Bread
Sourdoughs
Our signature bread takes over 48 hours to produce, from start to finish. Beginning with a 30 year old wild yeast starter cultured right here in Birmingham, this bread receives a long, cool rise and is baked directly on the floor of a stone hearth oven. The open structure of its crumb is gorgeous to behold, and its carefully tended starter elicits a balance of flavors like a fine french wine. Wines, beers, breads...ferments are magical! And these wild yeast (levain) loaves are true wonders. Our wild yeast sourdough is shaped in the traditional (and substantial!) 4 ½ pound loaf of the French countryside, but we are happy to slice any loaf into halves or quarters for our guests.
French Breads
Flour, water, salt, yeast. Just as Dieu (and the french government) intended. French breads are the modern descendants of French sourdoughs, substituting faster acting, commercial yeast for the original natural “levain” starters, sometimes sacrificing complexity of flavor and hearty crust of the “pain au levain” for the airy interior and and delicate crust of the baguette. Our bakers achieve the best of both worlds by using just a pinch of yeast, a handful of starter, and a slow cool rise to produce a longer lasting baguette with complexity, tooth and a lovely crumb.
Sandwich Breads
Specialty Breads
Buns & Rolls
Pastries/Breakfast
Croissants
European butter is essential for fine pastry, because of its low moisture and high butterfat content. We laminate our croissant dough in house with European butter, creating a rich flaky pastry that will transform your morning cup of cafe au lait into a transcendent experience.
Scones
Bagels
Our bagels are hand rolled, proofed long and slow at a cool temp, and kettle boiled in the traditional way before baking. This artisan process makes them longer lasting and gives them their characteristic outer sheen, complex interior and toothy, protective crust. A Continental bagel shows you don't need NYC water to make “real bagels”. You just need skilled, dedicated bakers who pay attention to detail and use traditional methods.