For the two years that I lived in the Bay Area I always tried to keep a good loaf of bread on hand. Not what you find in your typical grocery store with words like Wonder or Old Home or even Grandma Sycamore's (a local Utah favorite) in the title. No. The bread I always tried to have in stock was often called artisan or european or crusty or rustic. Bread that was made simply and tasted good. A bread that took a little work to eat. There is nothing like a slighty crunchy, very chewy crust encasing a creamy crumb that is cool to the touch.
Most often made that morning, and sometimes, still even warm. And the ingredient list was always short and simple. Flour, water, salt, some kind of yeast - either a small amount of commercially produced or from a sourdough starter. Those are the basics. All you really need to make bread. My favorite of all the Bay Area breads is the Sweet (or Sour) Batard from Acme Bakery. They craft some of the best breads I have ever eaten.
Unfortunately, bread like that is difficult if not impossible to find where I now live. But, this week I was in Salt Lake City running some errands and stopped at the Wild Oats Market in Sugarhouse. While browsing through the bakery I found several loaves that looked conspicuoulsy out of place in the land of large-soft-airy breads made with lots of scary ingredients. They were all from a bakery called Crumb Brothers Bakery which is located in Logan, an hour or so north of Salt Lake. I selected a loaf of their Ciabatta for the test and immediately started for home so I could try it.
It measured up on all accounts. The ingredients list was short. Flour, water, yeast and salt. The crust was chewy and required some effort to tear apart and bite through and the flavor of the bread was pure. I was so happy while I was eating the first piece, that I found their phone number on the package and called to see if they distributed anywhere closer to my house down in Provo. Unfortunately the answer was no. But I have two actions to attack in the next week or two. One, visit the Wild Oats that is a little closer to see if they stock it; and two, make a pilgrimmage to the source in Logan and see what else they make. I can't wait.
Comments (7)
Granatos has great bread also- they have two locations in Salt Lake- but you need to be there before ten or they may be sold out.
Posted by: Jim Berlin | August 14, 2006 8:43 AM
Posted on: August 14, 2006 08:43
Thanks for the tip on Granatos. Due to a new job in SLC, I'll be able to try them out soon.
Posted by: Sam | August 14, 2006 12:55 PM
Posted on: August 14, 2006 12:55
Crumb Bros make a wheat, a five seed loaf and baguette, a rye, sourdough, garlic loaf, among othersâ??the range is amazing. One of my favorites is a French-style baguette that is competitive with anything you'll taste in France on Day One and, by Day Two (if there's still any left) it wins by a landslide. Since the French shop for bread daily, they don't need a bread with staying powerâ??but, to cater to us mericans, Bill Oblock makes sure his bread has legs.
Posted by: David Lancy | September 12, 2006 3:52 PM
Posted on: September 12, 2006 15:52
Now if I could just find a source closer to home. I don't often find myself in Logan when the need for bread hits me. It would be nice to have an outlet down south in Utah County.
Posted by: Sam | September 13, 2006 9:55 AM
Posted on: September 13, 2006 09:55
Have you tried anything from Hagermann's in Draper? Pretty okay, I think...but then, I never lived in the Bay Area.
Posted by: Pam | September 22, 2006 9:00 AM
Posted on: September 22, 2006 09:00
I used to live in Logan and used to get Crumb brothers bread all the time. They have a Pepper Jack bread that is unbelievable. Now that I live in Park City, I have to go down to SLC to get it. I usual get it from Liberty Fresh. They always have a good selection.
Posted by: Trent | January 16, 2007 10:36 AM
Posted on: January 16, 2007 10:36
I understand Harmons carries Crumb Bros.
Posted by: Liz | February 22, 2007 10:22 AM
Posted on: February 22, 2007 10:22