Laurel Bakery

05/10/2023

Hey ! Your favorite sourdough boules are back this afternoon ... Along with tangy chocolate chip cookies, cardamom challah, mini bagels and a bunch of other treats. Market runs 4-7 pm, get there early for the best selection!

11/16/2022

Hey trying something a little different here -- I've got a couple of fresh-baked sourdough boules looking pretty fine, available for purchase right now today with no pre-order required. These are a blend of regionally grown white and high-extraction wheat flours (sourced from Farmer Ground Flour in NY and Small Valley Milling in PA), raised entirely on natural leaven. $9 for a 2-lb loaf, local delivery available for a small fee. Click the photo to purchase through my Shopify (that should work... I hope...) or just message me here!

09/21/2022

09/20/2022

Hey trying something new -- I've set up an online store where you can buy your favorite and other delicious baked goods. Today I've got basic sourdough boules and also boules with rye -- these are freshly baked and available now for pickup or delivery, no preorder required. I *won't* be at the market this week so this is the only way to get this bread! Click the shop link in profile or the product link in the post to order and get your boule for dinner tonight -- you can pay online or select in-person payment and choose pickup or delivery. Happy eating!

08/12/2022

Calling all bagel-lovers -- bagels have been on hiatus around here for a bit, but I just picked up some fresh high-gluten flour and found an opening in the schedule so they're back on the menu this Saturday morning! Plain, poppy, sesame, onion, garlic and everything all available -- pick up from the bakery kitchen in downtown JC (that's my house) or get local delivery for a small fee. Order form in the IG profile, or just DM me here to

07/13/2022

Hey it's a hot one but I am all set up at with some beautiful sourdough boules, a fresh batch of mini monkey breads, tangy chocolate chip cookies and more for all your carb cravings! Market's open til 7 - come say hi and take a walk through the splash pad to cool off (recommended to keep your bread dry though)

06/21/2022

We spoke to some local bakers about the impact of the new cottage food permit that helps these Hudson County small baking businesses.

05/17/2022

Downside of running a bakery out of your non-climate-controlled home kitchen: on a busy morning it can feel like a million degrees even when it's only 70 outside. Upside: the house smells a-maaaaa-zing. These porridge loaves--and a lot of other stuff--will be available at my table at the from 4-7 pm tomorrow. Come say hi if you're in the neighborhood!

04/01/2022

Who doesn't love challah? It's a staple of Shabbat dinners at my house, and a favorite of the kiddos. But a fluffy white bread can start to get a little... what's the word... boring for my whole-grain and sourdough-loving self, without a few adjustments. So since it's Friday, here's a breakdown of how the challah gets made and what makes it different:

1. A blend of white bread flour and whole-grain Kamut from Montana Flour & Grains. Kamut is somehow simultaneously buttery and hearty -- just right for this recipe.
2. A slurry of water, flour and yeast -- just a little head start for the fermentation.
3. A bit of fresh ground cardamom. Because everything's better with cardamom.
4. Sugar, salt, eggs, oil -- the things that make a challah a challah.
5. Two separate pre-ferments built the night before, because good bread is worth a few complications. This is a 100% sourdough levain with some whole wheat and a white-flour poolish with a bit of yeast. Their job is to bring some tanginess and depth to the flavor.

Mix it all up, knead it, let it rise, braid it, let it rise some more, sprinkle on some sesame seeds, bake it nice and low to keep it tender... Yum. It's a challah me and the 7-year-old can both enjoy.

03/28/2022

Hey , happy Monday! Got something new to share with you this week...

Sumac and cumin are a couple of my favorite spices, which is no surprise. Tangy, rich, a bit fruity, a bit earthy -- that's how I want my bread to taste, and it's how I want my food to taste too. So.... why not put the sumac and cumin right in the bread, right?? Right.

This is a sourdough loaf made with a blend of white bread flour and whole-grain Kamut, spiced with sumac and cumin (and a bit of coriander, too) and baked in an open oven. Good with cheese, good with butter, good with some sliced lamb roast as a sandwich, good with a bowl of seafood chowder (I am told), and most likely good with other as-yet-undiscovered combinations too. It's on the menu this week at an introductory price, and I'm excited to hear what folks think of it. Matter of fact, I'm about to go put a slice in the toaster myself...

03/23/2022

Today's sourdough boules with rye came out looking especially nice... These lovely loaves are made with organic white bread flour from Small Valley Milling in Central PA, high-extraction wheat flour from New York's Farmer Ground Flour and Danko rye from River Valley Community Grains right here in NJ -- because fresh local flour just tastes better.

03/01/2022

Hey there bread-lovers! Wanted to share a few pics of my newest boule as it goes from rough dough to finished loaf. This is a buckwheat pecan bread, featuring white bread flour, high-extraction wheat flour, whole grain buckwheat and rye flours, toasted buckwheat groats, toasted pecans, and buckwheat honey. Got a lot of interest when I first put this on the menu, so I was grateful my daughter had just scored a giant mixing bowl in a school raffle -- came in very handy. The groats and pecans are added in gently over the course of bulk fermentation, so they become well incorporated as the gluten in this slightly delicate dough has a chance to do its work.

After about three hours of bulk ferment the dough is starting to feel a little bouncy and then it's time to divide, shape, roll the top in a few more groats and deposit in four floured bannetons. A final rise overnight in the fridge keeps the dough from overproofing while giving plenty of time for all those flavors to continue building. The next morning, it gets baked in a Dutch oven to trap steam for a nice rise and shattery crust... and then, finally, it's ready for someone to enjoy. Perhaps lightly toasted with some good cheese.

These boules are on the menu again this week -- still time to order, plus there's challah on Friday, bagels on Sunday, and a couple other boule choices. Find the link to the order form on my profile page. Looking forward to baking for you!