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Here are some questions that we have been frequently asked. We hope the answers are useful:
Do your breads contain yeast?
Do you have unyeasted breads?
Are your breads all hand made?
Are your breads all organic?
Where do you make your breads?
How much sodium do they contain?
Is there sugar in your breads?
How long will your breads keep?
Is this real german bread?
How long do you ferment your sourdoughs?
The rye breads I know look very different, why is that?
Do you add fats and oils to your rye breads?
How thick should I slice the bread?
Do your breads toast well?
Do your breads freeze well?
Have you got some serving suggestions for me?
Q: What is rye?
A: Rye is a grain like wheat, oat or barley are. It is not the main flavoring ingredient that you find in most american rye breads. This flavor is called caraway. >top of the page>>
Q: Do your breads contain yeast?
A: Yes, all our breads contain fresh baker's yeast. Although many bakers nowadays prefer to free leaven their breads, we find this method leads to quite unpredictable resultsand it could be potentially dangerous, considering that one has no control over what bacteria enter the bread to produce the "wild" yeast. If you are worried about a connection between baker's yeast and candida, please read here.
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Q: Do you have unyeasted breads?
A: No! Most of our breads are based on sourdough, so our breads come naturally with yeast .
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Q: Are your breads all hand made?
A: Yes, all breads are hand crafted by the head baker and his skilled team.
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Q: Are your breads all organic?
A: Yes, all our breads are made using only the finest certified organic ingredients to ensure maximum quality.
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Q: Where do you make your breads?
A: All our breads are made in Larkspur, California.
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Q: How much sodium do they contain?
A: Our breads only contain the absolute minimum of salt needed to make the bread rise, usually that is between 1% and 2% added salt.
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Q: Is there sugar in your breads?
A: We do not add any sugar to our regular breads with the exception of the "Whole Grain Bread, Orange scented", which contains molasses to emphasise the flavor of the oranges.
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Q: How long will your breads keep?
A: On the countertop (in the plastic bag our bread comes in) it should stay fresh for at least 7 days before it starts to dry out. However, personal likes differ widely, so some people will like our breads best the day they were baked, taking in account that the flavors have not fully developed yet and the bread in general is more difficult to cut. Others again will like the breads most when they are 4-5 days old, with matured flavor and easier to slice. In any way, if you keep the bread separate from other foods it will barely mold.
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Q: Is this real german bread?
A: All our breads have been developed by a german head baker, who was trained in Munich, based on traditional bavarian recipes, as well as recipes that aren't bavarian in origin, but very popular in bakeries over there. However, we do not make generic breads, the way you would find on supermarket shelves in Germany. We are proud to be an artisan bakery and therefor our breads are as unique as you want them to be.
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Q: How long do you ferment your sourdoughs?
A: Our sourdoughs have slow fermentation. Usually they need 2 days to ripen.
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Q: The rye breads I know look very different, why is that?
A: You are most likely referring to what is known as a "jewish rye" or "New York rye" and found on most supermarket shelves. In fact these are wheat breads flavored with a tablespoon of rye flour. These breads are fluffy and light in color and in texture and bursting with carraway seeds, which many people mistake for the "rye".
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Q: Do you add fats and oils to your rye breads?
A: We do not add any fats or oils to our regular breads. However you will find omega III fatty acids from the flax and sunflower seeds we use, but our breads are cholestorol free and free of saturated fats.
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Q: How thick should I slice the bread?
A: Our breads taste better the thinner you slice them. The maximum for a slice should be no more than a quarter inch. For best results, please use a serrated knife.
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Q: Do your breads toast well?
A: Although in Germany we usually do not toast rye breads, many of our American customers just love the taste of our breads toasted. The "Grains & Seeds" and the "Hazelnut Whole Grain" are on top of the favorites list.
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Q: Do your breads freeze well?
A: Yes, in fact many of our customers slice the bread, freeze it and take it out by the slice. Tightly packed, our bread keeps in the freezer up to one year. However we recommend to eat it more frequently.
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Q: Have you got some serving suggestions for me?
A: Certainly, since our breads are quite dense and filling they are especially suitable for "open face" sandwiches, however if you slice them thin enough, they also make for an excellent traditional sandwich. You can use our bread for hors d'oevres, lightly buttered to go with soup, or as the compagnon of a salad. Over the next weeks we will build a suggestions page for more tips. Please be patient and check frequently.
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