Old-World Sourdough Products. Made Fresh for Everyday Gathering.

Faqs About Our Breads & Croissants

• What do you make that is sourdough?

  Absolutely everything. We feature our sourdough mother in everything we make and we believe in fermenting all breads for at least 24 hours, some go as long as 3 days! Our croissants are our longest fermentation, as they’ve been continuously fermenting for 6+ years now, with each new batch of dough containing a little of the previous batch. This is called Pate Ferment.

• Do you make anything Gluten Free? What about the Arborio or Spelt? Aren’t those gluten free?

  No. Everything we make contains wheat flour, which contains the proteins necessary to make gluten. Arborio and Spelt are ingredients in those breads that we feature and while, yes, they are each respectively gluten free, we still add wheat flour. We sell The Gluten Free Bakery certified GF breads in our store.

• Well, why don’t you just make some Gluten Free breads? You’d make soooo much money! Everyone wants GF!

  The same reason so many people ask us for GF bread is the same reason we don’t make it. It’s a very different and technical process, one that we are not experts in or are equipped to produce. We also do not have a dedicated facility to guarantee GF status of our products, so we leave that job to the experts!

• Why does the bread cost so much if it’s just flour and water?

  While it’s true that the ingredients to make our breads are fairly economical compared to their sale price, we do everything by hand using old-world style artisan techniques, and that takes skilled labor. We also believe in treating our employees really well, paying them fairly, and not cutting corners. A single loaf of bread can pass through as many as 5 different hands before it reaches your table and the cost is the labor and time it takes to produce a quality product.

• Do you bake in a wood-fired oven?

  We used to bake in a wood-fired oven, but have switched to a very efficient multi-deck hearth oven. Our pullman loaves (Arborio and Super Seeded) and Focaccia are baked in our convection ovens, as are the croissants. These products all require trays or a loaf pan and can damage the hearth of our oven.

• Is the bread burnt? Why is it so dark?

  We believe in a style of baking called “Bien Cuit”, taking breads and pastries to the edge of their baking, without going overboard. As the breads cook and starches in the flour break down into more simple sugars, they undergo caramelization and pyrolysis, resulting in these large brown pigment molecules that our taste receptors register as “savory”. Without this deep browning, the same bread formula tastes bland and unexciting. The dark exterior adds a depth of flavor to our breads you won’t find in many other products.

• Is everything organic?

  We use as much organic products to make our breads as possible. Our flours are a mix of organic and locally sourced. All of our flours are unbleached and unbromated. We use only Cabot butter and local milk as well.

• Do you sell day-old bread?

  We participate almost daily in ToGoodToGo, which allows us to offer products at a steep discount when they're nearing the end of their shelf life. We donate any leftover bread and food products twice weekly to those that are food insecure in our community through a free fridge or food bank instead of selling it at a discount.

• Why do you sometimes sell out of bread?

  We're not a factory and all our bread comes in fresh daily, so once it's gone, it's gone! We do our best to forecast what our sales will be based on many factors, but sometimes we just get cleaned out. The best bet if you have your eye on a particular loaf of bread or croissant is to put in a preorder ahead of time and we'll hold it for you right up until the minute we close.

• Do you use soy?

  Nope. We are a soy-free facility.

• Your breads last a lot longer than some other natural breads I’ve had. Why is that? Do you use preservatives?

  No. We don’t use any preservatives or dough conditioners. Our breads last because we bake them fresh, quick cool them, and heat seal them to lock in the freshness. 

• What’s the best way to store your bread?

  In a bread box or wrapped tightly in your fridge. If you’re planning on using it past the date stamped on the bag, just freeze it and pull a slice off at a time!

• Do you slice the bread?

  We don't! In order to sell sliced bread, you need a lot of heavy machinery and the bread dries out faster. Since we don't use any dough conditioners or preservatives, it stays really fresh if we don't slice it.