Breadivore

Breadivore bakery is devoted to slow-fermented sourdough bread, made with local, organic flours and wholesome ingredients. The bread is 100% handmade in small batches, freshly baked before dawn. The secret of the excellent flavor and texture -- chewy, moist, subtly sweet with a hint of sourness -- lies in careful management of the natural fermentation. Head baker Cixiu Gao was previously a sous chef at Bouchon Bakery. She is also an enthusiastic home baker and food traveler, experimenting with sourdough bread made with starters/levains originally obtained from organic fruits and grains.

The loaves from Breadivore are real sourdough, started with only three ingredients: flour, water and salt. The entire fermentation is governed by two strands of microorganisms, yeast and lactobacillus, without the addition of any commercial yeast. The natural fermentation takes days at Breadivore. This long process, during which thousands of chemical reactions and microbiological metabolism are involved, is how all the subtle yet satisfying flavors are created.

They make their bread by hand in small batches, following traditional French, Italian and Northern European techniques. They believe fresh flour is the foundation of flavor so their organic flours are sourced from regional crop farmers who mill their grains to order. The large variety of inclusions is also sourced carefully and they only cooperate with specialty food vendors who are particularly picky about quality and wholesomeness. Breadivore uses no artificial flavors or colors, dough conditioner, flavor enhancers, preservatives, unnecessary chemicals or additives, or fake dairy products.