Chapter 24: Phantom Bread
“Allen, Elena. Come! It’s time for a break.”
“”Ye~s””
I call over the two children who are running all over the place, picking fruits and medicinal plants, and use《Washing》on them.
“What would you like for a snack?”
Because I got permission from Wald-sama, the two have a snack break while walking.
Allen and Elena who move the same as the adults, eat half of what the adults eat. It can’t be helped because they have small stomachs. However, that would prevent them from receiving enough nutrition, so I often give them snacks on the move.
“”Cream!””
The request of the two seems to be a Cream bread.
“Here. Eat while paying attention so you don’t trip.”
“”Ye~s.””
The two bit into the bread immediately after I hand it over to them. Wald-sama who saw that suddenly shouts.
“Oi! Is that Gold Wheat’s Shop’s phantom bread!?”
“What’s with that......」
Phantom bread? Cream bread?
“Sold on days without a fixed date, moreover, there’s a limit of 20 breads a day, therefore it’s called ‘Phantom bread’!”
Oh, seems like Road-san started selling Cream bread.
◆ ◆ ◆
It was a few days after arriving at the town of Shirin.
“Excuse me.”
“Ye~s.”
When the sun was setting, I visited a bakery called “Gold Wheat’s Shop”.
The goods weren’t displayed anymore, it was the closing time.
When I entered the shop and called the salesclerk, a woman immediately came from inside the shop.
“I’m sorry, it’s time for the shop to close today.”
The woman was apologetic.
“Is it possible to order bread here?”
First of all, I asked what I came to ask.
“Do you mean you need a certain quantity prepared?”
“No, there’s bread I want you to make.”
The bread eaten in Aetherdia is simple. The sizes are different by the shop, but all of them are just a circular bread.
Table roll――a small-sized bread used as a garnish for meals.
If a Pullman loaf is not being sold here, things like Kashi-pan or Chouri-pan won’t sell anywhere.
But, there are more or fewer varieties of bread.
Containing albumen mixed with wheat flour――a bread made with whole wheat flour, Cereal bread.
Bread made from refined white wheat flour, White bread.
A rye flour――a bread made from rye, Brown bread.
Although the white bread is delicious and fluffy, it’s wasteful not to develop it further.
I thought. If it’s not here, why not just create it?
So I came to “Gold Wheat’s Shop”.
“You want to make? Is it something different from what’s being sold?”
“Yes, that’s right.”
“Umm...... the bread is made by the father so... I will get him.”
“Alright.”
The woman is apparently a daughter of the shopkeeper.
She went back to the kitchen and called over the shopkeeper.
“Is it you? The one wanting to make bread.”
Immediately, a solidly built man, with a typical “Shop uncle” appearances came out.
“What do you want to make?”
“Umm, it’s this, but...”
I take out a custard cream and Ranka fruit jam I made myself.
“N...... a jam? I don’t know this one...”
“This is called custard cream. I want to put this inside bread and bake it.”
“Put inside, you say?”
“Is that not possible?”
“It’s not like it’s not possible, but. I have never made something like that before...”
“In that case―――”
I visited “Gold Wheat’s Shop” the next day in the afternoon again and demonstrated the shopkeeper, Road-san how to make it.
I received a pre-made white bread dough from Road-san and I immediately worked on the filling.
First, I taught Road-san how to wrap the jam and custard cream in the dough properly. As expected of a baker, he quickly got hold of it.
The custard cream and jam I prepared has been all used up in no time. On the other hand, there was quite a lot of the dough remaining.
He wanted to bake the remaining dough normally, but I asked if I can take it over as I was thinking about using it for different bread.
Road-san who showed interest in the Cream bread and Jam buns readily approved.
Having said that, something suddenly came on my mind......
I retrieved Raisins from the Infinite Storage I washed them in hot water and lightly sprinkled with rum. Well, I intended to make a basic Raisin bread. I only knead it into the dough.
After all, there is also no store which sells those.
What can I make next...... ah, that’s right! There was that!
What I retrieved next is a cinnamon stick. I found and bought this while walking around a grocery store.
That and sugar. Sugar is not from a grocery store, but it was something I received from Syl. I mix it with cinnamon to create a cinnamon sugar.
I spread the dough into a 30cm rectangle and paint the surface with melted butter, sprinkle it over with the cinnamon sugar and coil it around in a cylinder shape.
I cut it into 3~4cm long sections and bake it. All that’s left is to sprinkle it over with a dissolved sugar once it’s baked?
I surprisingly quite love them~ Cinnamon rolls.
Now, Road-san only needs to bake them properly.
After all the bread was baked, it was time for sampling.
“So good!”
I receive praises from Road-san.
“”Yummy~””
Allen and Elena who observed me the whole time finally bit into the samples which they really liked. Although they were only samples, but because there were four kinds of bread, they filled their mouths plentily.
A~ah, if they eat so much, they won’t be able to eat dinner later~
And then, the bread I made (strictly speaking, they weren’t my ideas) became the talk of “Gold Wheat’s Shop”.
Of course, I have approved of it. If it sells, I will be now able to buy it from a shop. Because the custard cream tends to spoil, I had to explain its method of making, though carefully.
After that, Road-san did various trials and errors and put the products on sale.
◆ ◆ ◆
The rumors of “Gold Wheat’s Shop” Jam bun, Raisin bread, Cinnamon roll being first-class bread from the town of Shirin spread around.
The rival bakeries now started selling them too.
Well, but no matter what happens, their rivals won’t be able to reproduce it properly. But still, there are one or two shops that are ahead of『Gold Wheat’s Shop』.
But, the Cream bread made with custard cream is a specialty of “Gold Wheat’s Shop”. They won’t allow its ingredients to be known to anyone.
The culture of “Bread, the main protagonist” was born......
... I honestly didn’t know. When did it become like that......
I didn’t think that the Cream bread would become so famous it would be called “Phantom bread”......
“Moreover, there’s a talk it sells out a few minutes after selling. Takumi, you bought it!”
“No, this is something that was personally made for me.”
“Haa!? What’s that! They shouldn’t be accepting orders for that!”
I did order anything from Road-san.
Rather, why is Wald-sama so knowledgeable about this? Did he perhaps not eaten it yet?
The Knights including Wald-sama are looking envious...... The adventurers of “Dragon Breath” who are not from Shirin didn’t seem to know of it, but they are now greatly interested...
“Kiddos, share a bit with me”
“”No~!!””
Please don’t go taking food from children!!
Ah~ my Cream bread inventory...... ah, there’s enough for all people here.
Can’t be helped~
“Only this one time~”
“Seriously!? Alright!”
When I take out the Cream bread, everyone gathers.
Calm down a bit! This is “Gaya Forest” be a little careful of the surroundings!
“My~ that was good!”
Everyone who ate the Cream bread liked it. There seems to be an unexpectedly large amount of people who like sweets.
However, in this world, the most common sweet thing is jam.
There also seems to be cookies, but they are something that only those with a bit more money can afford.
Honey and starch syrup appear to be relatively cheap, but it can only be eaten like that or mixed in a tea.
No wonder I couldn’t find sweets for Allen and Elena in the town.
I have no choice, but to make the sweets myself from now on.