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Welcome to spring and the Spring
Edition of La Brea Bakery’s Bread
Basket! Springtime is the celebration of
all things fresh and new—fresh ingredients,
fresh ideas, new flavors and new ways to
enjoy the epicurean life. As our motto
goes, "Great Bread is Just the Beginning,"
and so we’d like to share with you some of
our ideas for new springtime beginnings,
including exciting ingredient discoveries,
new artisanal product ideas and innovative
new takes on some of our old favorites.
We’d also love to hear what you find
special and exciting this time of year, so
please send us your feedback—stories,
traditions, comments, ideas, recipes, etc.
Contact us at www.labreabakery.com/traditions to share with us some of your own
springtime favorites!
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 We are excited to introduce our new, limited edition
Season’s Signature Program! The program features the
release of a new bread four times a year– Spring,
Summer, Fall and Winter–each with flavors unique to
that season, and packaged in distinctive bags that
celebrate each time of year. The program will debut in
the  spring with Roasted Garlic & Chive Loaf
available at select grocers roughly April-May 2008,
followed in the summer by the Toasted Sunflower
Honey Loaf, available May through August.
Supplies are limited, and not all retail
partners will carry all flavors, so please
consult with bakery department personnel
to see what they will have available. The
Original La Brea Bakery on La Brea Avenue
will be featuring sandwiches on each of the
Season’s Signature Breads. These Season’s
Signature spring and summer sandwich
recipes can also be found on our website at www.labreabakery.com.
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 Spring is the perfect time to explore the abundance of stunning American artisanal cheeses appearing at farmers’
markets and in stores. Once you have chosen your cheeses, you can drizzle, dust or dollop with a condiment—
the alchemy will expand the experience and add to your pleasure. Add a selection of La Brea Bakery Artisan
Breads and enjoy the feast! Here are a few of my suggestions for interesting, easy combinations:
All Savory
La Brea Bakery Olive Oval with a creamy blue cheese such as Buttermilk Blue. Then
drizzle with an extra virgin olive oil and a little cracked pepper on top.
http://www.rothkase.com/
Savory & Sweet
La Brea Bakery Sourdough Loaf and a fresh tangy goat cheese like Montchevre
drizzled with rich Tupelo Honey from Savannah Bee Company.
http://www.montchevre.com/
http://www.savannahbee.com/
Something Totally Different
La Brea Bakery French Baguette with Wisconsin’s Les Frères made by the Crave
Brothers. Take this rich, earthy and fruity washed rind cheese and dust it with
aromatic Tuscan fennel pollen. Fennel pollen is the rage with chefs— you can experience this flavor with just a pinch of it on your cheese.
http://www.cravecheese.com/home/index.php
http://chefshop.com/index.asp
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 Karen Kaye, our Technical
Director, and Jon Davis, our
Director of Concept Development,
helm the research and development
done for La Brea Bakery. It’s a
dynamic process that requires that
they stay on top of ingredient
trends and maintain a constant
dialogue with all of the Bakery’s
suppliers as well as consumers
ranging from chefs to grocers.
Kaye works closely with
ingredients, citing organics, whole grains and strong flavors
among current trends. She explains La Brea Bakery’s strong
emphasis on using only the finest ingredients: "Our bread is
made in a traditional manner—we ferment our own
sourdough starter and develop the doughs slowly
without the use of chemical dough conditioners,
preservatives or additives. This produces a simple,
flavorful, wholesome artisan bread. The quality of our
raw materials is, therefore, very important. If the raw
materials are not up to the required quality standard, then
neither will be the finished
product. That’s why we screen all of
our raw materials carefully, to
ensure that they meet the required
standard before use."
 Jon Davis takes these ideas into the
field when he does "cuttings,"
which are on-site demonstrations
done for chefs and deli managers.
He describes the process: "I give a
brief history of the company and
describe my background as a
baker/chef/pastry chef. We then
review bread types and flavors, and sometimes show various
applications, like sandwiches, table bread, toasts, etc." This
interaction is quite valuable to all involved, providing Jon
with useful feedback and response to the product line, while
giving the consumers a chance to ask for additional
application ideas and recipe development. He says, "It allows
us to understand the day-to-day operations and challenges of
chefs and deli mangers, so we may provide solutions, as well
as understand their customers’ needs and wants."
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 WHAT: In simplest terms, the Clover is a single-cup brewer with results likened to that of a
French press, which is the method considered by aficionados to be the best way to appreciate
filter or “drip brew” coffee. The machine, created by a small company in Seattle, is designed to
showcase the quality of artisanal coffee beans.
WHY WE LOVE THEM: Found in cafes dedicated to serving the finest artisanal coffees from
all over the world, the Clover allows the barista to adjust the grind, brewing time and
temperature to maximize the unique flavor of each coffee. Coffee of this caliber can be
appreciated like fine wine, with connoisseurs contemplating the nuance of varietals, regions and
microclimates.
WHERE: With the price tag of $11,000, you won’t find a Clover at every local cafe, though
the idea is catching on. Check the map to find a coffee shop with a Clover machine near you: http://cloverequipment.com/find_a_clover.aspx
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 WHAT: St-Germain Elderflower Liqueur is produced from 100% fresh elderflowers and artisanally
crafted in the traditional French style by Robert Cooper, who is a third generation distiller and former
owner of Chambord liqueur.
WHY WE LOVE IT: The elderflower blossoms, harvested in the foothills of the Alps during a three to
four day span in May, are hand picked by local farmers and transported by bicycle to sanctioned “depots”
(private homes) where they are weighed, crated and stored to specification before being sent to the
distillery. The production process is centered on a top-secret macerating technique that serves to extract
the nuanced flavor of the fragile flowers without bruising them. The result is a delicately sweet, lightly
floral flavor, delicious served over ice, or mixed with sparkling or dry white wine for a refreshing cocktail.
St-Germain is produced in limited quantities, with each bottle numbered and vintage year indicated to
correspond with the elderflower harvest.
WHERE: For more information and additional St-Germain recipe ideas, see the site :http://www.stgermain.fr/
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 WHAT: Savannah Bee Company’s Organic Acacia Honey
WHY WE LOVE IT: The newest in their line of delicious, unique artisanal honeys, Organic Acacia is the
only certified organic specialty honey in the country. The taste is clean and light, with notes of vanilla. It’s
produced in the Italian Alps, and in true Italian fashion, Eleanor Rhangos of the
Savannah Bee Company recommends serving Organic Acacia honey drizzled over figs,
served with ricotta or shaved hard cheeses. These textures and flavors would be
excellent paired with La Brea Bakery’s Pane Toscano, which is a rustic bread with a
softer crust and sweeter crumb.
WHAT: Available in a signature 20 oz flute for $25 and a 12.6 oz tower jar for $15.
For more information, see the site: http://www.savannahbee.com/
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 Preheat the oven to 350°F. Cut the bread
into 1/2-inch-thick slices. Place the bread
slices on a baking sheet. Brush the tops with
olive oil and bake them for 15-20 minutes,
until they’re lightly toasted and golden
brown. Rub the cut side of the garlic cloves
on each slice of toast. Allow the bread to
cool completely.
In a medium bowl, whisk to combine the
shallot, vinegar, olive oil, rosemary, salt, and
pepper, to taste. Place the mixture in a
shallow container and add the roasted
peppers, tossing to coat. Marinate for about
20 minutes.
Pile 3 strips of marinated roasted peppers
and 1 basil leaf on top of the crostini.
Unevenly spread 1 heaping tablespoon of
goat cheese over the red peppers. To top it
off, drizzle about 1 teaspoon of the
remaining vinaigrette over the goat cheese,
roasted peppers and bread.
Makes 36 Pieces
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In 1989, The Original La Brea Bakery opened its doors on La Brea Avenue in Los Angeles, California. What was then the
vision of renowned pastry chef Nancy Silverton, is now the leading U.S. producer of partially baked artisan breads supplied
to restaurants and food stores throughout the world. It is Nancy’s original recipe, creativity, passion and dedication to quality
that continues to set La Brea Bakery apart as the authority on artisan bread.
Our bread is always fresh, crusty and delicious because our standards never vary. This is the old way. To us, it’s the only way.
Our mission is to bring a loaf of La Brea Bakery bread to every table. Our flagship store-front bakery still
thrives on La Brea Avenue and to this day, enthusiasts continue to line up outside the bakery for our
delectable creations. La Brea Bakery’s breads can also be found at the La Brea Bakery Café in Anaheim,
California, and your favorite restaurants and grocery stores across the country. La Brea Bakery is part of the
IAWS Group.
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