Best Bread Recipes from Winnipeg Chefs
With more time at home, many of us are turning to the rustic comfort of a fresh-baked loaf of bread. Whether you're a seasoned baker or just starting to work on your kneading muscles, these recipes from chefs at Winnipeg's best restaurants will help you make your home baked dreams a reality.
Almond Pulla
This recipe for pulla, a traditional Finnish bread, comes from longtime favourite for breakfasts and baked goods, Stella’s Cafe and Bakery. Light, sweet and scented with cardamom (a spice commonly used in Scandinavian baking), this bread is best served warm, straight from the oven.
Challah/Koilech
This recipe for challah, a staple of Jewish baking, comes from Gunn’s Bakery, one of Winnipeg’s favourite and most longstanding sources for excellent loaves of bread. A symbolic part of many Eastern European special occasions, including the Jewish Sabbath, this fancy braided egg bread is also great for everyday eating; light, fluffy and slightly sweet, it makes great French toast.
Cranberry Walnut Bread
The flavours of a French-Canadian Christmas come together in a single loaf that makes any day feel special. In this recipe from chef Alix Loiselle of La Belle Baguette, chewy cranberries, crunchy walnuts and a hint of nutmeg join forces to create a heavenly loaf that pairs excellently with a wheel of warm brie.
Danish Rye
This dense, hearty loaf from Stella’s Cafe and Bakery uses rye flour and meal to create its unique texture and flavour. A satisfying counterbalance to salty, fatty charcuterie or rich cheese, it also makes a great foundation for healthy sandwiches. Try it with a smear of Stella’s sweet-spicy pepper jelly.
Tall Grass Harvest Bread
This hearty, healthy bread is the ultimate weekend baking project. A slightly simplified version of Tall Grass Prairie Bakery‘s harvest bread, this loaf celebrates the fall harvest by using every grain and seed Tall Grass has used in the bakery throughout the year. This version pares back the shopping list with a selection of seeds and grains that get a pre-soak the night before.
Pandesal Buns
Pandesal, or ‘bread of salt’, is a traditional bread in Filipino cuisine. Often eaten for breakfast, it has (contrary to its name) a slightly sweet flavour. This take on pandesal buns from chefs Marie and Nikki Melegrito of Sugar Blooms & Cakes adds a savoury twist with questo de bola cheese (or Edam) and pineapple ham.
Olive Rosemary Baguettes
Fancy up home-cooked baguettes with briny olives and fresh rosemary. Pro tip: serve these individual sized rolls before dinner with a dip of olive oil and balsamic vinegar for a taste of white napkin dining at your own kitchen table. This recipe from Tall Grass Prairie Bakery uses light sourdough for depth and richness of flavour.
Za'atar Saj
This Middle Eastern flatbread is topped with herbaceous za’atar, a traditional spice blend that marries spices like thyme, oregano, marjoram with sesame seeds and tart sumac. This simple recipe from chef Adam Tayfour of Les Saj Restaurant requires little kneading and a short cooking time, but yields delicious results.
Kugelhopf
Part cake, part bread, kugelhopf is a special breakfast item from Alsace, the northeastern region of France. This centuries-old recipe can be easily adapted; this version, from chef Davd Bergmann of Bergmann’s on Lombard is flavoured with chopped walnuts and bacon. A Bundt pan is a suitable substitute if you don’t have an authentic mould.
Bolo Rei
Chef Ronald Jimenez of the Lisbon Bakery provided this recipe for bolo rei, a traditional Portuguese sweet bread. A Christmas favourite, the name translates to ‘King’s Cake,’ in reference to the three wise men in the Christmas story, and it is festively flavoured with dried fruits, nuts, Port wine and citrus.
Blueberry Bread Pudding
Too many slices of day-old bread left on your counter? Transform it into this iconic dessert from stately steakhouse 529 Wellington. The classic sweet, eggy bread pudding is punctuated with pops of blueberries, and served with a creme anglaise and bourbon caramel sauce.
