Ask MetaFilter questions tagged with bakery

Where to get fresh-baked (artisan?) bread near Menlo Park, CA?

pbh — Wed, 23 Sep 2009 12:56:09 -0800

Where to buy fresh baked (artisan?) bread in the Menlo Park, CA area? For as long as I can remember, I've really liked fresh baked bread. I'm trying to find somewhere where I can get bread as close to the point of having just been baked as possible. (I'm a little too lazy to bake it myself at the moment, as this previous ask.mefi discusses.) Ideally, this would be a place that bakes bread all day and I could just drop in and buy a loaf (or a boule or whatever).

Complicating my quest is that there seem to be different types of bakeries, and most of the bakeries around here seem focused on selling cupcakes and the like. Is there a special name for a bread bakery, or special resources for finding them?

California also seems to have some sort of "artisan bread" movement, but I can only seem to find big artisan bread wholesalers (which is what Acme Bread seems to mostly be, unless I go up to the city). By the time I get, say, Acme Bread at my local supermarket it seems a bit old (though maybe I'm going at the wrong times). My favourite place to get fresh baked bread on the east coast calls itself an "artisan bakery" and seems to specialise only in bread, so maybe this is the right direction?

Any suggestions for specific locations or where/how to look would be most appreciated!

Muffins on the rocks

Groovytimes — Wed, 24 Jun 2009 18:58:31 -0800

Where do you donate day old coffee shop pastries? I was at my local coffee shop around closing and saw them throw out a lot of perfectly good pastries (I know I took home a few).

I was wondering who would I talk to in my community about possibly donating them to a shelter or something similar? Is it even legal or helpful?

Would some sort of "Top of the Muffin" incident ensue if I tried?

Baker Looking for Kitchen

Piscean — Tue, 26 May 2009 09:21:36 -0800

I bake breads at home using an artisanal style (sourdough, handcrafting, small batches) and would like to eventually start a business. How can I get access to a decent space to bake these breads so I can sell them? I am thinking of turning my artisan breads hobby into a money maker. However, I am poor and living with room mates who have multiple pets. Although I've had no problems with the breads I've baked and given away so far, I wouldn't want to buy food from a restaurant that had pets in the kitchen, so I don't feel comfortable selling foods when I'm baking in the a similar situation.

What can an aspiring bread baker do to get access to a kitchen that is of the quality that would allow me to sell my breads? I don't have friends who are in a position to lend me their kitchens, nor do I have much money. I need creative -but practical, plausible ideas. Thanks!

Need NW Bakery Consultant

Nellebee — Sun, 26 Apr 2009 18:15:18 -0800

How would I go about developing a recipe for artisanal bread as well as a menu for a Bakery (ie many types of bread)? I lack a "culinary school" education (I do have a college degree and currently work in a different field). I have researched many many books on the subject of hearth baking.....however i would like to develop a style with a professional. Is there a bakery consultant I can hire to work with me??

Give me cupcakes or give me death!

mrhaydel — Mon, 29 Sep 2008 05:18:23 -0800

Where can I find awesome cupcakes in D/FW, D.C., and Boston? After (finally) purchasing a baker's dozen of cupcakes from Sprinkles Cupcakes in Dallas, I've come to the realization that I want to seek out other cupcakeries both in my hometown, and upcoming travel destinations. I'm in Arlington, Texas, so, Sprinkles in Dallas is/was a rather far drive (albeit worth it IMO).

All that being said, I'm really wanting to find some great places to get great cupcakes. And, I'm not talking about your run of the mill Mega Mart kind that come in a plastic container. I'm talking about the gourmet type with amazing flavors like Ginger Lemon and Key Lime.

First and foremost, I'm interested in bakeries in the Arlington/Fort Worth, TX area. Ideally, these bakeries wouldn't be much further west from Arlington than downtown Fort Worth already is, but, I'm willing to drive if the cupcakes are mind blowing.

Secondly, I will be traveling to Annandale, VA/Washington, D.C. in October, and Boston, MA in November. I'd love to check out cupcakeries while I'm there if at all possible.

Bonus points if you've actually frequented your suggestion and can recommend your favorite flavor.

So, help me, Hive Mind, you're my only hope!

What is being a baker or sous-chef like?

schroedinger — Wed, 28 May 2008 16:17:06 -0800

What has been your experience working as a baker, sous-chef, pastry chef, or on prep staff in a bakery or restaurant? What was the job like? The hours? What skills did you need to know before being hired, and what was OK for you to learn on the job? Did you have any significant professional training before beginning, or was it all self-taught? I have discovered a love of baking and cooking, and am considering going into the field for a couple of years. Is this feasible to do so without culinary school? I've been a life-long baker, though nothing more complicated than basic cakes and cookies. About six months ago, I began working in a cafe where in addition to line preparation (i.e. making sandwiches) I've been doing basic food and baking prep work as well. Nothing fancy, mostly baking cookies and making soup, but I've learned a lot about food and baking in general and it's awoken a passion within me that's lasted quite a bit longer than any of my other interests.

I'm not yet ready to give up my current career path and go to culinary school. I'd like to be able to dabble part-time or full-time in a bakery or restaurant while pursuing my current educational goals. But I don't know if this is even feasible, as I'm not sure of what qualifications I'll need to join a "real" bakery or restaurant in any position above dishwasher, nor what kind of hours, pay, or workload to expect. Can you help?

Best bakery in Charleston?

fabesfaves — Mon, 22 Oct 2007 08:23:29 -0800

What is the best bakery in Charleston? I'm staying in Mt. Pleasant but can travel a little ways--particularly into downtown Charleston. My aunt can't remember the name of this bakery--it's not Saffron. Help!

"Ace of Cakes" equivalent in or near Seattle?

matildaben — Mon, 06 Aug 2007 10:55:32 -0800

I'm looking for a place in Seattle or nearby that makes wacky and creative custom cakes similar to those featured on the Food TV program "Ace of Cakes". I've Googled, but nothing really jumped out at me. A few years ago I saw a van driving around for a company that seemed like what I want (it was a couple of guys' names, I think), but I can't find them anymore so they may have gone out of business.

Yeah, I'd get free cookies and cakes, but is that enough?

FlyByDay — Wed, 30 May 2007 08:36:54 -0800

How do I negotiate (tomorrow!) a decent salary for working part-time as a creative services manager for a successful bakery where the company wants to leverage the coolness factor of the environment and I want to leverage my years of varied experience? I recently interviewed for a creative services manager position for a small-ish but successful bakery (they sell through Whole Foods, Williams-Sonoma, online, specialty stores, etc). This job covers creating/overseeing all their packaging, their print collateral, web design, some writing, working with everyone in the company from the president to the food scientists to marketing. I have a strong background in both web and print design, as well as writing and editorial. I am 41, which is important, as this company has a very specific company culture in which the older, more experienced people are expected to be in active teaching positions to the just-out-of-school people. You should also know that this job is an hour + drive from me, and on the way in (though not out), there’s a $3 toll bridge. This job is in Boston proper.

I was originally offered (via email) a full time position at $50,000, though when the president mentioned this “guess” in the interview, I said that was lower than I’d like. For the scope of the job, this sounds very low to me. We’ve been phoning and missing each other (me and various people at the company), and yesterday, I got an email from their HR person saying they’d actually like to split the job between two people, and could we talk on Thurs (tomorrow)? She did not mention a salary.

I would actually prefer to work part-time, as it would enable me to continue to work freelance (I’m also a professional musician), not have to make that commute every day, but have some steady work. So how do I negotiate a higher rate, and what’s reasonable for what is a fairly big job in scope? I know they’re leveraging the coolness factor of working at a bakery vs. an ad agency or something less “fun”, but I want to leverage my years of varied experience. All advice is appreciated.

Ich ben ein sufganiyah

Andrhia — Wed, 13 Dec 2006 16:38:00 -0800

Can you get great sufganiyot in Nassau County? I'm looking for a bakery that makes terrific fresh sufganiyot. (That's Israeli jelly doughnuts for the non-Jews out there.)

Is there anyplace in Nassau County, NY, that has 'em? Or am I going to have to venture into the city or make my own? If it looks like I have to make my own, bonus points for a simple recipe and ideas on how to do it without anything resembling a deep fryer.

I need a birthday cake (in London)!

ascullion — Wed, 18 Oct 2006 06:47:59 -0800

I need a birthday cake for Friday (Sat morning at the latest). Doesn't have to be anything exciting, just something that can feed about 20 people, and says 'Happy Birthday' on it. I live in London - where on earth would I go to get such a thing? I guess I could try large supermarkets, but there aren't many in central London, and it would be nice to get something 'handmade', by a decent bakery. All suggestions gratefully recieved!

Online Bakeries With Pretty Cakes

gokart4xmas — Fri, 13 Oct 2006 14:29:59 -0800

What are your favorite bakeries with beautiful cakes that display samples online? I'm taking a cake decorating class and am looking for inspiration. I've already checked out the previous AskMe cake threads, but I'm still looking for suggestions. For an example of what I'm talking about, check out Confetti Cakes.

Cupcakes in New York.

Sreiny — Mon, 18 Sep 2006 07:48:38 -0800

I'd like to have cupcakes delivered to someone in New York City, I'm in Chicago. I want to send cupcakes to a recruiter that I worked with in New York who was super-friendly and great and put in a lot of work for me. I took a job with another company though in Chicago, outside of her realm, so she has lost my business. I want to send her some cupcakes as a thank you for the work she did for me.

Any suggestions for bakeries in the city that will deliver her up some cupcakes, maybe even with a small thank you note?

Also, if this idea sounds ridiculous, I suppose you can say so. I think it'd be a pleasent and fun unexpected surprise in the middle of a workday. Either way, your help as always would be appreciated.

Cream horns: food for good living

Pocahontas — Sun, 06 Aug 2006 11:57:21 -0800

PastryFilter: Anyone know where the cream horn originated? I'm talking about the buttery-flaky pastry usually sold in bakeries (because they only taste good fresh out of the oven) shaped into a horn, open on the large end, and stuffed with a buttercream or whipped-cream filling. And maybe studded with large sugar crystals on the outside. I prefer mine with the heavier buttercream filling.

My best guess would be that the French invented it, because it's so similar to a cream puff, and the pastry is somewhat related to choux, but I was wondering if there was a foodie out there who knows the story.

Erotic Cakes in Atlanta?

psususe — Sun, 19 Feb 2006 12:52:43 -0800

A group of friends and I are flying down to Atlanta this coming weekend to celebrate and support a friend going through a divorce. We would love to get her a penis cake...know any bakeries in the area that do that type of baking?

Artisan Bread

spaghetti — Fri, 26 Nov 2004 09:06:39 -0800

Artisnal Bread. So I've been working on making some of that great artisnal bread that has become so popular in recent years, but I'm having a problem. It seems that all of my bread is much denser than my favorite bakery bread, no matter what kind of bread I'm making. Everything else is great, what am I doing wrong? I've done a great deal of reading on breadmaking and some things just don't seem to work for me...specifically some of the methods used in rising. I seem to particularly have problems in degassing when I move the dough from where it's rising onto my peel and then even more so when it goes from my peel onto my baking stone.

When I use either blankets or a bowl to help the dough keep its shape, either the dough sticks or I add enough flour to keep it from sticking and it seems to dry out and not rise well. Also, when I move the dough to the oven to bake, it just completely flattens out.

I also can't seem to get those wonderful large air pockets one finds in good ciabatta. Most likely due to some of the issues I've mentioned. I've got great books with lots of photos, I've done lots of reading and researching online, I've practiced over and over, and I've talked to some people who seem to know what they are talking about...all of the resources just tell me about these methods that aren't working for me. What am I missing here?