Mix, fold, shape, proof, bake
How the bread happens.
Every loaf takes 36 hours and about six minutes of actual hands on work. The rest is waiting, which turns out to be the most important ingredient.
Rosa's alarm: 2:40am
By the clock
The full bake day.
Five steps across two days. Each one has a time on the clock, and none of them can be rushed without you tasting it.
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Day one, 3am
Mix
Gus got a big feed at 7 the night before, so by now he has doubled. He goes into flour and water that have rested for an hour. Salt last.
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Day one, 4am
Fold
Four sets of stretch and folds, an hour apart. The dough goes from shaggy to smooth and full of air. We judge it by feel and by the jiggle.
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Day one, 9am
Shape
Divided by weight and preshaped, rested, then shaped tight at 11 and dropped seam up into linen lined baskets.
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Overnight
Cold proof
Eighteen hours in the walk in at 38 degrees. Slow fermentation builds flavor and lets us bake at dawn instead of midnight.
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Day two, 5am
Bake
Scored with a razor and loaded straight into a 500 degree deck with steam. Forty five minutes, until the crust goes properly dark.
Where the flour comes from.
Most of our flour comes from two small California mills that stone grind wheat grown in the Central Valley and up north. The whole wheat is milled within a few weeks of reaching us, which is why it smells like toasted nuts when you open the bag.
The rye comes from a farm cooperative in the north of the state. The white bread flour is unbleached and has nothing added.
Questions we get at the counter.
Do you take pre-orders?
Yes. Call or use the order form by 2pm and we hold bread and pastry for the next morning. Cakes need three days, or a week for two tiers and hand painted finishes.
When do you sell out?
Most days the racks are thin by noon and empty by 1. Saturdays go faster, and almond croissants are usually gone by 9.
Do you have gluten free options?
Gluten free cakes, yes, made with a separate flour blend on a cleaned bench. We do not make gluten free bread, and our kitchen is full of wheat flour, so we cannot promise zero traces.
Do you use nuts?
Yes, in the almond croissants, the walnut loaf, the carrot cake and the pistachio cake. They share the kitchen with everything else, so tell us about a nut allergy before you order.
Where do I park?
There is two hour street parking on Santa Cruz Ave and a free public lot one block behind us. The pickup shelf is right inside the door, so a quick stop is quick.
Can I bring my dog?
Dogs are welcome in line out front, with a water bowl by the door. Inside the shop, only service dogs, because of health code rules.
Will you slice my loaf?
Always, and for free. Just ask at the counter. We suggest leaving it whole if you will not finish it in two days, since sliced bread dries out faster.
Can I freeze your bread?
It freezes very well. Slice it first, bag it tight, and toast slices straight from frozen. A whole loaf thaws on the counter in about two hours.