5 Wonderful Ways to Eat La Brea Bakery Bread Now
Photos courtesy of La Brea Bakery.
Sponsored by La Brea Bakery
Have you ever met a loaf of bread you didn’t like? Well, we certainly haven’t at La Brea Bakery. On the road this summer for the “Breaking Bread Tour,” a multi-city sampling push, the famed Los Angeles Bakery is giving us hunger pangs just imagining those fresh baguettes, flatbreads and loaves. They’re currently trekking up and down the East Coast, with stops in food-loving cities like Boston, Philadelphia, DC and NYC, giving us lucky foodies a taste of their artisan breads along with plenty of inspired recipes. After all, there’s no disputing that bread is a vital component to any good meal.
Photo by Matthew Petit for La Brea Bakery.
These folks know good bread. Founded in Los Angeles in 1989, La Brea Bakery is the number 1 artisan bread brand in the U.S. So naturally, we expect nothing but the freshest, most authentic La Brea Bakery bread varieties. Need some bread inspiration for your next meal? These five recipes from La Brea Bakery are sure to make any meal a little more special.
Baked Provolone Grilled Toast with Tomatoes, Marjoram and Balsamic
Makes 4 servings
1 minute preparation time
10 minutes cooking time
Ingredients
4-½ inch thick rounds provolone cheese
1 medium Tomato cored and cut into small cubes
2 small Garlic Cloves (1 minced, 1 cut in half)
2 tablespoons Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1 tablespoon chopped fresh Marjoram or Oregano
¼ tablespoons kosher salt
1 teaspoon Freshly ground black pepper
¼ oz. balsamic vinegar
French Baguette
Preparation
Position oven rack in the center of the oven and pre-heat oven to 450°F. Arrange four 5” to 6” individual shallow gratin dishes on a rimmed baking sheet. Put 1 round of provolone in each dish. In a small bowl, combine the tomato, garlic, 1 tablespoon olive oil, marjoram, ¼ teaspoon salt, and a few grinds of pepper.
Divide the tomato mixture among the four gratin dishes, scattering it over and around the cheese. Bake until the cheese is slightly melted, about 5 minutes. Rub Baguette pieces with garlic and drizzle with olive oil. Grill or toast until crusty and golden brown. Drizzle each serving with ¼ teaspoon of the balsamic vinegar and serve immediately.
White Bean Crostini with Pancetta and Basil Pesto
Makes 1 batch
15 minutes preparation time
35 minutes cooking time
Ingredients
16 oz White Beans
4 oz Pancetta
2 cloves garlic, peeled
1 shallot, large
5 tablespoons Olive Oil
1 teaspoons Balsamic Vinegar
½ teaspoon Fine sea salt
1 teaspoon Freshly ground black pepper
Wheat Loaf
Preparation
Drain the liquid from the beans. Mince the garlic. Mince the shallot. Place a medium sized sauté pan (preferably non stick) over medium heat and add two tablespoons olive oil and the pancetta. After a minute, stir the pancetta and add the garlic and shallots and cook for another minute. Before the garlic and shallot start to brown, add the white beans to the pan. Add the salt, pepper, and vinegar to the beans and stir until beans are thoroughly heated. Put beans into a food processor and pulse until smooth. Place a separate large sauté pan over medium heat and add the remaining olive oil. Place the sliced bread in the pan and move them about to be sure each pick up the olive oil. After about a minute (or when the bottom side of the bread becomes lightly golden) turn over all the pieces and continue cooking until the second side is also lightly golden. Remove bread to a plate lined with a paper towel to absorb any excess oil. Spread the bean mixture evenly over each slice. Drizzle with balsamic vinegar.
White Pizza with Roasted Red Peppers, Feta, and Basil Pesto
Makes 1 batch
15 minutes preparation time
35 minutes cooking time
Ingredients
4 oz. feta cheese, crumbled
¼ cups Roasted Red Pepper
¼ x Basil Pesto
½ cups béchamel sauce
Garlic Naan Flatbread
Preparation
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Slightly warm Garlic Naan in oven. Remove from oven, let cool slightly then spread Béchamel evenly on Naan. Add roasted red peppers and Feta cheese. Place on a baking sheet and put in oven to bake for 5 minutes or until cheese just starts to melt. Remove from oven and drizzle Pesto on top. Cut in half and serve.
Baked Brie Grilled Cheese with Green Apple and Honey-Dijon
Makes 1 batch
10 minutes preparation time
20 minutes cooking time
Ingredients
2 tablespoons butter, melted
¼ cup honey mustard
½ pound Brie, thinly sliced
1 Granny smith apple, skin-on, cored and thinly sliced
French Loaf
Preparation
Arrange the bread in pairs on a cutting board. Brush one side of each slice with the butter. Turn the bread over and slather the other side with honey mustard.
Divide the cheese between 4 slices of bread, followed by the apple slices in an even layer. Top with the remaining bread, mustard-side down.
Heat a large non-stick skillet over a medium flame. Cook the sandwiches in batches until golden brown on both sides, about 2 to 4 minutes per side. Remove the grilled cheeses to a baking sheet and keep warm in the oven until all the sandwiches have been cooked.
Savory Bread Pudding with Applewood Smoked Bacon
Makes 1 batch
60 minutes preparation time
120 minutes cooking time
Ingredients
3 cups Low Sodium Chicken Stock
1 cup heavy cream
8 oz Applewood Smoked Bacon
4 oz whole cooked chestnuts
4 eggs
1 bunch Italian Parsley
1 Teaspoons Celery Salt
1 tsp. Freshly Ground Black Pepper
French Loaf
Preparation
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cut the bread into 1” cubes, removing crust, and place in a large bowl. Pour the chicken stock over the bread and stir to wet all the bread. Allow to sit for a half hour, stirring occasionally to be sure all the liquid is absorbed. Coarsely chop the chestnuts. While waiting for the bread to soak, put a medium pan over medium heat and add the bacon and chestnuts. Stir occasionally and continue cooking, stirring occasionally until the bacon is golden but not yet crispy. Remove from heat and set aside. Pick only the leaves of the parsley, chop coarsely and set aside. In a separate bowl, beat the eggs thoroughly with a fork or whisk and add the cream, celery salt, pepper, and chopped parsley, continuing to whisk until combined. Add this mixture and the chestnuts-bacon mixture (use a rubber spatula to get everything from the pan) to the bread and stir to mix well. Spray the inside of a 9” baking pan with cooking spray and fill with the bread mixture, making sure to spread evenly to fill the pan and create a level top surface. Cover pan with aluminum foil and bake on middle rack for 40 minutes. Remove foil and bake an additional 15 minutes. Remove from oven. This can be served immediately or allowed to cool completely for serving later. If serving later, cover with foil and place in a 350-degree oven for 20 minutes or until warmed through. This recipe makes nine 3” by 3” pieces. Serve as an accompaniment to roasted meats.
New Yorkers, stop by the La Brea Bakery Breaking Bread tour September 10-13; for more info on tour stops, visit breakingbreadtour.com. Follow #BreakingBread and @LaBreaBakery for more details (and food porn!).
