Anna Bellsolà is Barcelona's brilliant, visionary baker and owner of now THREE great bakeries. 

Her first bakery is Baluard Barceloneta. The second is a larger shop called Hotel Praktik Bakery (the lobby of the hotel is actually her bakery) and the third and newest location is Restaurante Santa Clara — just opened last week! (We'll be there in November to check it out in person!)

Anna is a 4th-generation artisanal baker. She's the author of a wonderful book on baking (written in the Spanish language) called "Pan en Casa. Del Horno al Corazon." And she received the prestigious L'Espiga d'Or prize, an extensive blind-tasting judgement that resulted in her being named one of the two best bakers in Barcelona. 

And she makes no compromises. Her breads are made with natural leavening (using a 10-year-old starter), ancient or organic grain flour and baked in a custom-made, wood-fired oven. 

These bakeries offer not only incredible breads and pastries but also great coffee, sandwiches, pizza and much more. 

A visit to Barcelona must include some quality time munching on goodies from one or all of these bakeries. 

Amira and I have been obsessed with Anna's bread and pastries since we discovered Baluard Barceloneta years ago. Since then, she and Amira have become friends. 

One day after winning the L'Espiga d'Or prize, Anna generously and exclusively hosted our Barcelona Experience gastronomads with an extensive tour of her Hotel Praktik Bakery, gave us countless insights into the art of baking and treated us to a brunch beyond delicious. 

Thank you, Anna! And congratulations on your continued success!

#Barcelona #spain #bakery #Baluard #AnnaBellsola