On the face of it, bread is such a simple thing. But the difference between an ordinary, ho-hum slice of bread and a lovingly-prepared morsel with a crunchy crust and a melty middle … there’s just no comparison.
Whether it’s hard and crusty or soft and spongy, bread is more than just a delivery mechanism for sandwich fillings.
On this week’s Central Standard, our Food Critics Charles Ferruzza, Mary Bloch and Lou Jane Temple weigh in on the best bread in Kansas City.
Charles Ferruzza:
- Ibis Bakery
- Farm to Market Bread Company — The limited edition Irish soda bread is now available.
- Sasha's Baking Company — The baguette and challah are my favorites. Challah makes the best French toast and sandwiches (the salty meat and cheese counters the sweeetness of the challah)
- Baked in Kansas City — The brioche loaf!
- Heirloom Bakery — This bakery is about to open at 401 E. 63rd St. Its soft bread (sandwich loaves) are also available at the Brookside Farmers’ Market.
- Jasper's — Serves Roma ciabatta bread, which is perfect for sopping up cream sauce on Shrimp Livornese.
Mary Bloch: I’m more into crusty breads, not soft ones, so these are my favorites in town:
- Fervere —The country bread is wonderful and the olive is a favorite; there’s a touch of rosemary in it. Fervere is only open 3 days week (Thurs.-Sat..), so call in and order ahead of time. In the summer, the bakery has “Slipper Saturdays,” where it takes its ciabatta (with its smoky cheese flavor) and make it like a pizza. People line up for hours for it.
- Ibis Bakery — Also available at Season + Square on Saturdays.
- Farm to Market — Especially straight from the oven at one of the Hen House grocery stores that bakes the loaves fresh. (Fairway, Corinth Square and Deer Creek locations).
- Sasha’s Baking Company
- Story — Good bread for sopping up sauce.
- The Capital Grille — Good dark bread with raisins.
Lou Jane Temple:
- Farm to Market — Available at most Kansas City grocery stores. Grains Galore and the raisin cinnamon are favs. They’re available at some Hen House grocery stores right out of oven; call the store to find out when it's out of oven
- Fervere — Handmade slowly and when they are gone for the day, there won’t be more until the next day. Call ahead to be sure you get yours.
- Wheatfields — The first artisan bakery, the first J. Llopis oven — it still inspires with each loaf.
- Whole Foods — These breads do not have the special care that Fervere and Wheatfields give their loaves, but there is a lovely selection at Whole Foods, they generally have good crisp crust and are available most of the time.
- Lidia’s Kansas City — Good bread for sopping up sauce.
Listener recommendations:
- Le Monde Bakery — Amazing croissants, good baguette sandwiches.
- The Main Street Galleria, Weston, Mo. — Makes its own homemade bread. The potato and cheddar cheese breads are great, and the rosemary garlic pairs with anything.
- Whole Foods on Metcalf — The olive bread is top-shelf.
- Blue Nile in the City Market — Delicious injera bread.
- Plaza III’s sourdough bread — Great compliment to lobster bisque and bernaise sauce.
- The Sub Shop, Columbia, Mo. — Makes its own rye bread.
- Olivia's Oven and Mama Resch's — Good gluten-free bread.
- Great Harvest Bread Company in Corinth — Pete's sourdough rye.
- Pioneer Brand — Its sourdough rye bread with caraway seed is the closest to back-East deli bread I've found in Kansas City and Lawrence. It's sold in supermarkets — Dillons and Price Chopper!
- You can order really good toast on Ibis bread at Black Dog Coffeehouse in Lenexa.
- Wheatfields makes a wonderful sourdough rye, available every day with seeds and a couple days a week without seeds, and a crusty Kalamata olive bread.
- Price Chopper — Sells a great pumpernickel.
- The French Bee — Serves a really good avocado toast sandwich on delicious French bread that they bake at their Parkville location.
- Trader Joe’s has good olive bread.
- Countryside Bakery, Jamesport, Mo. — Jalapeno cheddar is our favorite. Apple cinnamon with chunks of apple in the bread is also wonderful. The pecan cinnamon bread/rolls are the best I have ever had. This is an Amish bakery and they take cash only.