Having lived in Michigan for much of her life, she was familiar with Zingerman’s Delicatessen. But, when she left for Alaska, the Bakehouse was not yet a reality.

During her stay in Michigan, she stopped by the Deli and visited the bread box for the very first time. She remembers buying a loaf of bread, a memory that has stayed with her over the years.

While in Alaska, she made a big decision. “I decided to make food my career,” she recalls. Around that time, she was reading “Making of A Chef” as well as “Soul of A Chef” both by Michael Ruhlman. During her reading, there was one thing that stood out to her: the advice to work in the industry before committing to school or another large investment.

So, when she moved back to Michigan with her family in 1998, that is exactly what she did. All those years later, Zingerman’s was still on her mind.

“When we moved back, I decided to get a job here! And they hired me. So I’ve been here ever since.”

19 years later…

Yes, you read that correctly. 19 years Amy has been working in the bread bakery here at Zingerman’s Bakehouse. For her, it is a combination of the food, Zingerman’s guiding principles, and the fantastic working environment that has kept her here over the years.

“It has been a great job. Working here, I was given the opportunity to grow as a person, not just work-wise. That makes me feel valued, knowing that people care about me, as well as how I do my job. I also believe in ‘Zingerman’s.’ I believe in the Zingerman’s Community of Businesses’ (ZCoB) beliefs and values.”

And the Bakehouse sure is lucky to have her here, too. She has been a steadfast soul here, helping develop recipes, train new hires, and staying involved in the entire ZCoB. In addition to working in the bread bakery, she is a Community Share owner, teaches a staff knife safety class, and is a member of the staff Great Food Group. Her passion for her work, as well as her involvement in the Zingerman’s community, has made her a valued member of the team.

Since she has been here since (almost) the beginning, Amy has a strong grasp on the inner-workings of the Bakehouse.

“I can see the big picture. I’ve worked in all areas of the bread bakery- baking at the ovens, mixing, and supervising and managing at one point.”

Amy starts her day bright and early, at 2 am. And while the volume of dough she mixes varies day to day, the biggest day of the year is right before Thanksgiving.

“The Tuesday before Thanksgiving this past year, we mixed 15,600 pounds of dough between 1 am and 11 am.”

That’s a lot of dough!

Her favorite part of her job is watching how the bread transforms. She described, “I love how I take raw ingredients and watch the various stages it goes through before being fully mixed.” And she plays an integral role in producing a solid foundation from where each loaf of bread is born.

Speaking of dough…

While she may mix all types of dough, she does still play favorites.

“My favorite to mix is any dough that has an autolyse. That’s when the flour and water for the dough is mixed together briefly (about 5 minutes or less) and then let sit for 30-60 minutes. The process is magical. Gluten starts to form without any mechanical action of the mixer.”

That passion and that magic is what makes our bread so special. At the Bakehouse, our goal is to be continually looking forward- exploring new and different ways to better the recipes we already have. Over the past 19 years, this is something Amy has noticed, as well: consistency.

“There are a lot of things that have stayed the same since I started. But all of our breads are a work in progress, we are always moving forward. Things may not be broken, but things can always be tweaked.”

A few years back, Amy started working with Bakehouse co-founder Frank Carollo on one of the newest breads, Pane Nero. Inspired from his heritage trip to Sicily, Pane Nero is a dark brown loaf with a dense, compact crumb, topped with sesame seeds and sea salt. During the development phase, Amy worked with Frank on some of the details. Like, how long the dough should be mixed, of course. She was part of the development team that made this bread a delicious reality.

Now, since she has been a staffer here at the Bakehouse for nearly 20 years, Amy is eligible for a sabbatical. This is a program the Bakehouse offers after 10 years of employment, providing paid time off to staffers to pursue a new learning opportunity. This program is something Amy is considering.

She shared, “I’ve given thought to taking a sabbatical. I took the Creating a Vision of Greatness workshop at ZingTrain to help learn how to write a vision for the sabbatical. It hasn’t gotten farther than that, yet. Ideally, I would like to work for a very high-end caterer, learning how to produce great food in a larger volume.”

For Amy, the bread she is a part of baking here at the Bakehouse is one thing: honest.

The next time you are in our shop, take a peek through the big window into the bread bakery. You can see Amy (if you’re a morning person) and the rest of the bread crew hard at work making your loaf.

– Natasha Mason, Zingerman’s Bakehouse

The post Steadfast Soul appeared first on bake blog.

The mission of the Bakehouse has always been twofold. Of course we are committed to making the best-tasting breads (and pastries and cakes). But we are also committed to challenging ourselves and our recipes, limiting ourselves only to our imagination.

How do we do that? We taste and evaluate. We try new methods of baking, different ingredients. We are constantly moving. Because it’s hard to get better if you’re sitting still.

With that in mind, let us introduce you to a new addition to our Bakehouse team- Hazim Tugun. His passion for bread baking and his long history with the craft is what led him to the Bakehouse. And here, he is putting those passions to work, helping us fine-tune recipes and try new methods of baking and continue living our commitment to excellence.

Laying the foundation

Now a passionate bread baker, this was not Hazim’s original career path. When he was about 17 years old, Hazim moved to the United States from Cyprus (an island in the Mediterranean) to study civil engineering. He studied engineering in Austin, Texas and, after graduating, moved to the San Francisco Bay Area to work as a consultant.

While living there, he described himself growing antsy. “While I was working in the Bay Area, I started feeling antsy. My training was as a civil and environmental engineer. But that was not what I wanted to do in the long run.”

Cooking quickly became a passion of his outside of working. He found himself looking for more avenues to learn and practice. As luck would have it, one of his good friends took him to a Sicilian restaurant in Oakland called Dopo. That friend knew the chef and introduced them. Hazim remembers this time as his official entry into the professional world of cooking and baking. From that one introduction, he began working at the restaurant on Saturdays, helping with prep and just learning about the processes.

“I did this for two, maybe three years. And I learned a lot, it was fascinating. During that time, I took a course from Peter Reinhart. He wrote the book ‘The Bread Baker’s Apprentice.’ It was a couple of hours and I learned a lot more about baking.”

After taking that course, Hazim began practicing his baking more at home. Up until that time, he was much more comfortable with cooking. But his experience at Dopo, as well as Peter Reinhart’s class led him to pursue home baking further.

Then, after a couple of years in the Bay Area, Hazim moved back to Cyprus. He was there for about two years, still doing consulting engineering work. This was a perfect opportunity for him to continue learning about baking.

He describes one of the biggest differences between the US and Cyprus. “In Cyprus, time is slow. People take their time, have more time. It’s not like here in the US where everyone is busy and moving fast. In Cyprus, you can enjoy your time.”

With that extra time to enjoy, Hazim practiced baking. “I started to try to bake bread, baking just for my family. We had a traditional mud oven in the backyard, so I used that to bake.”

The Zingerman’s experience

It wasn’t until he moved to Michigan with his wife in 2011 that he first heard about Zingerman’s. And, truthfully, it was a bit of a shock moving from a place like the Bay Area to where they were living in Novi, Michigan.

“Coming from the Bay Area, I was disappointed with the food culture in Novi. It was pretty depressing for me. When I worked in San Francisco, lunch in the office would be fresh Banh Mi sandwiches or other great food. Working in Novi, lunch was usually a sub-par sandwich from a chain. It was pretty depressing for me. I was thinking, where is the good food?”

So, when he and his wife were looking for Cowgirl Creamery cheese, a friend of theirs recommended they check out Zingerman’s. Luckily, Ann Arbor isn’t too far of a commute from Novi. He remembers thinking, “this is it, this is where the food is,” while sitting at a table in the Coffee Company, and exploring the other Zingerman’s South Side businesses. Even though he was still working as an engineer, bread was still on Hazim’s mind. He remembers, “In early 2012, I was really getting antsy about bread again. I knew I really wanted to bake and I knew I needed to get more experience.”

Enter… Zingerman’s Bakehouse

Finding great food at Zingerman’s while living in Michigan led him to seek out his continued education and experience with us here at the bakery. He explains, “I came to the Bakehouse and asked if I could talk to a manager. I was looking for something like I had in California, where I worked on the weekends, learning about baking and cooking.”

And that is exactly what he did. Hazim started coming in on Saturdays, learning about baking bread. He did this for a few months before eventually quitting his engineering job and moving back to Cyprus with his family.

Dreaming of naturally leavened breads

In Cyprus, his dream was to open up a bakery. “What I wanted to do is naturally leavened breads. Nothing else. And to just do a few breads, very high quality breads. When we moved back in 2014, I converted one of our rooms into a bakery and started selling breads.”

Baking on a small scale and focusing on just a few, high quality breads, gave Hazim the opportunity to focus all of his time and energy on perfecting the craft. He remembers that it took him a while to fine tune his process. “I was able to be very intimate with it. To see what kind of changes affect the process. I had the privilege to do that on my own, and I learned by doing it over and over and over again.”

After baking for his village in Cyprus for about a year and a half, he moved back to the US. But a change of location did not get in the way of his dream. “I knew I wanted to continue this. Either I was going to do my own thing or I was going to team up with a great team of bakers.”

Pursuing this dream was not always easy, especially starting out. As you can imagine, introducing a new style of baking bread, ones made with a natural leavening process over multiple days, is not always the easiest.

Hazim described how he introduced his breads to Cyprus, “The breads I was making were very different from what was offered on the market. Mine were very moist breads with a dark crust and  had a lot of flavor. I tried to explain my philosophy behind baking to people, and it wasn’t that easy. Fortunately though, the breads did speak for themselves, and I had a good following. I was essentially testing the waters, and I did well.”

That time was one of growth and learning for Hazim. “I think I did a lot of growing, being able to bake solo, questioning, learning about and tinkering with every step of the baking process, using flours and grains that did not come with consistency, quality or specifications that one could find here in the US or Europe. I was also able to make friends and reach out to mentors throughout the world”

His time of growth, learning and, even, experimenting with various baking methods left him with a strong customer base in Cyprus. He remembers how many of his ‘regulars’ were sad to see him go. “I baked till my last day for friends and family. What really made me happy though is that I think I touched a lot of people in the sense that they learned what bread could be. I am proud to say I have a couple of friends who now bake sourdough breads in their homes.”

While leaving his hometown (and loyal customers) behind was definitely bittersweet, moving back to the US has been a huge benefit to us and, to his growth as a bread baker.

Back to Ann Arbor

Now, we are back to present day. After moving back to Michigan, Hazim began reaching out to Frank. “I had a vision and I shared that with Frank. I used Ari’s book (A Lapsed Anarchist’s Approach To Building A Great Business by Zingerman’s co-founder Ari Weinzweig) to help me write my vision, too. I was like, I want to do this.”

His vision of using freshly milled flours to craft high-quality naturally leavened breads (among other things) seemed a natural fit at the Bakehouse. After talking to Frank and Amy, they asked him to join the Bakehouse team to help the continual improvement of the quality of the breads we bake here.

For Hazim, he views a big part of his job here as asking questions. “From day one, I immediately started asking questions: why is the dough like this, why are we rolling it like this, why are we shaping it like this? That is the perspective I look at it from. When we work together, I help contribute from the craftsmanship perspective. And I am looking forward to learning more.”

Hazim & the Bakehouse

Having Hazim in our bread bakery has given us another way to continue on in our passionate pursuit of baking great bread.

One of the ways he does this is by participating in our daily bread tastings. These tastings are something we do in both the bread bakery and pastry kitchen to taste the different things we are making. It helps keep us in tip top shape, ensuring our end product is something beautiful and very flavorful. During these tastings, Hazim has brought his unique perspective to the table.

“The tastings have been a lot of fun and a great learning experience. First of all, I am learning more and more about Zingerman’s breads during these tastings- their nuances and what they are supposed to taste like. With that in mind, I am trying to bring my own passion and experience about bread into this role, looking at each bread through my own eyes, as well as a potential guest’s eyes.”

The things he considers? How does it feel to bite into this bread? Is the crust too chewy or perfectly crisp? Is the crust dark enough to contribute to the overall flavor of the bread with its wonderful caramelization/Maillard reaction aromas? Is the crumb tender or tough? It is open enough? Does the flavor have the depth or acidity we are looking for? How is the shape and size?

These are just some of the questions he thinks about during the tastings.

“During each tasting, I am trying to think about and answer these questions. I try to picture the recipe and the process that went into making the bread. To me, that is probably one of the most fun aspects of doing the tastings, but also one of the most challenging, mainly because each bread we make here is an amazing example of teamwork. So many hands touch the dough to make  that one bread. There is already a great level of communication happening between everyone.”

These tastings, of course, help facilitate that conversation, as well as the overall development of recipes and methods of baking.

Additionally, he is working on a few, special new recipes. One of those is a rice baguette. The inspiration behind it was, actually, for the new Zingerman’s restaurant, Miss Kim. For a Korean restaurant serving really good, traditional Korean food, rice baguettes were the perfect fit.

“They were a recipe the Bakehouse had made for a short time long before I joined the team. I tweaked it a bit, increasing the amount of the amazing stone-ground whole-grain rice flour from Anson Mills, toasting some of the rice flour used in the recipe for added flavor, and adding a touch of levain for a bit of depth and acidity.”

Rice baguettes are not his only venture, though. Another bread he wants to focus on is the True North.

“I want to continue tweaking the True North to coax more flavor and even better texture out of that grain. It is a local grain, which makes it more likely to deviate from the predictable baking performance of the more industrialized flours and grains. More flavor, more fun and challenge to work with.”

Working here at the Bakehouse, learning the ins and the outs of bread baking is Hazim’s dream. The experience he is gaining here at the Bakehouse, as well as the knowledge he has accumulated over his years of baking bread are getting him closer and closer to perfecting his process of producing naturally leavened breads. And he is a true asset to the Zingerman’s bread bakery.

-by Natasha Mason, Zingerman’s Bakehouse

The post Putting His Passions To Work appeared first on bake blog.

That desire to pick a cookie or a brownie over something more adventurous stuck with me for quite some time. It wasn’t necessarily that I didn’t want to TRY something new, but when a big chocolate chip cookie and an unfamiliar pastry sat in front of me waiting for me to pick just one, I found myself leaning toward the cookie. Why? Well, I knew what to expect. And as silly as it sounds, there was no guarantee for the unknown.

Now, a few years ago, I became more immersed in Jewish culture. The man I was (and am) dating is Jewish. He brought me along to all of his family’s celebrations of the various High Holidays throughout the year.

I still remember the first one I went to. It was the first night of Hanukkah (and my first time ever celebrating the first night of Hanukkah). Since I was “new” to these family gatherings, I wanted to make a good impression. So, naturally, I did some Googling and learned that Zingerman’s Bakehouse made great pastries that I could bring to Hanukkah dinner. I remember driving to the Bakehouse, picking up an assortment of rugelach and hamantaschen to bring with me.

When I showed up, treats in hand, I knew I had made the right decision. The minute they saw the Zingerman’s bag in my hand, their smiles grew even bigger and they all began excitedly discussing what they thought was in the bag. When I pulled out the rugelach and hamantaschen, I could tell they were instantly touched by the gesture.

Not to mention, who doesn’t love getting a bag full of Bakehouse goodies (for any occasion)? I don’t know if I would go as far to say I was immediately accepted into the family. That happened after the next family dinner when I brought pecan pie.

Sitting at the table after dinner, with the assortment of pastries and goodies spread out in front of me, I decided it was time for me to try something new. Especially because I was the one who brought them. I looked back and forth between the rugelach and hamantaschen sitting prettily on the plates in front of me, trying to decide which to grab. Rugelach it was.

As I was holding the rugelach in my hand, I anticipated it being a hard, crunchy cookie with a too-sweet filling. Delicious, of course, but that was my initial thought. But the minute I bit into it, all of my preformed notions and judgements disappeared. The Bakehouse’s rugelach is far from the hard, crunchy cookie I initially imagined. Rather, it was a tender pastry dough with a perfectly sweet filling folded inside. The pastry dough was flaky, with a slight crunch, perfectly paired with the (not too) sweet filling. The combination of flavors from the dough to the filling left my taste buds singing.

I quickly ate a few more before they completely disappeared (everyone was reaching for one!). That moment changed my pastry-picking preferences forever.

It is safe to say, that night, amongst (basically) strangers, I developed a love of rugelach. And, now, when picking out a sweet treat, my go-to is rugelach. And while apricot is my favorite, I will eat any of them—chocolate, raspberry or currant. Because, really, it’s hard to discriminate. With such unique flavors, there is one for every occasion.

By Natasha Mason, Zingerman’s Bakehouse

The post Off the Beaten Pastry Path appeared first on bake blog.

Now, I suppose I can start back at the beginning of the story. We have been baking Sourdough bread since we opened the Bakehouse, back in 1992. But, back then, we called it “San Francisco Sourdough,” in honor of the well known naturally leavened bread tradition out in California. Fitting, right?

As the Bakehouse started to grow in popularity and recognition (both locally and nationally), we had our first run in with the law. A lawyer for a San Francisco company contacted us to state their opposition to us using that name. Mind you, this was almost a decade after we started baking it. Rather than mucking through any legal complications, we decided to change the name. Zingerman’s Founder Paul Saginaw only half seriously suggested to the lawyer that we’d call it “Better than San Francisco Sourdough”. Remarkably the lawyer and the company he represented were fine with that.

Thus, “Better Than San Francisco Sourdough” was born.

What makes our Sourdough so special? The magic comes from the starter. We’ve been caring for ours and feeding it flour and water daily since before we opened in 1992. It gives the bread its trademark tang and blistered crust. And each loaf takes 18 hours to make, so the starter has enough time to do its thing.

The Grilled Cheese Bread

Wednesdays are a very important day here at the Bakehouse. Why, you ask? Wednesdays are for grilled cheese. Not just any grilled cheese, one of the most satisfying grilled cheese sandwiches in Ann Arbor (if you ask me).

Sure, grilled cheese has (at least) two components- the bread and the cheese. While we use excellent cheese, one year aged Vermont cheddar for ours, the bread plays just as instrumental of a role. And we use our Sourdough.

So, why did we give Sourdough the star role in our one and only grilled cheese sandwich?

Since we first started the infamous Grilled Cheese Wednesday, we have always used Sourdough. One of our long-time Bakehouse staffers, Sara Whipple, recounts why this Better than SanFran Sourdough was the best choice for our grilled cheese:

“We thought the tang of the Sourdough would balance the richness of the aged cheddar cheese. And that the crispy crust would compliment the melty center.”

Anyone who’s tried one will definitely agree, our Better Than San Francisco Sourdough definitely makes our grilled cheese even better!

Wednesday: the day of lunchtime excellence

These cheesy Wednesdays were founded nearly 10 years ago (yes! It has been happening for that long) and were popular from the very beginning. Grilled cheese. Tomato soup. All made with excellent ingredients.

So, now you’re interested. You’ve pulled out your calendar (or started counting on your fingers) to see how many more days until the next Wednesday. Here’s the lowdown on our cheesiest day of the week.

Starting right around 11:30 am, we fire up the grill and the grilled cheese slingin’ begins. If you’ve been around the Bakehouse on Wednesdays between 11 and 2, you may have noticed people trekking to our door, rain or shine. Now you know why!

As for how to go about the entire grilled cheese process… Stop in the Bakeshop, grab a number and, when it’s your turn, place your grilled cheese order. Then, take yourself and your receipt across the courtyard to our BAKE! classrooms. Let the line of people (or the smell of cheesy goodness) guide you to the right room.

After that, you’ll have a perfect grilled cheese in hand and the motivation to finish out the rest of your day with pizazz!

Sourdough (every day of the week)

Sure, you can get a grilled cheese on our Sourdough each and every Wednesday at the Bakehouse. But, if you can’t help it and you find yourself in need of our Better Than San Francisco Sourdough every day of the week, you’re in luck!

At the Bakehouse, we have them fresh from the ovens after 2 pm daily. You can also pick up a loaf without even getting out of your car at Zingerman’s Roadshow. Or a few slices with your breakfast (or in your bread basket) at Zingerman’s Roadhouse. Zingerman’s Delicatessen also sells fresh loaves and offers quite a few sandwiches of their own on our Sourdough, too. So a tangy crispy slice is never far away.

Natasha Mason, Zingerman’s Bakehouse

The post Gumption & Grilled Cheese appeared first on bake blog.

But, let’s start at the beginning of the journey- of how Frank’s history with chestnuts, his passion for local food and the exploration of Hungarian food culture led to the birth of the Chestnut Baguette.
 

The hunt for local flours

The idea of using Michigan flour in our breads is not a new one. Co-founder of the Bakehouse, Frank Carollo, has made “local” grain part of our mission over the past decade. Years ago, he began scouring the Michigan countryside looking for farmers growing wheat flour we needed for some of our breads. It has been a tough road to find a consistent quality level and supply but we have had some small successes. Among others, locally-milled flour from Michigan-grown chestnuts was on that list.

Zingerman’s Bakehouse brings Hungary to Ann Arbor

During this time, Frank, with Amy Emberling, co-owner of the Bakehouse, were traveling to Hungary to learn more about its cuisine and baking history. Hungary has a rich food tradition that Amy thought would compliment many of the cakes and pastries we already offer. So, throughout 2011 and 2012, they traveled there to research traditional Hungarian recipes and, of course, give them a try. While in Hungary, they discovered many Hungarian recipes utilize chestnuts and it was a popular flavor.

Chestnuts at Zingerman’s Delicatessen

Meanwhile, over at Zingerman’s Delicatessen, Rodger Bowser had already established a relationship with chestnut growers here in Michigan. These growers, fittingly named Chestnut Growers, Inc. (CGI), were providing him with chestnuts for his take on marrons glacés (a confection that consists of a chestnut candied in sugar syrup and glazed). In more recent years, the Delicatessen has been selling roasted chestnuts during the holiday season.

Chestnuts at the Bakehouse

We first tasted chestnut bread in 2003 when Shelby Kibler returned from a baking trip to France. We instantly fell in love with the flavor, texture, and unique color of the bread. A decade later we decided to get back to it. Good things come to those who wait, right?

Frank’s on-going search for locally-sourced flour. Frank and Amy’s travels to Hungary. Rodger’s work with Michigan-grown chestnuts. The inspiration to incorporate chestnuts into some Bakehouse recipes emerged.

We began working with CGI in Fall of 2014, purchasing chestnut flour. They grow the chestnuts for us, and then their sister company Treeborn mills them in this unique (and flavorful) chestnut flour. Not only is CGI a local company, they do not genetically modify their chestnut trees. Everything they grow and sell is always all-natural. Not to mention, Michigan-grown chestnuts are among the sweetest in flavor. Whether roasted, used in a recipe or milled into flour, they pack a flavor-filled punch.

The Chestnut Baguette is born

Thus, we began using chestnut flour, experimenting and playing with different recipes until we found one that was, well, our favorite. The Chestnut Baguette recipe, itself, actually originated from the ovens in our hands-on baking school, BAKE!. After months of testing and modifying the recipe (with rave reviews), we instantly knew. Knew that this recipe was one for the books, not to mention the shelves of our shop.

A brand new bread had arrived at the Bakehouse, one packed with a nutty and rich flavor.

How do we make it?

We use the chestnut flour from Treeborn, as well as wheat flour, both grown and milled at Grand Traverse Culinary Flours in Traverse City. This naturally leavened bread itself consists of just a few ingredients—chestnut flour, wheat flour and sea salt. From start to finish, it takes right around 6 hours to bake.

After it’s been pulled out of the oven, the Chestnut Baguette has a beautiful and thick crust. Once you cut into it, you will discover a rich tan and purple crumb. If you are looking for a photogenic bread, this one is it! Pull out your phones and get ready to Instagram that beautiful bread on your cheese board.

Anything that looks THAT good has to taste good, too? Right? Well, our Chestnut Baguette certainly does. It is rich, nutty, slightly sweet and full. It pairs perfectly with an array of cheeses, meats, spreads, wines… the list goes on. Let us know how you enjoy it.

Amy Berger, longtime staffer in our bread bakery, sings the praises of chestnut baguette, sliced with fresh goat cheese from our next door neighbor Zingerman’s Creamery.

You can find it…

You can find the Chestnut Baguette at the Bakehouse, fresh from the ovens at noon on Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays. It is also available at Zingerman’s Delicatessen.

Don’t live in Michigan? Want to share the chestnut love with your family across the country? Well, Zingerman’s Mail Order ships our Chestnut Bread. Same recipe, different shape (imagine trying to mail a baguette).

Natasha Mason, Zingerman’s Bakehouse

The post Local Favorite, Local Flavor appeared first on bake blog.

In fact, some of my earliest memories are of my mom, with me in tow, stopping in at Zingerman’s Delicatessen to pick up a loaf of bread. Of course, then I was not nearly as adventurous, so I rarely tried the loaves of Rye and Pumpernickel and, yes, even Sourdough my mom bought.

Now, working in the Zingerman’s Community of Businesses (ZCoB) and having actually grown up with these breads in my kitchen, I have moved past the days of scrunching my face up in disgust as my mom tried to get me to try anything other than my go-to generic, sliced white bread.

But, I haven’t always been adventurous with my food selections. I regularly remind myself that trying new things is actually a wonderful way to grow and develop new tastes.

Maybe you fall into that category? Happy with the bread you pick up on your weekly grocery trip. Too overwhelmed to step into the world of artisan bread. Wondering why bread from Zingerman’s Bakehouse is so special anyway.

I’ll let you in on a (well-known) secret: Rustic Italian.

Whether you are new to the artisan bread world or just beginning to think about perhaps driving over to the Bakehouse, our Rustic Italian loaf is the perfect beginner’s bread.

The loaf itself is fairly simple looking. Golden brown in color, fairly thick-looking crust, flour gently coating the top. But don’t let its outward appearance deter you! Once you cut inside, you’re greeted with a soft, fluffy crumb that is a light, cream color.

What’s in it? Rustic Italian has a very simple ingredient list. Unbleached unbromated flour, water, salt, and yeast. Time is the magic that makes this bread so special. From mixing the starter to pulling a freshly baked loaf from the ovens, it takes 14 ½ hours. During that time, that simple ingredient list comes together to make one of our most versatile loaves.

And we’ve been baking it since we opened the bakery September of 1992. It is a recipe that we tried, we loved and we had to keep. It has (clearly) become a staple around here.

So, what makes this bread so remarkable? I suppose it would be good to mention here that it is the Bakehouse’s top-selling bread. It can be used for just about anything. Sandwiches? Perfect. Morning toast? Also perfect. Pair it with pasta or soup or olive oil. 100% perfect. It really does it all, and makes all those everyday meals a couple notches better.

Where you can find it

Over at Zingerman’s Roadshow (the silver to-go trailer out in front of the Roadhouse), they use our Rustic Italian for their Avocado Toast. Two slices, toasted, buttered. A whole avocado. Shake of salt, sprinkling of pepper. Plus a few dashes of Zingerman’s Roadhouse’s House Hot sauce. When I’m not at the Bakehouse writing about breads, you can find me at the Roadshow, making Avocado Toast (among other things). Another secret- it is one of my favorite picks for lunch while I’m there.

Another great option is to slice it up and serve with a nice spread of Zingerman’s Creamery Pimento Cheese. Perfect afternoon snack or even dinner party appetizer!

One of my favorite sandwiches at Zingerman’s Delicatessen also uses Rustic Italian as its base- Benno’s Birdie. Amish chicken breast, Ligurian pesto, oven-dried tomatoes, fresh mozzarella. And then grilled (You can find me in line for this sandwich when I’m done writing this).

If you’re just looking for a loaf to try, you can pick one up from the Roadshow or the Delicatessen, as well. Plus, you can come right over to the Bakehouse and get a loaf, fresh from the oven around noon, every day. While you’re here, you can peer through the window and see our awesome bread bakers hard at work- a glimpse behind the scenes of those loaves of bread we have on the shelves.

Whether you’re new to this world-of-bread or a long-time acquaintance, our Rustic Italian is tried and true. Give it a go, you won’t be disappointed!

By Natasha Mason, Zingerman’s Bakehouse

The post The Gateway Bread appeared first on bake blog.

Yes, seriously. I am a crazed, obsessed lover of cranberry pecan bread. And I know I am not alone. This bread is an absolute favorite of long-time Zingerman’s customers, as well as the ones who have had the opportunity to try this incredible loaf at one of the three points throughout the year we bake it.

Now, what exactly makes this loaf so incredible (other than the fact you can only get it, collectively, less than a few months out of the year)? It is hand fulls of sweet-tart dried cranberries and toasty pecan pieces held together by a small amount of naturally leavened bread. I’m not exaggerating. We stuff a half pound cranberries and pecans into each and every loaf.

When you see it, sitting there on the shelf, it looks petite, deep golden brown and bumpy. Well, those are pecans jutting out from the crust. When you look closely, you can sometimes see a whole pecan peeking out. When you slice into it you’ll see the crumb, itself, is a very faint purple- tinted by those ruby red cranberries.

Fresh from the ovens (or directly out of the toaster), you can truly smell the toasty pecans and warmed cranberries. It is this mix of sweet and toasty that has left a permanent stamp in my mind. And it is that smell that comes to mind every time I picture myself biting into a delightful slice of this bread.

As for the taste, it has a rich nutty flavor from the pecans when you take your initial bite. But that is quickly followed by the chewy sweetness and surprising tang of the cranberries and the sourdough bread of its base. I am in need of a slice right now as I type.

Some regulars at Zingerman’s Roadshow who typically get our tried and true Pecan Raisin bread loaves or toast immediately switch over to the Cranberry Pecan come November. They plan out their schedules and get ready because, come November 1st, there they are in the drive-through line, asking for the Cranberry Pecan.

There is this funny thing that happens every year in the Bakeshop, as well. Bakehouse Marketing Manager Sara shares her experience with this when she worked in the shop:

“When I worked in our Bakeshop, I always remember this funny phenomenon. We would put out samples of cranberry pecan bread at the register. Customers would come in to buy their usual daily bread, like rye or farm, and while they were paying would pop a piece of cranberry pecan bread in their mouth. They’d head on their merry way and get out to the car door, turn around and come right back in the store. ‘What was that bread I just ate?’ they’d ask. Usually followed by ‘I’ll take one.’ It happened every day. This is powerful stuff!”

The freezer technique

People have also been known to buy enough loaves to fill their freezer and then slowly pull one out at a time, perfectly spaced, so they can enjoy it consistently throughout the year. Bakeshop assistant manager, Crystal, does this, too!

She shared, “I personally love eating the Cranberry Pecan toasted with butter and a healthy sprinkle of cinnamon sugar. I’ve been known to stock my freezer full of it during November and December, so that I could gift it to family for the holidays.”

And she’s not the only one (and I don’t just mean me).

Where can you get it?

During November and December (and the two weekends when the bread makes a reappearance), the Roadshow begins offering the long-awaited Curry Chicken Salad Sandwich. Two slices of toasted cranberry pecan bread, a heaping of housemade curry chicken salad and a bit of spinach.

Whole loaves are also available Zingerman’s Bakehouse, Delicatessen, and Roadshow.

But, wait! That’s not all… Zingerman’s Mail Order sells it, too. So, yes, you can ship the loaf across the country to your family (or yourself, we would be guilty of that).

Now what?

Well, here’s my recommendation. Cut a couple slices, pop ‘em in the toaster, butter them. Breakfast is served!

It is also phenomenal toasted with a schmear of cream cheese (and of course I recommend the award-winning cream cheese from our neighbors over at Zingerman’s Creamery).

It makes a tasty, unique gift that will have everyone singing your praises after the holiday season. And it is a fun bread to pass at any dinner. It can make your roast turkey sandwich more festive and flavorful, or liven up your stuffing recipe. Pair it with goat cheese for a new take on a traditional appetizer.

By Natasha Mason, Zingerman’s Bakehouse

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Longtime baker, Patti Weaks, is one such baker, leaving her stamp on our line up. It makes sense. She has been working here for nearly two decades after all.

Patti has been instrumental in our team’s baking success, developing some new recipes and making sure we’re doing things right. It seemed fitting to honor her and use her namesake, like we have done with many others.

Let’s start at the beginning…

Back in September of 1997, Patti’s best friend was working at the Bakehouse, leading her to apply. According to Patti, “Best decision I ever made.” Definitely a great thing for us, as well.  Now, 19 years later, both Patti and her son Jeremy work here at the Bakehouse. Patti will be the first to admit, “Baking does run in the family.”

Ok let’s get to the goods!!!! (you’re probably shouting at your computer screen right now). Raspberry Patti Pockets and Patti’s Gimme S’more Tart. Both delightfully unique.

The Patti Pocket, before it was called a Patti Pocket, was a recipe we taught at BAKE!, our hands-on baking school. One of our classes included making homemade toaster pastries. We loved them so much that in 2014, Patti and other bakers worked on perfecting the recipe on a larger scale so we could sell them around Ann Arbor. That testing included sampling a number of different filling flavors (tough job we know). Raspberry was the clear favorite. That’s how it works around here. We practice and we taste until we know we have something really special.

After working closely with Amy Emerling, Bakehouse co-owner, to ultimately perfect this recipe in our eyes, there still was one big surprise in store for Patti. We named this scrumptious hand-pie after her. “Amy is the one who came up with the name. I didn’t even know about it.” It needed a standout name. We just thought it sounded cute and more fun.

So, what exactly is a Patti Pocket? It truly is the ideal breakfast pastry, lunch dessert, mid-day snack, tea time partner… You get the idea. We start with a flaky butter pie dough, fill it with seedless raspberry preserves, bake it until it is a beautiful golden color and then drizzle a little raspberry glaze on top. The texture of the crust is delicate and tender, but the whole thing packs a wallop of flavor too. It’s a little messy, but that’s part of what makes it so good. Besides, that’s what napkins are for (right?)

The other pastry naming was a little less of a surprise. Patti’s Gimme S’more Tart actually started off as one of her own homemade desserts to pass at a staff holiday party. “One year I made them for a company Christmas party. I wanted to bring something different that we all didn’t bake every day. The idea just popped into my head.”

This creative and original and absolutely scrumptious idea quickly turned into a Bakehouse reality. It all starts with a graham cracker shell. But no store-bought graham cracker crumbs here- we’re using Bakehouse sweet spicy graham cracker dough. After it’s baked until mahogany brown, it is filled with a soft dark chocolate ganache. Then it’s crowned with toasted peaks of Italian meringue. Try it served slightly warm for the ultimate experience. Words to describe it: insanely good with intense flavor.

Where to find ‘em

Have a hankering for these treats? We understand why. Well, you’re in luck! The Patti Pockets are available each and every morning, at Zingerman’s Bakehouse, Roadshow, or Delicatessen. While they last, of course.

As for the Patti’s Gimme S’more Tarts… Well, those are a rare treat these days that we bring back for a weekend from time to time! Keep a lookout for the next time they will be making an appearance on our special bakes web page or sign up for our e-news!

Join us for our Baking Pies a Plenty Class or our Palmiers and Puff Pastry Class, too! Check out when we will be offering it next on our BAKE! calendar.

By Natasha Mason & Sara Whipple, Zingerman’s Bakehouse

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Maybe it’s the shape, maybe it’s the color. Maybe I just recognize the name. Sometimes it is even a distant memory of my mother buying that loaf when I was grocery shopping with her as a little girl. Regardless, I am definitely guilty of judging bread by its cover.

But over the past year working in the Zingerman’s Community of Businesses, I have made it my goal to try at least one new thing a week. Whether it is a slice of bread or a new coffee, I have been inspired to try one thing that, initially, makes me think… “Oh no, not trying that.”

Now, if you are anything like me, there are probably one or two loaves of bread you buy each and every time you walk into the Bakeshop. Am I right? But, I am here to ask you to join me on my mission of trying new things! And to start, we have a super tasty loaf of bread that we have been baking here at the Bakehouse in late 1993.

What is Paesano and why do we work so hard to fill it with holes?

It is round(ish), light in color with little speckles of organic cornmeal on top. It is definitely an eye-catcher, but not in the way you may be thinking. The loaf is quite large and very unique in its amorphous shape. First we make a starter called a poolish which ferments for 5-6 hours and then the dough is mixed and our bakers leave it to proof for about 5 hours. Next the dough is scaled and shaped… by hand! The dough is a bit unruly because of the higher water content, so our bread bakers shape each loaf by hand. After shaping, the loaves are in the oven within the hour. This makes Paesano special, too, because most doughs are left to proof even longer after being shaped.

The crumb (the inside bit of the loaf) is very light in color and filled with large air pockets. And we work hard to make those air pockets! The dough we use has so much more water than your average dough, so when it is proofing, you can even see air pockets forming and bubbling to the surface. These “air pockets” are really pockets of trapped CO2. So, during the 14 ½ hours of fermentation, these large pockets of ‘bread aroma’ are produced and become the wonderful diaphanous cells that distinguish the open crumb of the Paesano. And those air pockets allow the bread to fully absorb the flavor of whatever you are serving it with. So, definitely 100% intentional!

With such a wet dough, how does the crust keep its crunch? Most doughs are steamed while in the oven, which gives the crust its shine. Because the Paesano dough is mixed with so much water, it doesn’t require much steam when we bake it. And we roll the dough in organic cornmeal, so we desire the loaf to have the crisp crust that develops in steam-free baking chambers.

What makes it so special then?
The Paesano actually originates from the Puglia region of Italy. The name itself translates to “villager” or “countryman.” Paesan is a term used in that region. Here in the US, the equivalent of the word is something along the lines of “friend” or “homeboy.” The recipe itself came from bread baker Michael London when he first visited us here at the Bakehouse to help refine our recipes and baking techniques. And that recipe hasn’t actually changed much over the years. So the loaf you’re tasting today probably tasted fairly similar when we first started baking it back in 1993.

It is one of our foundation breads, one of the originals we have been baking since we first opened our doors. It has been around for quite some time, giving us the opportunity to perfect the recipe, our baking method and even give us a little time to figure out how we like to eat it best!

Paesano is one of the top loaves of bread sold online by our partners at Zingerman’s Mail Order. In fact, last year they shipped 10,000 of them. For their catalog full of estate olive oils, aged vinegars, and special sauces Paesano is their go-to loaf. The quintessential dinner bread they say.

Our Recommendations?

Slice it up, brush it with olive oil and garlic, throw it on the grill for a new summertime take on garlic bread.

Perfect crust (and crumb) for a muffaletta sandwich. Take a page out of Zingerman’s Roadshow’s book. Cut the loaf into quarters, pull out a little bit of the inside (to promptly eat, of course), stuff with meat and cheese and a little red wine vinaigrette. Place on a panini press until the cheese has melted to your satisfaction. Add a little lettuce and tomato if you dare!

My favorite way to eat it? Cut a few slices and bake in the oven until they are a bit crisper. Add diced tomatoes, onion, garlic and basil. Drizzle with a little olive oil, then top it off with a sprinkle of salt and pepper. A bruschetta that can even hold its ground next to my mother’s cooking!

There is nothing you can’t do with this bread. Extra pasta sauce? No problem! Dipping bread for soup? It doesn’t get any more perfect than the Paesano. I hate to say all-purpose, but Paesano can really be used for just about anything.

Give it a try! It may just become your new favorite bread.

By Natasha Mason, Zingerman’s Bakehouse

The post Paesano appeared first on bake blog.

Our Pecan Raisin bread is definitely not your average squishy sweet raisin bread. The New York Times agrees, stating that ours “redefines the category.” We begin with our naturally leavened bread dough that has a touch of sour flavor. Then each loaf is packed with a half pound of red flame raisins and toasty pecans! (pictured below) To say it is a little bit of bread holding the pecans and raisins together wouldn’t be too far off base. From the outside you can little bumps and tiny cracks from those ingredients peeking out on the crust. When you slice into a loaf, you can clearly see it’s packed with flavor. The process of making and baking a batch takes about 17 hours from start to finish! You really can taste the difference.

We certainly have had time to perfect our recipe. We began baking pecan raisin at the start when we opened it 1992. It was part of our original line up of artisan breads, which was a radically new thing around here at that time. We’re so happy that pecan raisin bread had stood the test of time and has remained one of our best selling loaves for more than two decades. It has surely been a part of so many good meals and so many family get togethers.

Caution: This loaf will ruin you for all other raisin breads. And it’s perfect for just about anything, anytime of day.

You can find the Pecan Raisin bread all across the Zingerman’s Community of Businesses.
-Over at Zingerman’s Delicatessen, it’s the shell for chicken salad and local sunflower sprouts on the Abra’s Nutty Yardbird sandwich (pictured below).

-At Zingerman’s Roadhouse for their wildly popular brunch menu, you can ask for a slice of pecan raisin toast.

-When you make a trip here to Zingerman’s Southside, stop in to to the Bakehouse and pick up a fresh loaf… Or to try our Pecan Raisin Crisps. They really compliment fresh goat cream cheese from our neighbor, Zingerman’s Creamery. Or ask them for a taste of what special cheese they’d recommend pairing them with that day.

–Zingerman’s Mail Order ships pecan raisin loaves all over the country to bread lovers and gift recipients alike.

-For all of our aspiring bakers out there, we also offer a naturally leavened breads class at BAKE! (the hands-on teaching bakery at Zingerman’s Bakehouse) where you can learn how to make the Pecan Raisin bread. That’s right! We’ll give you our recipe, if you’re up for the challenge. Don’t miss your chance, coming up in October and again at the end of January.

– by Natasha Mason

The post Not Your Average Squishy Sweet Raisin Bread appeared first on bake blog.