A new reserve line of heirloom-grain artisan breads from La Brea Bakery are now available nationally. For almost 30 years, Southern California’s La Brea Bakery has been sourcing whole grains, using slow fermentations, and producing exceptionaly good bread from its legacy starter. Now, with the launch of their new reserve line, the bakery offers the first nationally available artisan breads made specifically to encourage customers to make the connection between taste, terroir, and type of grain.
The three new loaves in the tasty triumverate are Pain de Campagn, Struan and the real star, a Fortuna Wheat Loaf. Fortuna wheat is a Non-GMO heirloom grain, grown for flavor not yield. This variety was long ignored by farmers because it grew too tall (making it tend to fall over when harvested) and because it produces low yields.
La Brea bakery purchased land in Montana and worked with a third-generation farmer who grows the wheat sustainably with a No-Till Conservation Farming approach. This involves various methods to avoid soil erosion, use less seed, create less of a carbon footprint, and generally engender higher quality in the grain.
The wheat is also grown near Three Forks Montana by the headwaters of the Missouri river. It’s a high mountain valley location that makes it some of the highest elevation grain grown in America. Cool nights, hot days, and extremely low rainfall stress the grain to produce a more intense flavor.
La Brea’s longstanding baking process also helps showcase the quality of the flour, including a slow multi-stage proofing process that allows the Fortuna Loaf to develop a mild yet complex mineral profile.
La Brea Bakery Reserve loaves are worth looking for at select Amazon Fresh markets, at the La Brea Bakery Café itself in Los Angeles, or an expanding list of grocery stores across the country. As of 2017 the bakery will also certify that all of its artisan breads are Non-GMO.