Where might I by sourdough starter in San Francisco?  I'm going there on vacation.  It'd be foolish not to bring some starter home with me.  So, then, if I buy a bunch, can I freeze it or do I need to dry it first?

Steph

This summer my brother and I will be traveling cross country! He's moving to San Diego, California, so I'm helping drive him there starting from Pensacola, Florida. We're both foodies (he's the cook, I'm the baker) so we're looking for places to stop at along the way.

Does anyone have suggestions for bakeries or restaurants to visit? We will be passing through Houston, Austin, Killeen, Baton Rouge, El Paso, Yuma, Las Cruces, and Phoenix, and all places in between. We're also not set against reasonable detours.

Here is some white sourdough bread from the Bertinet bakery.  The grigne and crust are something I aspire to achieve some day.

The texture was incredibly chewy and creamy and flavour was mild (could barely tell it was a sourdough!) 

Does anyone know when Sutter's Bakery on 10th St. in Greenwich Village closed?  I'm thinking it was in the mid-80's, but I'd love to know for sure.  Also, I'd love to find a corn muffin like Party Cake used to have and a cheese danish like Rigo Pastry had.  Everything I try now seems to be lardy and over-sweetened.  I live in LA now but am in NYC - my culinary and spiritual home - often.

I've been away from the Fresh Loaf for awhile but have started baking bread again.  My wife has a workshop in Portland at the end of this month and I'm going to tag along and see the sites.   I'm looking for suggestions for bakeries, pizza places, places to eat and also places to buy supplies (couche's, scrapers etc....) Thanks in advance

Stevefnp/pac

Spearfish, SD

This afternoon on the local NPR station I heard about a bakery in Seattle, Barrachini's. Remo Barranchini was interviewed - he is 78 and has been baking bread since he was 11! The bakery was started in the basement of the house where he lived and later the present bakery was built at a cost of $5,000. When asked what he likes so much about baking bread he said that he looks through the glass door of the oven to watch the bread "burst open". So nice to hear someone so happy with his work and still getting a kick out of watching bread bloom. He says he plans on baking until he is 95 and then he will go part time. Hope I can make a trip over to check it out in person, A.

903 S Ann St
Baltimore, MD 21231
(410) 342-4000 Down by the water on the east side of town at the end of Broadway. Excellent breads, quiche, light breakfast and lunch, pastry.

The breads I've had are quite good and the pastry, especially the almond croissant, is like being any French city.  And the cappuccino is no slouch either.

169 Ninth Ave. at 20th Street 

I think this bakery deserves to be added to the map:

Bakery Nouveau - www.bakerynouveau.com

WILLIAM LEAMAN
chef & owner
CHAMPION DU MONDE de la BOULANGERIE
Bread Bakers Guild, Team USA 2005
West Seattle at the Alaskan Junction
4737 California Ave SW Seattle, WA 98116
p 206 923 0534 / f 206 923 0535

The owner has quite a resume and it shows. Breads, pastries and chocolates are all fantastic.

A few weeks ago I took a trip to Amy's Bread in NYC. They have a store in Chelsea Market-- an old factory that's been converted into various shops. The market is worth a trip in itself (there's a good kitchen supply store, and a great milkshake bar--Ronnybrook Farm Dairy), but the bakery is amazing.  For one, it's Amy's Bread. But also, there's a long corridor with windows where you can stop and gawk as the bakers go about their craft. Enjoy!