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Chef Karen CaricatureKaren's Notes


Artisan ChefsDefine: Artisan

The Village Bakery's definition of "Artisan" bread is the art and science of making and baking bread by hand, on the premises, with the basic elements of unbromated, unbleached, and unrefined flour, salt and water.

Artisan BreadsHow Our Bread is Made

Our bread is developed over a two day period. A "starter" dough (more commonly referred to by artisan bakers as Levain, poolish or biga) is kept alive by wild yeasts in the bakery and then rejuvenated or "fed" by the baker every day to keep it alive. A portion of the starter is then added to a fresh mix of flour, water and salt. This dough is kneaded and then allowed to "proof" or sit in a warm environment until doubled in size. It is then shaped by hand and allowed to proof again. Before baking, the bread is slashed on top in different patterns to allow for expansion while baking. Finally, it's ready to go into a very hot, stone hearth oven, where steam is often used in the first stages of baking to form a hearty crust on the bread, which is so identifably "artisan." Of course, the flavor of the bread, once cooled, says it all.

An artisan is a trained craftsman employing labor-intensive, hands-on expertise to a produce a quality product. When applied to baked goods, artisanship means the freshest and finest ingredients, hand-selected and handmade individually or in small batches and baked with love and attention.