Buttery heaven

On my way to work this morning I stopped briefly by Guglhupf Bakery & Patisserie in Durham. I had been there only once before when I was working as a Production Assistant for a commercial job. I was basically a runner and the director wanted freshly baked goods awaiting him when I picked him up from the airport after his flight from L.A. I ordered a croissant, a banana and chocolate muffin, and a cheese Danish for him. The baked goods sat tightly wrapped and piping hot in the back seat of the car when I arrived at the airport. We piled the director’s luggage in the trunk, got him situated in the back seat with hot tea, and informed him of the goodies, letting him know they were from “the best bakery in town.”
He didn’t even touch them. Well, maybe he sniffed at them and then turned away, completely ungrateful and uninterested.
It was no loss to me, as it wasn’t on my dime. And I had never eaten anything from that bakery so I didn’t know what he was missing out on.
Today things changed. After much deliberation, I approached the counter at Guglhupf and ordered a day-old croissant that was priced at 40 percent off (what can I say, I’m cheap…). I brought it to work and waited 3 hours before touching it. Oh good Lord this thing was so good. I inhaled it. I’m convinced that it was prepared with a stick of butter. Real, full fat butter. I am slightly devastated that I’ve just discovered these fluffy, flaky, buttery croissants. I am worried that this bakery is on my way to work. It’s too easy of access. This could be bad.
I’m not the only one convinced that this bakery is absolutely fantastic. Many restaurants use Guglhupf baked goods on their menus. Hubby’s restaurant (411 West in Chapel Hill) will now be preparing a few sandwiches with a variety of their breads, including the rustic house, the plain ciabatta, and the paysan.
And when hubby and I visit Wine Authorities for Saturday wine tastings, they always have fresh baked bread from Guglhupf for sale. That’s probably why our Saturday lunches are always bread and cheese plates.
I am delighted by what I feel is my discovery, though the bakery has been around since 1998. And I feel sorry for the big L.A. director that missed out on such a treat, especially when it was right at his fingertips.