Winter 2024 | Feature

The Perfect Loaf

Local breadmakers value interconnectedness and community.

Baking bread is a passionate endeavor, one that requires extreme dedication, a continued pursuit of growth, and at least a mild understanding of chemistry. No one becomes a baker without loving the craft, and we spoke to four Northern Nevada bakery owners whose emphasis is on community — from sourcing local ingredients to designing menus that meet customers’ needs and collaborating with other local purveyors. 

Breader Together
As Zach Condron, owner of Beloved’s Bread in Reno, puts it, folks visit restaurants they like maybe once a month or less, but bakers are woven into their everyday lives. People who buy their breads fresh may visit their local bakery multiple days per week. 

“[Bakeries] are very connected to people’s daily lives,” he says. 

Beloved’s Bread is a product of community support and good breadmaking. Started by Condron, the business was given a name to suggest that its owner is not what’s important about it. Condron says the name stems from the idea that Beloved’s is not his venture alone; it’s the culmination of efforts born out of a community market. 

“I really love being in between the community and the farmer,” Condron explains. “Beloved’s Bread definitely feels sometimes like my and the team’s project, and other times it feels like the community’s bakery.”

Beloved’s recently opened in a storefront at the Reno Public Market (not a stall, but a larger space next to the main market entrance). Its roots, however, trace back to local farmers’ markets. Condron, who previously owned The Pizza Collective in Reno, worked for two years at Prema Farm. In fact, before naming Beloved’s, Condron sold products alongside Prema Farm’s fresh produce.

“I love that being a bread baker has extended my feeling of community through the amount of people we get to service and see,” Condron says. 

At L.A. Bakery Café & Eatery in Carson City, manager Alireza Arbabha says customers quite literally dictate what bread and pastries he and his staff should make each day. In fact, the inventory showcases an emphasis on savory breads simply because that’s what was selling best.

The team makes sourdough, marble rye, Russian pumpernickel, and multi-grain breads in house, as well as ciabatta rolls and bagels in flavors such as onion, green chili, sourdough, jalapeño Cheddar, garlic Parmesan, everything, plain, and cheese. All of the bagels are boiled, which gives them their signature chewy texture. 

Diet-Friendly Offerings
Customer preference also is part of the reason L.A. Bakery has become known for its gluten-free offerings. 

“We have a case dedicated to the gluten-free pastries,” Arbabha says. 

Soups always are both gluten free and vegan, and gluten-free breads and tortillas are available (although, to avoid contamination, those are not made in house). You won’t find just one or two gluten-free specials each day. Instead, guests can choose from cheesecakes, cookies, cake pops, French macarons, banana cream pie, chocolate mousse, and more. 

“People who are not even gluten free still come and buy our gluten-free [foods],” he says. 

In fact, the gluten-free carrot cake is so delicious, Arbabha says, the bakery staff doesn’t even make a traditional version because there’s no need. 

However, Arbabha emphasizes that the bakery’s variety is constantly rotating. “No one wants to go in one place and always see a cinnamon roll every single day,” he says.

Diet-friendly foods are certainly trending as people become more aware of what they put in their bodies and how it affects them. That’s why businesses such as House of Bread have managed to stay successful.

“We pride ourselves [on] what we don’t use,” says Nathalie Atwell, who owns House of Bread in Reno with her husband, Tim. “We make everything by hand the traditional way, and we do not use any preservatives, vital wheat gluten, added sugar, or dairy in our breads [with a few exceptions].”

Condron echoes the importance of ingredients. 

“I feel really inspired to move the needle of more organic purchases,” Condron says. “We just do every single thing we can to source well.”

Team Effort
The collaborative nature of farmers’ markets is part of what draws Condron to them. And even with Beloved’s expansion to a brick-and-mortar, he and his team will continue to serve six markets per week during summer, stretching from South Lake Tahoe to Incline Village, Carson City, Truckee, and the year-round Riverside Farmers Market in Reno. He also shops at the markets.

“When we go to the farmers’ market, we come back with big hauls,” he explains. 

Those ingredients find their way into the fruit Danish pastries, empanadas, and other seasonally driven menu items crafted by the team, which includes Condron’s business partner, Marco Dobrescu, the former operator of the now-defunct Uncle Buddy’s food truck. 

Prema Farm, Bradley Grass Fed Beef, and Hole-In-One Ranch are among Beloved’s regular suppliers, and a rotating supply of coffees comes from local coffee shops, including Bibo Coffee Co., Midnight Coffee Roasting, and Hub Coffee Roasters. In turn, Beloved’s also supplies its baked goods to local retailers.

House of Bread serves most of its products at its California Avenue bakery and café, but it’s not the only place where people can try its breads. Nathalie says it also supplies bread and pastries to a few local restaurants and coffee shops in town.

Honoring History
Franco Baking Co. is a name you’ve likely seen in grocery stores around Northern Nevada and Lake Tahoe. It’s owned by Colin and MaryBeth Smith, under the Roundabout Catering umbrella, along with Smith and River restaurant in Reno. While the Smith family did not start Franco, it is the third family to have acquired the business. 

“The acquisition made a lot of sense with all the bread we use at Roundabout Catering, at Smith and River, and in our other business units,” MaryBeth says. “We thought it was a great fit with our company and family.”

For 18 months, the Smiths have continued to make Franco bread without changing much. 

“We are known for our Fisherman’s Wharf-style sourdough. It has been the same recipe for over 80 years,” Colin says. “The mother starter has been continuously used since 1927.”

The business still is a family affair, too. 

“Our son-in-law, Grant McBride, has a love for bread and felt like this would be a good move for him and his family, to join us in the venture,” MaryBeth says.

Today, Franco supplies its bread to all Port of Subs stores nationwide, and it can be found regionally in grocery stores, including Raley’s, Walmart, Costco, Safeway, and Save Mart. Of course, it also shares products with the Smiths’ other businesses. But you don’t have to live in the Reno area to try Franco bread: Its products also are delivered to stores in Lake Tahoe, Minden, Gardnerville, Fallon, Fernley, and Carson City.

House of Bread is another Reno staple that has been passed down from one family to the next. Although the business is 24 years old, the Atwells acquired it in 2018 from the original owners. The core of the business didn’t change, but the Atwells have expanded both their menu and their space.

The challah is perhaps the bakery’s best-known menu item. This braided, brioche-style bread is routinely served during Jewish holidays. To supply the Jewish community, the Atwells make it each Friday as well as during traditional Jewish holidays.

They also whip up plenty of sweet breads that can easily double as dessert, such as pumpkin (with or without chocolate chips), zucchini walnut, lemon poppyseed, and banana nut as well as a rotating daily selection of pastries, bars, and cookies. 

“My favorite breads are our artisan country French and our garden herb bread,” Nathalie says. “The country French reminds me of my home in France and the way we make our artisanal breads. The garden herb just has an amazing burst of flavor.”

The menu also features quiches, breakfast and lunch sandwiches, salads, smoothies, and gourmet coffees, creating a full restaurant experience, so guests can either eat in or stop by the counter to take out. 

Modern Facilities
For the Smiths, modernizing the Franco facility was high on their list of goals. 

“We started a systematic process of modernization. We updated our delivery fleet, bakery software, ovens, and our sales programs. We also have updated key pieces of bakery equipment,” MaryBeth explains. “We will continue to invest until all the equipment has been updated in the bakery and our equipment for our frozen [breads we supply to Port of Subs].”

While the Smiths have avoided changing the recipes that have made Franco successful, they aren’t opposed to adding new ones. New bakery items include ancient grain sourdough, cinnamon rolls, and a turmeric slider bun; they also plan to debut a new pretzel bun soon.

For Beloved’s, the new physical location offers more opportunity to sell bread to the community. Dobrescu first approached Condron with the idea for a brick-and-mortar space that he envisioned as being a laid-back French-style boulangerie without a strictly French menu. It would allow for Dobrescu to sell his laminated pastries under the same roof as Condron’s breads, creating a more robust and well-rounded, public-facing business. Ultimately, it was that suggestion and the promise of partnership that hooked Condron. 

For the owners of House of Bread, the emphasis was on simply making a treasured bakery bigger. 

“We expanded to create a bakery/café offering a bigger menu and space to sit down and enjoy breakfast and lunch along with great coffees, beer, and wine,” Nathalie explains. 

Home Baking
As longtime bread bakers, all our sources know how to turn out the best bread possible. For those of us hoping to bake our own for the coming holiday season, they offer a few tips:

Nathalie says patience is what you really need.

“Breadmaking cannot be rushed,” she says. “Follow the rules of chemistry of the bread and let it rise properly.”

Temperature also plays a big role in the craft because, in a lot of ways, breadmaking is more akin to chemistry than cooking. 

“Keep your baking consistent with the temperature in the house,” Colin says. 

Nathalie agrees. “Be aware of drafts and air conditioning,” she says, adding that you should always store your fresh bread at room temperature or freeze it fresh because the fridge kills the flavor and texture.

Ingredients, of course, also matter. Just as these professionals champion the use of quality ingredients (local when possible), you should, too. Don’t try and make delicious bread with the cheapest ingredients you can find. 

“We use fresh yeast cake as opposed to dry yeast,” Colin says. “Depending what type of bread you are making, be sure to purchase high-quality flour with at least 13 percent protein.”

“If you want to make breads at home, it’s a little bit challenging and difficult because you need to have a good environment,” Arbabha says. 

He adds that gluten-free breads are even trickier. For gluten-free pastries, Arbabha says you must follow the recipe exactly, including the order in which you complete each step. You also can’t simply modify regular recipes with gluten-free ingredients, in large part because gluten-free flour doesn’t act the same as traditional flours. 

“It’s not a one-to-one conversion,” he explains. “You definitely have to do a lot of tweaks to it.”

While these expert tips may help home bakers turn out better breads, nothing quite replaces the experience of selecting your fresh, homemade breads from a local bakery and supporting their families while feeding yours. Here is just a sampling of the bakeries scattered throughout Northern Nevada (and beyond), offering everything from daily table breads for dinner to delicious pastries for breakfast or dessert.

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CINNAMON COFFEE CAKE

Servings: 12 servings

Author: L.A. Bakery Café & Eatery in Carson City

Ingredients

• 3.13 ounces unsalted butter softened
• 3.13 ounces canola oil
• 9 ounces about 1.13 cups sugar
• 2½ teaspoons vanilla extract
• 4 eggs
• 1¼ cups sour cream
• 2¾ cups pastry flour
• 2½ teaspoons baking powder
• ⅝ teaspoon baking soda
• 1¼ teaspoons sea salt

For cinnamon crumb topping

• 3 ounces about ⅔ cup pastry flour
• 4½ ounces almost ¾ cup brown sugar
• 2½ teaspoons cinnamon
• 4 tablespoons butter melted

Instructions

• First, mix butter, canola oil, and sugar until creamy. Then, add vanilla extract and eggs. Mix in sour cream. Add pastry flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt to mixture. Pour 16 ounces (about 2 cups) of batter into 9-by-13-inch pan. For the topping, combine all ingredients until it has a crumbly consistency. Put a little of the crumb topping on top of batter in pan. Then, pour 30 ounces (about 3¾ cups) of batter atop crumb mixture, and cover with remaining crumb topping. Bake at 350 degrees F for 25 to 30 minutes.

RESOURCES

Beloved’s Bread
Multiple locations
605-595-4544 · Belovedsbread.com

Franco Bread
1525 Glendale Ave., Sparks
775-355-2250 · Francobakingco.com

House of Bread
1185 California Ave., Ste. B, Reno
775-322-0773 · Reno.houseofbread.com

L.A. Bakery Café & Eatery
1280 N. Curry St., Carson City
775-885-2253 · Labakerycafe.com