Sourdough bread choices on the rise
By Joan Namkoong
Advertiser Food Editor
Sourdough bread has long been a treasure of San Francisco. With a brown crust that crackles, a soft but chewy white interior and tangy taste, it's a bread with a mystique all its own.
"Italian families used to make the bread by hand with a lot of pride and attention to detail," said Fred Doar who is partnered with Glenn and Cindy Mitchell in Grace Baking headquartered in Richmond, Calif. "As companies merged and corporatized, product quality went down. The opportunity for artisan bakeries opened up."
Artisanal bakery breads once were virtually unavailable here. Recently, we got La Brea Bakery breads (from Southern California) at Foodland and Costco, and Raymond Bakery sourdough bread at Star. Now Grace Baking breads will be sold at Foodland and Sack 'n Save.
Bakeries have found that they can bake the loaves until the bread is 80-85 percent done, then freeze and finish them off just before the bread is put on the shelves. "By freezing, the consumer gets a better product than baking and delivering it the same day," explained Doar, who was in Honolulu last week.
Grace Baking is offering Pugliese sourdough, potato, potato rosemary and Fred bread at Foodland and Sack 'n Save stores that have a bakery. Fred bread is made of organic flour with cranberries, raisins, currants and pecans. Loaves are $3.99 each.
Big Island beef to O'ahu: Starting today at Foodland stores, consumers can buy Parker Ranch Angus Pride branded beef. The beef starts out on Parker Ranch on the Big Island, is finished on the Mainland and returned to Hawai'i as a USDA-certified product. Parker Ranch Angus Pride beef will be sold in a variety of cuts; boneless chuck roast will be on special for $2.99 today through March 27.
Also, at Times Supermarkets, Paniolo pipikaula, smoked pork, chorizo and Italian sausages made by Kona Specialty Meats are now available. These products use beef raised on the Big Island and are sold in 6-ounce packages.
Send shopping queries and new product information to: Market Basket, The Advertiser, P.O. Box 3110, Honolulu, HI 96802. Fax: 525-8055. E-mail: jnamkoong@honoluluadvertiser.com. Or call: 525-8069.
