ISO Black Bread

Yes, it's too general of a question, but if I didn't need help I wouldn't be asking.

I lust for some good black bread. Not something fancy with seeds and crap but a peasant loaf -- something from the hinterland. Perhaps German or Russian, I don't really know. The best I've bought of late was too rye-ish. I'm desperate and I'm not even sure what for.

-ramon

Ramon,

I have recently seen Baltic Bakery's products back on the shelf at the Dominics at Roosevelt and Canal.

Three of my favorite places for black breads are Paulina Market, Delicatessen Meyer and Andy's Delicatessen.

Evil R,

I believe the too rye-ish black bread I've had recently was a Baltic Bakery product. Do they bake more than one black bread?

-ramon

Hi,

In the stores catering to Russians, I have found Borodinski bread which is quite similar (depending on the brand exactly) to the black bread sold all over Russia. I don't buy it enough to name a brand name off the top of my head.

The Baltic Bakery black bread, while great, is not like anything I experienced in Russia. Of course, it may have been an old traditional recipe with methods not used or ingrediants unavailable in the USSR.

My Dad's favorite bread is sour rye, which we usually buy at German stores.

Regards,

Just in case you're in Milwaukee soon enough: on Lincoln there's a Polish deli which is absolutely Polish (although the girls aren't mean : ) I've bought some black bread in there that was the real thing. Don't have a clue where they got it from.

Geo

Cathy2 wrote:
In the stores catering to Russians, I have found Borodinski bread which is quite similar (depending on the brand exactly) to the black bread sold all over Russia.

I'd love a recommendation for a Russian grocery, Cathy2.

-ramon

Evil Ronnie wrote:Three of my favorite places for black breads are Paulina Market, Delicatessen Meyer and Andy's Delicatessen.

I tried all three today, even Andy's in the midst of a paczki frenzy. No sopa.

Ironically I settled on a "Russian Rye Bread" from Baltic bakery I found in my neighborhood at Procuce World (Lawrence & Cumberland). I ate the heal in the parking lot and found it pleasing. It is a bit chewy and hearty without a bunch of granular seeds and bits of whole grains. There is an undertaste that reminds me of coffee. I will enjoy this loaf.

It still not what I'm looking for though at least I've calmed the urge beast.

-ramon

Foodstuffs in Evanston often carries a great loaf of black bread. However, I find their prices to be extortive (is that a word?), well, highway robbery then.

Ramon wrote:It still not what I'm looking for though at least I've calmed the urge beast.

-ramon

Is this what you're looking for? (If so, you can order a loaf or two from that link.) I have been wondering about schwarzbrot ever since I read Stones from the River (by Ursula Hegi) about ten years ago. I imagined it being sweet, but maybe I was thinking more along the lines of this? At any rate, you've now got me craving good, dark bread. I might have to finally use my Zingerman's gift card that I've been carrying around in my wallet since Christmas.

Let us know if you find what you're looking for locally!

Kristen

Marketplace on Oakton generally has several black bread choices. One my daughter and her friends particularly like is a soft, seedless, 10-inch round Ukrainian loaf I get there occasionally. I'm sorry I can't remember the brand name, I think the type of bread is just referred to as Ukrainian bread. It is very dark and has a bit of sweetness to it. The texture is on the velvety side, with a softer exterior rather than a crackle-and-crunch crust. Also, a fun Russian store to poke around in is "Eurostyle Deli" located just east of the Marketplace on Oakton and Aldi on the south side of Oakton. I didn't particularly notice their bread selection, as they have a pristine-looking deli case with many interesting preparations, and quite a few smoked fish choices. Although I am far from a connoisseur of spirits, from the breadth of the offerings at Eurostyle, if you are in the market for some interesting brands of vodka, this is the place to go.

Thanks, Kristen, for those links to mail-order bakeries making these old world breads. It's hard to find the real thing out in the suburbs where I live.

Back when I was in school I did my "junior year abroad" in Italy, but spent several holidays with some of our relatives from Czechoslovakia (this was 1971, or there abouts) living in Karlsruhe, Germany. I remember with great affection the bread we would eat every morning, along with cheeses and meats -- nothing like your typical American breakfast. This German bread was made of mostly chopped sprouts of some kind and it was absolutely delicious. With a schmear of cream cheese, I was in heaven. I have bought something that resembles it in our local grocery -- very thinly sliced & hard -- but doesn't even come close to the flavor and texture of the authentic German type. It had a very nice sour flavor to it, as I recall.

Looking at these links, I think this bread is called "Vollkornbrot." Anyone else out there know what I'm talking about?

Ramon wrote:Yes, it's too general of a question, but if I didn't need help I wouldn't be asking.

I lust for some good black bread. Not something fancy with seeds and crap but a peasant loaf -- something from the hinterland. Perhaps German or Russian, I don't really know. The best I've bought of late was too rye-ish. I'm desperate and I'm not even sure what for.

-ramon

Ramoncito,

Check out the Austrian Bakery (helmed by certified Meisterbaecker Michael Mikusch) on Clark near Wrightwood - I reported on the place about a year ago, and his website has been updated nicely:

www.austrianbakery.com
2523 N Clark
(773) 244-9922

Good stuff all around - it looks like his Roggenbaeck fits the bill for a nice, hearty, sour, textured black bread you're searching for. Good snacks, cold cuts, pastries, and coffee, too. Veel Schpeess Tabee!

The Rabbinator

Artemesia wrote:Looking at these links, I think this bread is called "Vollkornbrot." Anyone else out there know what I'm talking about?

Sadly, I do. Sadly 'cause I miss those same tastes and textures of my German breakfasts from my days in Duesseldorf, Hannover, Berlin, and Hamburg. Vollkornbrot translates as whole grain bread, and nothing commercially matches the echt tastes of those delicious, rustic breads one finds so easily in Deutschland or Benelux - certainly not the insipid (thanks, JeffB, esq.) soft, sliced "whole grain" supermarket breads or even the heartier, packaged ryes at Meyer (which make do in a pinch). I'd second my own recommendation for the Austrian Bakery on Clark - he'll at least know what you're talking about, and might make a custom loaf for you if you slip him an extra Schilling or two. When I first went there, he had graubrot on the shelves (my favorite regional German bread, as well as the favorite of my other honorary German from Neuem Trikot, Herzog Antonius) but it seems to be off of the regular bread menu. Herr Mikusch is nothing if not accomodating, though, and bread is his passion, so let him know, by all means, what you're after.

Grainyrabbi

Rabbi:

Thanks for tip. Although I live in the far south suburbs, it would be worth the trip to Clark Street to find the same sort of bread I ate while in Europe. And while we're on the subject, I also visited relatives in Bratislava and had the most unbelievably delicious rye bread while I was there. It was seedless, not too dark in color, and with that wonderful sour rye smell and flavor. Nothing I've eaten since in the U.S. even comes close to it.

WHY are these breads such a secret in this country? I just don't get it. You would think that Americans would flip out if they got a taste of this bread. The stuff that passes for bread in our supermarkets here is abominable.

I'm always looking for whole grain breads made with multi-grains and seeds for the health benefits. I have yet to find a really good one. I may have to order Peter Reinhart's book and just learn to make my own -- although I'm sure I wouldn't be able to make that Vollkornbrot!

Artemesia wrote:WHY are these breads such a secret in this country? I just don't get it. You would think that Americans would flip out if they got a taste of this bread. The stuff that passes for bread in our supermarkets here is abominable.

Artemesia:

This is a topic that comes up periodically on the board. No doubt, the bread culture of the US lags way behind that of most of the countries of the EU and surely will continue to do so for some time yet. As with all things cultural, at this point, many people who have grown up with characterless bread are used to it and have no inclination to change to anything else.

On the other hand, though, there are a fair number of people who are passionate about bread in this country these days and all over the land there are 'artisanal' bakeries springing up. Of course, the pseudo-artisanal bakeries -- the Corner Bakery-like chain places -- have done quite well, though I would say their bread is typically pretty mediocre and worse, with perhaps some exceptions. Still, in parts of the country, immigrant traditions have meant that good bread has always been available in some places but nowadays, at least in a fair number of cities and university towns, you can also get good bread made by new-food-age bakers. There is no doubt that the overall situation in the US is infinitely better today then it was, say, 20 years ago.

Modern business practices are, generally speaking, not conducive to the making of great bread and the tastes of the larger segment of the American audience -- with their preference for the simple and soft and white -- add to the challenges serious bakers face. I've had some interesting conversations about this topic with Frank Masi of Masi's Italian Superior Bakery (link). Incidentally, he made a couple of batches of multi-grain bread with a significant amount of oats in it over the last few months. He made it just because he felt like doing it and it was to my taste excellent. He didn't sell much of it.

Antonius

lotsa black breads, etc found on the shelves of Fresh Farms:

http://lthforum.com/bb/viewtopic.php?t= ... za+obscure

scroll way, way down to my first post on this thread and read thru the 2nd page for address and more

Ramon wrote:
I'd love a recommendation for a Russian grocery...

-ramon

Ramon:

There are a couple of Russian delis, one called Three Sisters, up on Devon, north side of street, near California, I believe. Also a grocery --Amata thinks the name is 'A&T' -- that we visited and liked that carries a lot of interesting ethnic goods, including a lot of Russian items. That grocery is just a little east of Three Sisters, if memory serves me correctly.

But if you're up there, be sure to visit the Georgian bakery, Argo (same stretch of Devon).

A

Thanks all, I'm much better armed with knowledge for my next round. Frankly after wasting half-a-day searching, I must force myself to be content with the bread I currently have. Mrs Ramon would be quite sore if she knew how I was spending my unemployment time. There's always next week !

-ramon

Hi,

I was at GardenFresh yesterday intending to buy only Campari tomatoes and corn. Naturally I have to look at everything. I found in the refrigerated section plastic tubs filled in red caviar for $13.48 per pound. It looked like Salmon caviar, though I wasn't interested in buying a pound because maybe it is something I may not like. I walked back to the deli counter, where I asked if this was really Salmon caviar. The counter guy advised it is Salmon caviar from Russia. When I asked if he could sell me a half pound, he advised they sell it in any quantity I want from the Deli at the same $13.48 price.

Naturally to go with my caviar I wanted some Russian black bread. Remembering Ramon's query, I found the bread I have bought before:



(I'll update this later with the bakery name)

Regards,

Wow, that does looks fantastic C2 and my interest has been re-piqued. I have just inked Garden Fresh into my "errand" list and will be picking up some of that caviar too!

Garden Fresh's web site:
http://www.gardenfreshmarket.com/index.htm

-ramon

First off, I will admit that such a lengthy and detailed review of a loaf of bread is pretty ridiculous. But, this particular loaf brought me a giant step closer to finding that elusive Russian rye just like grandma used to bake.

Every 4 weeks or so, I drive out to Morton Grove to pick up food for my dogs. On the way home, I usually stop at the Market Place on Oakton. Lately, I have begun noticing many other ethnic/produce markets in the area, so I compiled a list of new markets to investigate on my dog food runs. On Saturday, my extracurricular stops were the Sun View and Greenwood markets, both on Golf Road in Niles.

For some reason, I always thought the Greenwood Market was Greek owned. I even remember it once being called the "Greekwood". As it turns out, it is not Greek at all, but Russian. And boy, is it Russian. They sell Russian smoked fish and sausages, cheeses and butters, breads and cakes and even Russian soda pop. It is a must-stop for any Russophile.

Anyhow, among the shelves of breads at Greenwood, I immediately spied the Borodinsky with the soldier on the bag pictured in Cathy2's post above. I started to reach for it, then noticed another bread I had never seen before. It was made by the same bakery as the Borodinsky, Chicago Specialty Bakers in Bensenville (my new favorite bakery). However, the packaging was much less elaborate with a plain plastic bag and a label that looked like it was made on a (poorly aligned) inkjet printer. The name translates to monastery style rye bread.


What caught my eye, was the shiny black top on the bread. It looked much like the bread my Russian grandmother made in her wood burning oven on the farm in Canada(she didn't get a gas oven until the 1970s). Upon reading the label, I was excited to find that the bread, like my grandmother's, was a sour dough rye. I also saw the bread was made with much the same ingredients she used, including malted rye, from which my grandfather would also make kvas.

Upon slicing into the loaf, it gave off that wonderful sour dough aroma. The top was black and bitter like coffee. The edges were dry and chewy, while the center was moist and dense.
All the right flavors were there, the bitter rye and burnt molasses, the sourness of fermented dough, and a touch of sweetness.

The bread itself was heavy and coarse with a large crumb (as they say), balanced by large bubbles which are typical of sour dough and gave it a sponge-like, but not spongey, texture (if that makes sense).

The bread is great topped with sweet Russian butter or white cheese, but it stands up on its own. Here is a slice topped with Tsarskaya salami from Greenwood and some Greek sheep's milk cheese (Kefalotyri) from Sun View.

Here is the bread with Russian white cheese and smoked duck breast (also from Greenwood). Although the duck breast came pre-packaged from a Russian company on the east coast, it was phenomenal (especially the fatty bits).


Greenwood Fruit Market
8716-18 West Golf Road
Niles IL, 60714
TEL: 847-803-0013

Sun View Market
9020 W. GOLF RD.
Niles, IL 60714
TEL:(847) 298-3355

Great pix, and nice report.

So what about Sun View? Last time I went past, they were advertising ox tails in the window. Unfortunately, I mostly visit that neighborhood for latenight trips to the Omega, when all the stores are closed.

LAZ wrote:So what about Sun View? Last time I went past, they were advertising ox tails in the window. Unfortunately, I mostly visit that neighborhood for latenight trips to the Omega, when all the stores are closed.

Sun View is a wonderful market. It is one of those UN stores like the Market Place in Skokie. It features Greek, Indian, Russian, Balkan, Polish, Middle-Eastern, Hispanic and some Asian food items. It is big, bright, clean and extremely well staffed. The diversity of the staff reflects the diversity of the food offerings, which I think is a very nice touch.

The produce selection was not nearly as vast as the Market Place, and it seemed slightly more expensive, but the produce was all very attractive and fresh. I noticed employees removing many items that were barely past their prime (the produce, not the employees).

I did not buy any meat or fish there, but the section looked well stocked, and the meat looked fresh. They had many of the more unusual cuts available (tongue, tripe etc). It is funny you mentioned ox-tails, because one of the things that caught my eye was a package of really nice looking veal tails. The chicken looked good, as did the pork, but it was a little more expensive than my neighborhood market. There were some really decent looking lamb shanks. I almost bought some, but just thinking about braizing lamb shanks on a 92 degree day made me overheat. They also had a Mexican butcher counter.

The fish section was pretty well stocked, but like many of these markets, the fish looked a little beat. The exceptions were the specials of the day, which were good-looking big rainbow trout for $3 lb and octopus (which I would love to learn to cook).

The dairy section contained dozens of kefirs and yogurts of various ethnic derivations. They also had several varieties of butter, including some excellent sweet Russian butter which I bought. They did have goat's milk, but I don't remember seeing any goat's milk yogurt. Many of the products have foreign language labels so I may have missed it.

For me, the deli and bakery sections were the highlights of the store (along with a whole aisle of Russian candy). The deli carried an impressive array of greek and eastern european cheeses and sausages. When I was there, they had no less than 7 kinds of feta cheese including Bulgarian, Hungarian, Romanian, 3 kinds of Greek and French. I bought some of the Hungarian ($3.49 lb), which was dense and creamy, nicely sour, but a little salty. I also bought some Dodonis Kefalotyri, which is made from goat and sheep milk. It had a wonderful flavor (sort of a cross between provolone and romano), but it was also a little salty.

The bakery section featured shelves of bread and baked goods divided by bakeries and ethnic styles. A few of the bakeries featured were Europa, Racine, Today's Temptations, Levinson's, Baltic as well as a couple of Greek and Indian ones. Although they did have the Borodinsky from Chicago Specialty Bakers (discussed above), they didn't have the Monastery rye.

Sun View also has a nice selection of canned and dried Middle-Eastern goods, about 20 varieties of rice, many brands of Greek olive oil. and of course, the afforementioned aisle of Russian candy (which looks absolutely amazing). Oh yeah, and they carry Greek and Eastern European wines, and have a big beer cooler with some interesting Czech, Polish and Baltic brews as well .

On the whole, I thought Sun View was a well run and well stocked market with excellent variety. However, the selection was not that much different from other stores of its type in the area. The prices also seemed a little higher on certain things than similar markets in the city (like City Fresh).

Nevertheless, it is a great example of what happens when the chain supermarkets start basing their purchasing decisions on some corporate formula dreamed up in a suburb of Los Angeles, rather than the desires and needs of local customers. There are plenty of these type of produce markets that are more than willing to take up the slack and give consumers exactly what they want. (I love living in Chicago)

On its own, Sun View may not be worth a trip from the city, but if you are in the area, it is an excellent resource (or if you are looking for Russian candy). What makes the place a desitination is when you combine it with all the other great vendors in the vicinity (such as the Greenwood market above, the new International Produce market or Binny's warehouse store). In fact, you could probably spend half a day just exploring the plaza behind the Omega. Besides Sun View, there is also a filipino market and restaurant, which I believe is called 3 R's just like the one on Montrose (although I can't find a listing for it).

I really wish I had brought my camera along (i need to get a Canon pocket camera, so I don't have to lug my Nikon around) . I will go back to these places soon, and take pictures. I want to compile a comprehensive list of all the international markets in the area along Milwaukee, Golf and Dempster in Skokie, Morton Grove and Niles. There seem to be dozens of them.

Sorry this reply is so rambling and off-topic (as usual).

Just a couple more leads on some black bread:

The Devon Market at about 1500 W. Devon carries several brands along with Baltic bread. There are always multiple varieties of "black" bread claiming Polish, Ukranian, Latvian and generically Russian heritage. Any of these might be what Ramon is looking for.

I'm also ao fan of the black bread served downtown at Russian Tea Time on Adams. I believe they get it from a bakery in Skokie. (I asked once, but have forgotten.) If you're unable to stop in to try it, they might even tell you the supplier over the phone.

And thanks to Hungry Rebe for the original Austrian Bakery post. I've been going there whenever I can since it first appeared. I love the bread and the whole shop. (My son announced that the chicken soup there was "good---better than mama's." Happily, I believe this unfortunate remark was just a moment's hyperbole born of pastry shop euphoria---mama makes astonishingly good chicken soup. Still, we are all fortunate that she was not with us at the time.)

mrbarolo wrote:I'm also ao fan of the black bread served downtown at Russian Tea Time on Adams. I believe they get it from a bakery in Skokie.

Kaufman's on Dempster in Skokie made a phenomonal Russian Pumpernickle. I'll bet that was the one. The last time I stopped there they didn't have any. I think Kaufman's may have changed ownership a while back, because they discontinued several of my favorite items. The "Russian Pump" was one of their most popular breads, so I bet they still make it. I will have to call them and ask.

In my search for Lithuanian Rye Bread, I rediscovered this bakery in Bridgeport. BRUNO'S BAKERY in Bridgeport is at 3339 S. Lituanica, which is near 35th and Halsted. It had a small but decent selection of about 6-8 different breads including whole wheat, polish rye, dark rye, egg raisin breads. The ingredients are all natural. No chemical names here ! My loaf of egg raisin bread was $2.25 which I felt was a steal compared to my Natural Ovens loaf. The breads are definitely hearty and HEAVY. My father found the egg raisin bread too dry. Not having had it before, I don't know if this is the way it is supposed to be. These are NOT fancy artisanal breads.

I love the fact that it is a small, neighborhood bakery. 5-6 years ago there were at least 2-4 more neighborhood bakeries in the Bridgeport area. These small bakeries are quickly disappearing.

BRUNO'S BAKERY
3339 S. Lituanica

Hi,
Is this BLACK BREAD from the Baltic Bakery RYE? What kind of bread is it. i looked for the Vollkornbrot, but is seems more brown.

I lived in chicago and my dad went to the baltic every week, I loved the Black bread, I have since moved to Seattle and SHOULD be able to find something like this but have been unable.

I just need to know what KIND of bread the black bread is,

If i remember, its sorta crumbly, and like a heavy brick.

I did talk to my dad and he said he still gets it from the Treasure Island by his house. Soo, perhaps ill run across it again.

please if any can help

Valerie