La Brea Bakery Bread Facts & Figures

All of La Brea Bakery Breads: Contain 0g Trans Fat per serving Free of Preservatives Contain Only the Highest Quality Ingredients Free From Artificial Colors and Flavors

La Brea Bakery's Certified Organic Breads: Organic Wheat Loaf Organic French Baguette Organic Rustic French Loaf Contains Registered Whole Grain Council "Good Source" Stamp: Wheat Baguette (9g per serving) Wheat Loaf (9g per serving) Whole Grain Loaf (9g per serving) White Wheat Petite Loaf (10g per serving) NEW Whole What & Honey Loaf and Whole Grain Baguette to be launched by October 2007

There are no short-cuts to creating true, rustic, artisan bread. Naturally leavened, handmade bread is anchored in tradition, using only the simplest of ingredients: flour, water, and an agent of fermentation. No two naturally leavened loaves are exactly the same. Artisan bread can be described as bread that you can enjoy all on its own…or as your favorite sandwich, appetizer or piece of morning toast with just the right amount of jam.

The perfect loaf contains a texture that is elastic but not rubbery. The interior of the bread, or crumb, should be porous and almost sponge-like. The crust contains intense layers of flavor and caramelized crunch.

When it comes to artisan bread, La Brea Bakery is the leader. We hope that our relentless commitment to quality and authenticity has…and will continue to…change the way people eat bread. Founder Nancy Silverton’s original living, breathing starter is the signature ingredient in every one of La Brea Bakery’s loaves today.

Because La Brea Bakery breads do not contain any preservatives we recommend that they be eaten on the day of purchase. Some breads will last longer, and certainly all breads can be used for toast or a grilled sandwich the day after purchase (even though the crust is harder, the interior will remain moist). If you have bought more bread than can be eaten right away, seal the bread in a plastic freezer bag with closure and freeze. To use it, remove it from the bag, thaw it and heat it in a 425°F oven for 3-5 minutes to obtain a crisp crust. Let cool before eating.

Our breads taste best on the day of purchase, although they will keep longer. Our bread should be kept in its original bag at room temperature. Do not refrigerate. For later use, seal the bread in a plastic freezer bag with closure and freeze. To use it, remove it from the bag, thaw it and heat it in a 425°F oven for 3-5 minutes to obtain a crisp crust. Let cool before eating.

Bread with good, dark crust is not burnt. There’s a wonderful richness to a properly baked dark crust. Remember color is flavor. Most of the complex taste is concentrated in the crust where the starch and flour caramelize into sugar during baking.

Commercial yeast is efficient and fast acting. With it, you can produce instant, foolproof bread. But the bread you get will have neither the depth of flavors, nor the texture—the character—of true sourdough. In the production of commercial yeast, almost all lactic acid bacteria are eliminated before the yeast is packaged for sale. While the yeast causes the dough to rise, it does so without the help of the organic reactions of acidic bacteria.

Wild yeasts are unpredictable and take a long time to develop, but with them you will never get a bland loaf of bread. It is the presence of the acidic bacteria in our long fermentation process that gives our bread its signature complex flavor and texture. We believe there is no shortcut to creating naturally leavened, hearth-baked bread.

Par-bake, short for “partially baked,” means that dough has been formed and baked until it’s 80% done, then removed from the oven and cooled. The partially baked bread is then popped in the oven to finish off at its final destination.

Par-baking ensures that customers receive the highest quality authentic La Brea Bakery bread possible. The La Brea Bakery bread that customers take home is just-out-of-the-oven fresh and reliably delicious.

To begin, bakers mix the dough using the very same starter that went into the first loaves of La Brea Bakery bread in 1989. After kneading the dough by hand, they mold each individual loaf and place it in the oven to bake until 80% done. Using proprietary equipment, the loaves are frozen to retain flavor and texture, and sent to their final destination where they are finished.

Par-baked breads taste just as good as La Brea Bakery’s breads that are delivered fully baked. This is because founder Nancy Silverton and bakers spent considerable time and energy perfecting a technique that ensures the inimitable flavor and texture of their award-winning bread is in every loaf. From the distinctive crust, to the airy and chewy body of the bread, the par-baked loaves feature the remarkable taste and texture of the conventionally baked breads. In fact, in a taste test conducted by the San Francisco Chronicle, La Brea Bakery’s par-baked baguette won over local, conventionally baked breads.

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Wherever the bread is sold or served! That’s the beauty of par-baking – the bread that the customer buys is bread just out of the oven.