Who doesn’t love bread? Do you fancy sourdough, rye, pumpernickel, whole grain, flatbread or gluten-free bread? Whether we start our day with a piece of toast slathered with butter and jam or a bagel with cream cheese and lox, a sandwich for lunch or as an accompaniment to dinner as a vehicle to dip in olive oil and spices or mop up the drippings of our marinara sauce, bread is a staple in most cultures.
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“In Tahoe, artisan breads, flatbreads and gluten-free breads are the rage.”
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For centuries, humans have created and consumed bread in numerous forms. Initially unleavened bread and flatbreads were main forms of bread; they were easy to carry, filling and nutritional. Think chapati, naan, roti, tortillas, matzo, pita and oatcakes to bread’s current evolution of yeasty, crusty and flavored artisan breads.
Seeded loaf from Lobo Baking
Sourdough creations
In Tahoe, artisan breads, flatbreads and gluten-free breads are the rage. Raci Hauptmann is on fire, creating beautiful, flavored sourdough bread for her company Lobo Baking.
“Bread brings us together, it’s cherished in many cultures and it’s one food that you can always afford,” explains Hauptmann. Her mother baked bread while she was growing up. “She made a German-style dark rye with sunflower and pumpkin seeds,” Hauptmann says.
Hauptmann explains that she got into fermentation for health reasons, which led her on the path of making sourdough bread.
Lobo Baking features artisan breads from Raci Hauptmann
“Sourdough is easy to digest and many people who are intolerant to grains can tolerate sourdough,” says Hauptmann.
While many types of bread have additives and preservatives and a long list of ingredients, most which can’t be pronounced, Hauptmann’s plain sourdough contains three ingredients – flour, water and salt. She also creates a five-seeded bread, olive bread, walnut bread, a Meyer’s lemon, rosemary and sea salt bread, and her newest loaf, a Gruyere and cheddar bread.
Passionate about baking bread, Hauptmann, also a yoga instructor, said bread making is like a meditation. The bread she bakes is crusty and delicious, some of the best sourdough being made in Tahoe. Lobo Baking Sourdough bread is available at Coffee Bar Bakery, New Moon, Tahoe Food Hub and Dark Horse Café.
Elizabeth Weir creates gluten-free bread.
Gluten-free goodness
If it’s gluten-free bread you seek, look no further than Whole Treats Bakery and Elizabeth Weir’s gluten-free bread.
“People love bread so much and for those that can’t have it, it’s a drag,” says Weir.
Her clients come from the Bay Area and stock up on her bread because of its flavor, texture and nutritional value. Each serving has 6 grams of protein and 3 grams of fiber.
Weir mixes her own flour, which is a blend of brown rice, millet, tapioca and sorghum and adds eggs, olive oil, raw agave and salt to create her signature loaves. If you are gluten free, this is one of the tastiest gluten-free breads in Tahoe.
Weir’s bread may be purchased at the Coffee Bar Bakery and Z Market Place in Tahoe Donner.
Chef Carl Simoneau of Spice Café is a master of flatbreads like naan and roti.
Master of flatbread
Chef Carl Simoneau of Spice Café is a master of flatbreads. His naan is simple and delicious. He prepares his naan with flour, yogurt, buttermilk, yeast, salt and oil and vinegar. He also makes a garlic naan that is fabulous. Both have a slight, almost imperceptible, tanginess to them. And if naan is your thing, Spice has a gluten-free version. Simoneau also makes a spiced curry roti. He flattens and grills his breads by hand.
“Everybody’s got their version of a burrito, tortilla or flat bread, or some type of bread you wrap food in,” says Simoneau. “People back in the early days cooked porridge and made the leftovers into cakes or patties, which served as bread, eventually beer and yeast were part of the evolution of breads,” he adds. Spice has flatbreads available for purchase.
There is no shortage of bread in Tahoe and with summer upon us there is nothing like a sandwich made with the best breads in the area to enjoy while basking in the sun by the lake or hanging out listening to local music at one of the many outdoor concerts coming our way.
Priya Hutner is a writer, health and wellness consultant, and natural foods chef. Her business, The Seasoned Sage, focuses on wellness, conscious eating and healthy living. She offers healthy organic meals for her clients. She may be reached at pria78@gmail.com or visit theseasonedsage.com. Visit TheTahoeWeekly.com to read more.
