Side Bets
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Fareways
By John Lehndorff
A loaf lover’s guide to Colorado’s growing crew of stellar artisan bread bakers.
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or diehard fans, freshly baked bread is about as good as food gets. We crave that soft airy middle, chew-worthy crust and yeasty aroma. Spread with butter, toasted slices in the a.m. are as uplifting as any cup of espresso. Of course, that’s only true if it’s real bread—and not one of those ubiquitous plastic-wrapped sliced white imposters. Luckily, Colorado is experiencing an arti-
PHOTO BY LAUREN DEFILIPPO JACKSON
Friends in Knead
san bread revolution. Fueled by sourdough believers baking superior loaves, a worldclass bread culture is thriving under the radar at individual bakeries, panaderias and boulangeries. “Serious fermentation results in bread that’s better for you. It totally unlocks a world of flavors and textures,” says James Beard Foundation award nominee Andy Clark of Moxie Bread Co., the Colorado bakery named on foodandwine.com’s list of the best bread available in every state. With shops in Louisville, Boulder and Lyons, Moxie mills 100 percent organic heirloom grains onsite daily for its sourdough breads and flaky pastries. A continual line of fans stretches out the doors every day, drawn not only by the variety of baguettes, boules and buttery croissants but by inventive sandwiches and bags of fresh-milled flour. Calling these sourdough bakers “geeks” doesn’t do them justice. They juggle mixing, feeding starters, proofing and kneading
to transform four simple ingredients into a taste experience that is genuinely “artisan.” They are collaborating with farmers to source freshly milled heritage and heirloom grains with names like Khorasan, Rouge de Bordeaux, White Sonora and Blue Emmer. Out in Grand Junction, Kulina Lani Organic Sourdough Bakery is attracting the attention of bread fans and chefs. “Kulina” means “corn,” “lani” means “from heaven,” according to Pam Harsh. That’s the name that she and her husband, Shane, had for their organic corn farms in Colorado and Hawaii and use for their bakery which crafts breads, pastries and pizza naturally leavened without commercial yeast. The loaves are found on tables at local restaurants and in Western Slope winery tasting rooms. Kulina Lani’s varieties include a not-so-plain “Jane” simple sourdough loaf, a double olive bread, and “porridge,” a heavily seeded multigrain bread. “My mom had sourdough growing up, and I was raised on it, so I’ve had a chance
PUREBRED BREADS: Moxie Bread mills organic heirloom grains to create such sourdough masterpieces as its Seeded Dark Rye and Algerian baguette.
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