Good bread, Gouda bread

Good bread, the kind which is not wrapped in plastic and stamped with a best by date, is the bread everyone should love to eat and insist on eating. Unfortunately, my local grocery stores do not offer such a loaf of bread. What they offer is trophy wife bread: looks pretty, but no substance. I want bread that looks good, tastes fabulous, and has substance. This is real bread, it does not remain soft two months after you purchase it (such a loaf sits in my office-I will let you know when/if it begins to mold). Bread, all food really, should expire, but should never carry an expiration date. The bread I need has risen in importance as my Tinicum CSA share box is filled with veggies perfect for sandwiches and the recent heat wave dictated: Don’t heat the kitchen!  

So when my friend Vince told me about a great bakery he discovered I knew I would have to check it out. AliceBakery & Confection is located in North Wale just 10 minutes from me, but an hour from Vince.  Vince told me he purchased enough breads and rolls to last a month and he intends to drive to the bakery once a month to stock up on breads and rolls. If someone is willing to drive an hour to buy bread, you can bet the bread is good.   

Before I drove to the bakery, I checked out their website and perused their menu of breads and pastries. I decided on my first bread. A Gouda cheese bread made with 3 year old Gouda cheese. It would be perfect for a veggie sandwich, as a side with soup, or as toast with scrambled eggs.  I bought the bread, went home, sliced it, and began making my lunch. First, I put the bread slices into the toaster oven. While the slices were toasting away, I sliced onions, green peppers, and tomatoes (how did I forgot to add carrot and zucchini?). All the sliced veggies, along with the beloved lettuce, went onto the sandwich. (Plantain chips with sea salt were on the side.) The result was wonderful, fabulous, and perfect for a summer day’s lunch. Later, I had the bread, toasted, with butternut squash soup.  Scrambled eggs were the last meal to share this bread. More bread was needed. Life must have bread. 

Certainly, this bread will again grace my table, but I wanted to try the Gorgonzola & Tri-Colored Cracked Peppercorn bread. I envisioned roast beef, caramelized onions, and lettuce and my mouth was watering. The reality was much better than the vision. Another excellent bread, this time with a hint of gorgonzola and pepper. On the menu this week is bruschetta, tomato and cheese sandwiches, and possibly an egg salad sandwich. I think each will work well with this bread.  What bread will I choose next time? 

To the right: Desserts from Alice's. I would love to tell you I made them, but it would be a lie.