Following the yellow brick beltway, the bread lovers wandered in search of a loaf that tasted like home.

Along the way, they met a Frenchman without the patience to bake a good baguette, an Italian who couldn’t produce proper semolina, and a Jew who had lost his challah.

But just when the ragtag group had given up hope, they met longtime cook Patrick Deiss — who had traveled to artisan baking school in San Francisco to learn the tricks of making high-quality bread in the sourdough city.

For the first time ever, he offered to fill their baskets with bounty: olive rosemary epi, chocolate cherry, seasonal items, and exquisite classic loaves.

The crust-seeking companions clicked their heels with joy.

Finally, they’d reached the land of aahs.

Available at Cheesetique, 2411 Mount Vernon Avenue, Alexandria (703-706-5300 or cheesetique.com); Cafe 2941, 2941 Fairview Park Drive, Falls Church (703-270-1515 or cafe2941.com); online at wickedbread.com.