We bake and deliver seven days a week, insuring that every loaf you buy was baked only hours earlier.

In an effort to preserve the crust, we package all of our breads only in paper bags.

Because the long fermentation process that we use encourages beneficial acids which act as a natural preservative, many of our our breads will keep for three to four days days if left in the bag you bought them in. When you slice into a loaf, keeping it cut side down on the cutting board will prevent it from drying out. If you find yourself with a loaf (or roll) that is a day or two old and has not been sliced into, you can revive it quite nicely by moistening it (running it under the faucet briefly works fine) and placing it in a 400 degree oven for 7 or 8 minutes. For detailed information on the keeping qualities of each of our breads, refer to our bread varieties page.

Our breads also freeze well. After thawing, placing your loaf in a 350 degree oven for 15-20 minutes will revive some of the crispiness of the crust.

Our favorite uses for day-old bread

Actually, old bread makes lousy shoes, and who would want to do that with perfectly edible food anyway? Here at the bakery, we are proud to say that any day-old bread that comes back to us from stores is donated to schools, food shelves, or local farmers. (Even the loafers you see here gave the farmer a good laugh when he found them when he was feeding his heifers.) At home, you may sometimes find that you have some bread that is just a little too stale to be enjoyable as-is. Here are some ideas for what to do with that bread:

Bread Pudding with a local flair

(serves 6)

By Randy George

3 eggs

3 egg yolks

3/4 cups maple syrup

1 cup heavy cream

1 cup milk

2 teaspoons vanilla

1/2 lb.of day old hearty bread (Pain Au Levain works great)

Preheat oven to 325 degrees.

Grease six 3 in. cupcake tins.

Whisk together eggs and egg yolks. Add maple syrup, cream, milk, and vanilla.

Cut bread into 1 in. cubes. Fill tins with bread.

Pour egg mixture over bread. Push bread down into egg mixture to moisten it. (It will float back up– this is o.k.)

Place cupcake tins into 2 in. deep pan. Fill pan with 1 1/2 in. of water. Bake for 45 min. or until lightly browned.

Flip out individual servings and pour caramel sauce over inverted pudding.

Caramel Sauce for Bread Pudding

2/3 cup maple syrup

2/3 cup heavy cream

2 tablespoons butter

pinch of salt

Warm the syrup over medium heat. Whisk in cream. Reduce this mixture over medium-high heat until it begins to thicken (15-20 min.). Add salt and butter. Keep at low heat until pouring over pudding.

This recipe would also be great with local strawberries added as a topping, when they are in season.

Garlic Soup

(from Twelve Months of Monastery Soups)

10 cloves minced garlic

1/2 cup olive oil

7 cups water

3 cubes boullion (meat or vegetable)

1 15 oz. can diced tomatoes

1/2 lb. sliced, day old Pain Au Levain

2 eggs beaten

1 bay leaf

1 teaspoon thyme

pinch of cayenne

salt and pepper

Saute garlic lightly in olive oil (don’t brown). Add 3 cups water, boullion, thyme, and tomatoes. Simmer 15 min. Puree in food processor or with an immersion blender. Add remaining water, bay leaf, and bread. Bring to a boil. In a separate bowl, whisk together 1/2 cup of soup with the eggs. Return this to the soup, add salt and pepper to taste, simmer 5 to 10 minutes, and serve.

Marjoram-Scented Panzanella with Aged Cheese

(serves 4)

(From The New American Cheese, by Laura Werlin)

vinaigrette ingredients

1/4 cup red wine vinegar

1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar

1 teaspoon Dijon mustard

Salt

Freshly ground black pepper

1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil

salad ingredients

1/2 lb. day old Italian or French bread (ciabatta or baguette would be great), cut into 1 inch cubes

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

4 ripe tomatoes (4 lb.), seeded and coarsely chopped

1/2 cup finely chopped red onion

1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh marjoram leaves

2 oz. shaved, very cold aged sheep’s milk cheese (Trade Lake Cedar recommended, or any hard, flavorful cheese like aged goat cheese, aged Provolone, or Parmesan)

To make the vinaigrette: Combine vinegars, mustard, and salt and pepper in a small bowl. Let stand 5 min. Slowly add olive oil in a steady stream, whisking until thoroughly blended. Set aside.

To make the salad: Preheat oven to 375.

Place bread cubes on a baking sheet and drizzle olive oil over them. Stir to distribute oil. Bake until lightly browned (10 to 15 min.). Remove from oven and cool. (This can also be done on the stovetop in a skillet over medium heat.)

Mix tomatoes, onion, and marjoram with 1/4 cup of the vinaigrette in a bowl. Let sit for 10 min. Add bread cubes and another 1/4 cup vinaigrette; mix. Let sit for 15 min. Add the remaining vinaigrette, if needed (use enough to coat but not drench the ingredients). Distribute among 4 plates and top with the cheese and freshly ground pepper.