite after bite, falls into the land of no salt and the slow-cooked shredded beef needed more BBQ sauce. While the food has all the elements needed, it just doesn’t match up to the mark – not once but a few times.

Regardless, we will all keep going back. For the bread, for the happy ambiance and the joy of knowing you can freeze the bread and let it linger for a month or more.