Our "Kamapan" life.
Part 1: Bread

Every Thursday, the Yoyogi office is a little excited. Many members look forward to this day. The reason is that "Kamapan" arrives from Kamiyama Town, Tokushima Prefecture. This is the day when the delicious bread made by the Food Hub Project arrives once a week.

Food Hub, which has the motto "Farm Local, Eat Local," opened Kamapan & Store about a year ago. "Kamiyama Bread," created by two bakers with impressive careers , is not a special bread to eat on special occasions, but an everyday bread rooted in daily life. It's delicious, like rice, and you'll never tire of eating it every day.

"Monosasu Bread Day" was started in response to the voices of people who wanted to eat such bread in Yoyogi too. Once a week, when Omura, the bread clerk, announces the arrival of bread, people from all over the company gather in droves, eager to get bread.

The breads delivered from Kamiyama include the standard white bread, seasonal loaves, and snack breads such as bean paste bread and melon bread. Some members are enthusiastic repeat customers who buy the bread every week without fail, and it has become a part of our daily lives.

So, under the title "Our Kamapan Life," we would like to introduce our members' "Kamapan life" and tell you all about the appeal of our beloved "Kamapan."

The first episode is "bread."
We will introduce the classic, chewy and heavy "white bread" and the popular "super soft bread" with a soft texture.

Chewy and heavy "bread"

Bread: 300 yen (excluding tax)

Let's start with the classic "bread".
The keywords are chewy, heavy, and sometimes sour. It is "chewy" because it uses dough kneaded with hot water, and "heavy" because it has more dough than regular bread. And it is "occasionally sour" because it uses a home-cultured leaven grown in Kamiyama.

This home-cultured fermented starter is generally known as "natural yeast." The "starter" is made from raisins and wheat and is grown and passed down in the Kamapan workshop. Growing it in the workshop means that it contains the lactic acid bacteria and yeast that live in the air of Kamiyama, which means it becomes a flavor "base" that can only be made in Kamiyama. I see, I see...

We asked some of our regular customers, who are huge fans of this bread, about their favorite ways to eat it and what they love about it.

For me it's the best breakfast in the world!
(Yamanaka Hiromi)

Ever since I was old enough to understand, I've been a fan of bread in the morning.
Breakfast is important to me because I eat a lot in the morning and lunch, but not much at night. And because I have a small appetite, the volume of my meal is even more important. One slice of commercially available bread is not enough, but if I put something on it, I'm more than full. In that respect, Kamapan's bread is...

• Each slice, cut into five slices, has just the right amount of volume.
• It's delicious just grilled a little without any seasoning!
• It's also delicious with butter!

I can't imagine having any other breakfast than this bread! It's the best breakfast in the world.
My beloved dog wholeheartedly agrees.

A slightly luxurious loaf of bread, my family is a big fan
(Chikako Okubo)

Up until now, we have been eating bread in the 100 yen range every week, so this is a bit of a luxury for the Okubo family. So we wanted to make it taste good! We tried out a variety of different types.

As a result, the most popular...
It is made by mixing sliced onions and tuna with magic salt and mayonnaise, placing them on a slice of bread, sprinkling with freshly ground black pepper, and finally topping it with melted cheese and grilling until golden brown.

This will satisfy my growing sons, who are big eaters! They finish it in no time.

My mother-in-law and my nieces, who live with me, are also big fans of Kamapan, and sometimes they run out on the same day I buy them. I feel both happy and sad.

I can't wait for next week's Bread Day!

The most accessible bread life ever
(Shiba Masumi)

I have a weakness for delicious bread, and in every town I've lived in or near my workplace, I've always found a favorite bakery and frequented it frequently. As mentioned in the member introduction, on the day of my interview with Monosus, I stopped by my favorite bakery run by a friend in Shimokitazawa to get myself in the right mood before going in. Bread is an inseparable part of my daily life.

Perhaps it was because of my love of bread that I ended up with the honor of being ranked No. 1 in purchases on Monosas Bread Day last year. Every Thursday, as soon as the bread is lined up, I buy 3-4 types of bread, and I eat all the bread except for the white bread as an evening snack, and the white bread for breakfast the next day or lunch on Saturday.

The simplest way I've found to eat bread so far is toasting it and putting butter and strawberry jam on it, or olive oil and some simple vegetables or cheese.

My Kamapan life will continue, with anticipation for the next new product to come out.

Drinkable bread! "Super soft"

Super soft ice cream 500 yen (excluding tax)

The next bread is the "Super Soft."

This bread is the polar opposite of the "heavy, chewy" bread mentioned earlier. You can feel its fluffy texture just by touching it. The key to this is that it uses 100% Awaji Island milk instead of water. It is baked slowly at a low temperature, making it fluffy and soft. It is a soft bread that will make you feel happy as you are enveloped in the gentle, sweet aroma of milk.

The catchphrase is "A bread so soft you can drink it." It's a little more expensive than regular bread, but for those who like it, it's an irresistible item. We asked fans of "Super Soft" about its appeal.

Crispy and chewy, a moment of Bowler bliss
(Hiroyuki Oyabu)

The "Super Soft" is delicious as is, but I use a Bauru (direct flame hot sandwich maker). As a Bauru lover, I also Bauru Kamapan!

I recommend the cheese and ham sandwich. When you bake the super soft bread in the Bauru, it's crispy on the outside and chewy on the inside, and it's incredibly delicious. I think it's delicious with regular bread, but I think the chewy texture is unique to the "super soft" bread.

A hot sandwich baked on a Bauru oven, topped with salad and scrambled eggs, is a perfect weekend brunch. This alone will make you feel satisfied and ready for the day.

I've also tried making croquette sandwiches, tuna mayo sandwiches, and other things that came to mind, but it turns out it goes well with anything. Next time I'm thinking of making cinnamon apple sandwiches. (I'm sure they'll be delicious.)

The combination of "super soft" and "Bauru" is the strongest!

We also spoke to the baker, Mr. Sasagawa.

Finally, we asked Kamapan artisan Sasagawa-san about his favorite way to eat the bread.

1. Croque Madame style (1 slice, cut into 4 pieces)

French café-style croque madame is made by sandwiching bread with white sauce and ham, topped with a fried egg. If you don't have much time, you can drop an egg onto a slice of bread, top with plenty of bacon and cheese, and bake in the oven (200℃) for 10 minutes. The soft-boiled egg will whet your appetite.

2. Gratin bread (one or half loaf)

Hollow out the inside of the bread and layer pizza sauce, leaves, bacon, cheese, and bread dough in that order. (Your favorite ingredients!) Repeat this three times and bake in the oven (200℃) for 15 minutes.
This bread is perfect for parties or for people who want to eat a hearty meal.

We love "Kamapan". It's just an everyday bread, nothing special, but it tastes special. I want you to experience this deliciousness for yourself... Let's go to Kamiyama! That's what I would like to say, but the reality is that it's quite difficult.

So, in response to the requests to order Kamapan, Food Hub's online shop has started selling it. At the moment, the varieties are limited to white bread, but they plan to increase the number in the future. Please come and try our favorite "everyday bread from Kamiyama."

Food Hub Project (Online Shop)