I Only Baked Bread, but I Was Mistaken for the Best - Chapter 85

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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Chapter 85. A Delicious Meal (3)
“The bread I’m serving today is… something I’ve been preparing specially.”
“What do you mean by preparing specially, Owner?”
Ho-jeong, a veteran host, seamlessly continued the conversation despite the slight deviation from what had been mentioned beforehand.
She had probably expected cream bread, and my sudden change of topic should have caught her off guard, yet the flow remained as natural as water.
“We’ve been developing a new menu item, and since we have guests who are truly passionate about bread, I thought we could get their evaluation.”
“Haha! That’s an excellent choice then! See this person here? She has an incredible palate for bread.”
“Come on. Really. Anyone listening would think I’m a bakery owner. I’m a chef. A fine dining chef!”
“Either way, you’re good at cooking!”
The staff seemed flustered as well, but the filming continued without pause.
Young-gu accepted the proposal, riding on the atmosphere Ho-jeong had created, and Mi-hyeon and Chae-eun beside him showed their anticipation.
“Let’s cut filming for a moment!”
When the Main PD’s signal came, everyone scattered busily in different directions.
“Do you have some kind of plan?”
“Ah, Writer.”
The writer, probably the most flustered by my sudden change, approached and asked me.
“We had things prepared… but it’s a bit difficult when you change things like this without consultation.”
“I apologize. However, the cast’s condition seems… they likely won’t be able to enjoy cream bread.”
“They won’t be able to?”
“Yes. I’m not sure where they came from or what bread they ate beforehand, but they all seem unable to handle anything too rich or heavy.”
“Hmm….”
She nodded thoughtfully, as if something had clicked, and fell silent for a moment.
“We were concerned about it too. We were actually thinking of mentioning it, so it worked out well this way.”
“What do you mean?”
“Actually, they had cream bread earlier, and none of them seemed to enjoy it.”
“Ah.”
I could roughly guess what happened.
The soggy taste of poorly made cream bread seemed to linger on my tongue.
After eating something like that, even well-made creamy varieties would be difficult to enjoy.
“So we were thinking of asking for something like the pumpernickel or baguette that does well here, or perhaps that dragon claw cheese bread?”
“Yes, yes.”
“That’s what we were considering.”
“That won’t be suitable right now.”
Pumpernickel is too heavy a bread to eat at this moment.
They’ve already eaten various breads enthusiastically, and eating a bread meant as a meal substitute would burden their stomachs further.
The same goes for baguette.
Dragon claw cheese bread did help our shop grow, but it’s not a bread we can use at this point in time.
“Then perhaps the bread you’re thinking of is….”
“Scones. I’m planning to serve scones with tea.”
“Hmm…. Would it be alright if we consulted about this and got back to you?”
“Of course. I apologize again.”
“No, no. You’re right, Owner. I’ll be back shortly.”
With that, the writers hurriedly resumed their meeting.
While they were throwing out various ideas, I had absolute certainty about what needed to happen.
What these people needed right now was bread that would cleanly awaken their appetite.
And nothing served that purpose better than scones.
“Are you thinking of making scones?”
“Yes. That’s the best option.”
“We already have baked scones available. Wouldn’t those work?”
Haeryang, who had been listening to our conversation from the side, made a subtle suggestion, but I shook my head firmly.
“The scones we make won’t be able to cut through that greasiness right now.”
Currently, the bakery sold four types of scones.
Plain, chocolate, dried fruit, and cheese.
Plain would only intensify their already dry palates, and chocolate would be too sweet and cloying.
“The dried fruit would also become tiresome, and cheese is already rich—it would only make things worse.”
“But even if you make them now, the time would be… wait, surely you’re not going to…”
“Yes. I’m going to use my ability.”
“We’ll need to make sure the camera doesn’t catch that.”
Haeryang didn’t know I was a Witch, but she was aware that I possessed some kind of skill.
That’s why we could gloss over it like this.
As I nodded, the writer who had left earlier returned with the meeting results.
“They said it would be best to proceed with the scones you mentioned. But could you tell us what kind of scones they are?”
“Well…”
* * *
“Are you really going to do that, Owner?”
“Of course.”
I must have missed how the writers’ faces lit up when they heard my proposal, Noir.
And it wasn’t just the writers.
I noticed the Main PD seemed to like the idea too.
“Green tea scones with herbal tea—that could work.”
What I had proposed was none other than green tea scones paired with herbal tea.
It was a refined and composed choice for cutting through that greasy sensation.
Rather than physically washing away the oily residue in their mouths, I would use a subtle astringency to awaken their palate.
“Green tea contains catechin compounds.”
The catechin in green tea creates its characteristic slightly bitter taste, and this compound works to absorb and cleanse the fatty oils remaining in the mouth.
The greasy sensation would quickly transform into a fresh, clean feeling.
But that wasn’t all.
“Scones also have incredible absorbent properties.”
Scones have lower moisture content and higher density than other breads.
This dry texture would physically absorb the slick, creamy residue lingering on the tongue and help it go down smoothly.
If I were to add an herbal tea with lingering notes but no caffeine to that mix….
“It would absolutely sell.”
“But honestly, isn’t that a bit of a cheat?”
“A cheat how?”
“The Owner doesn’t have green tea. So how are you making green tea scones?”
The problem was simply that the Bakery didn’t have green tea.
But there was still a solution.
“That’s why I came to the Witch’s Cottage for a moment.”
I’d asked the filming crew for their understanding before coming here for that very reason.
First, I needed to find something that could serve the role of green tea.
And I’d already spotted something beforehand.
“Chohong, do you remember that?”
“Kyuu~?”
“You know, that thing that looks like dog grass with a bit of white powder dusting it.”
“Kyuu! Kyuuu!”
Chohong tilted her head in thought for a moment, then understanding my words, scattered green energy as she flew toward the kitchen garden.
Soon after, she returned carrying an armful of the grass I’d mentioned.
“Kyuu~! Kyuu kyuu!”
“That’s right. This is it.”
“Meow? You’re going to use this?”
[Frost Mist Herb]
▷ In the wild, this herb grows naturally only on misty cliffs in high mountain regions. Fine silver powder settles on the leaf surface, giving it an appearance as if frost has fallen upon it.
It cleanses impurities and condenses them away. When consumed, it produces a deep yet clear, cool taste.
“This is exactly the effect I wanted.”
It could serve as a substitute for green tea, and perhaps even play the role of an herb to add to the herbal tea.
“We don’t have much time left….”
Outside, I’d asked for a bit of time, so they should be continuing with other filming.
They’re probably filming the part where Haeryang shows around various parts of the shop first.
Still, it shouldn’t take too long.
“Then let’s start with the scones first.”
“Bread from those island dwellers isn’t particularly satisfying, Owner.”
“Where do you find that kind of attitude these days.”
Perhaps it was because I’d brought along a Witch from a French household.
Noir casually called England an island nation and turned his head away.
“But scones taste good.”
“…I’ll say it was a decent achievement for those island dwellers. Meow.”
Even Noir’s acknowledgment spoke to the deliciousness of scones.
Scones.
In fact, the origin of this bread isn’t England but Scotland.
Starting in the 16th century, this bread was originally made by kneading barley flour, baking it in a large flat shape, and then breaking it into pieces to eat.
“That’s what happened when British aristocrats incorporated it into their tea time culture.”
“Of course it’s something those island people would do.”
“If you keep complaining like that, I won’t make it for you.”
“I’ll be quiet, Owner.”
In any case, thanks to the development of tea time, the Scone has settled into the small, delicate form we see today, which differs in texture from ordinary bread.
Instead of using yeast for fermentation, baking powder is used to make it rise, so it has a texture somewhere between hard pastry and soft bread rather than being bread proper.
This soft yet crispy sensation is what makes it appealing.
And there’s even a term that arose from this characteristic.
“Do you know what it’s called? The wolf’s mouth?”
“Even so, I know that one, Owner. It refers to the crack that opens on the Scone, doesn’t it?”
While pound cake calls it a belly button, the way a well-baked Scone cracks along its side has traditionally been called the “Wolf’s mouth” in Western cultures.
Air flowing through these cracks is what creates that distinctive texture—simultaneously dry yet tender.
“Then let’s make it now.”
The first thing to do is grind the Frost Mist Herb into powder.
What I need to be careful about here is managing the astringency properly.
“If I don’t make it correctly, it’ll just become a powder that tastes bitter.”
Making matcha powder—or in this case, Frost Mist Herb powder—is simple but requires precision.
It’s the process of putting dried leaves into a grinder, grinding them very finely, then sifting through a strainer to leave only the fine powder.
“To reduce the astringency here, I could roast it to protect the chlorophyll, or use a fine grinder to minimize the particle size, but…”
“We don’t have time for that, do we, Owner?”
“That’s right. But even with limited time, it should be fine.”
I’ve already tasted it.
Just to be sure, I chewed on the tip of the Frost Mist Herb slightly, and while it had a slightly bitter taste, I didn’t sense any unpleasantly astringent sensation.
“Then all I need to do is dry it. Besides, I have the Oven.”
After placing the Frost Mist Herb into the Witch’s Oven, I think to myself.
I ask for a gentle heat, like roasting in a dry pan over low heat without burning.
Of course, abbreviated in time.
“Perfect.”
The dried Frost Mist Herb that emerged from the Oven retained exactly the form I desired.
Now what I need is a blender.
I put all the dried Frost Mist Herb into the mixer, grind it finely, then sift it through a fine strainer two or three times to remove any clumps, leaving only the finest powder.
“If I wanted an even finer matcha-like feel, I’d need to grind it much more finely.”
But there’s no need for that right now.
The soft texture of matcha wasn’t necessary for the Scone I wanted, nor would it suit it.
“Is it done now, Owner?”
“The powder is complete. Now I need to bake the bread.”
The Scone I’m about to bake is an English Scone.
Some might ask why I’m making such a distinction when I’ve been talking about it as if it originated in England all along.
But there’s a significant difference here.
“American Scones, which are a variation of English Scones, are so different in taste and texture that they could be considered an entirely different bread.”
Unlike British scones, which pride themselves on simplicity yet boast a dense, substantial flavor, American scones are characterized by the addition of extra sugar and butter.
As a result, they’re sweeter, richer in butter aroma, with a crispy exterior and moist interior.
“That’s why American scones are often eaten as a snack on their own. They’re perfect when you need a sugar fix.”
“Are all the scones sold at the Owner’s bakery American-style scones?”
“Exactly.”
Since I’d created the scone line for the dessert menu alongside Jinjeonyang, naturally I’d baked them American-style.
Of course, I’d made plenty of British scones during the development process as well.
“So that’s when I need you, Gora.”
“Me?”
Gora, who had been watching the Frost Mist Herb powder being made with fascination, suddenly snapped to attention and responded.
“You learned how to make scones from me before, right? Want to make some together?”
“Gora! Gora!”
The creature broke into a beaming smile, its mouth drawn in white icing spreading wide open.

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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