Rising to the occasion: The Bread Shop baking sensational selections in Santa Fe

Flour, water, yeast and salt are the only ingredients you need to make bread. But it’s not that simple. In 2008, I took a year off to learn to relax and be. An active hatha yoga practice and a powerful sourdough starter were my accomplices. I made several loaves of bread each week — gifting frequently to friends and neighbors.

It was a year-long experience that proved making bread is not as easy as it looks. High-quality bread requires special tools, flour, proofing bowls, the right oven, love and plenty of patience. Think San Francisco sourdough. Living in the high desert presents even more challenges to the art of bread making, so I gave up once I moved here. But, last year, when I stumbled on a small, open window along Lena Street in Santa Fe where I bought stunning sourdough boule loaves with airy interior pockets and a crunchy exterior crust, along with ethereal thick slabs of focaccia, other breads and sturdy and addictive baked goods, I knew I would never have to attempt baking bread again.

The tiny outlet of The Bread Shop opened in January 2020, where they typically sold out each day. Owners Jacob Brennen, a native Santa Fean, and his wife and business partner, Mayme Berman, moved to town in 2018. A trained chef, Brennen worked in professional kitchens in Portland and New Mexico, and spent his free time tweaking his bread recipes so they were stellar.

And he succeeded. Brennen says, “It took me two years tinkering with the recipes and sourcing different flours — one from southern New Mexico. It took a while to get the connections, but we are so happy with our products.” By focusing on a small menu, they cranked out amazing offerings from the little space—and I mean little.

But like the natural sourdough leavening they use to make incredible breads, The Bread Shop bloomed and moved into a much larger location almost directly across the street a year ago this November. Brennen’s parents own the building and his “dad developed the entirety of Lena Street Lofts. It’s been really nice to move back to Santa Fe and work with my dad in that capacity,” Brennen says with pride.

Clean and spacious, the interior feels like a bread shop should — airy, bright and light. Upon entering, a few open bakers’ racks are filled with essential dry and refrigerated ingredients true culinarians can’t live without. Rancho Gordo beans, Maldon salts, Italian sodas, European butter, assorted cheeses, hard-to-find spices and more.

Rising to the occasion: The Bread Shop baking sensational selections in Santa Fe

The menu remains laser-focused, but with a few additional items and space to sit down and enjoy the creations. They prepare five different breads and seven sweets daily and one savory scone. Breads include the top-selling Sourdough Boule ($9.50), which “was our first main offering and we have built a big following on that,” Brennen says.

My dining companions and I couldn’t resist the Sourdough Boule, which is the only time I eat bread again. I tend to stick with gluten-free but will sacrifice for this bread — and anything Brennen bakes, including Seedy Rye ($11.25), Cherry Poppy ($6.50), Baguette ($4.50) and Sesame Mini ($3.50), which is generously rolled in sesame seeds. Each bread is distinctive, flavorful and delicious.

You will also find three variations of Focaccia Bread ($4.25-$4.75), cut into serious 4x6 inch slabs, and I can’t decide which is my favorite. Olive Oil and Salt, Crushed Tomato and Basil, or Green Olive and Preserved Lemon are available from 11 a.m.–2 p.m.

Thick and airy, this focaccia will change your life. I have used it for a sensational and sloppy summer tomato sandwich, a breakfast sandwich with an egg and served the focaccia at book club as a side with soup and salad. Everyone raved! No matter how you eat this Italian staple, I promise you will be coming back for more.

New to the line-up are two focaccia sandwiches ($13) — one vegetarian and a meat option — which rotate frequently. My dining companions and I ordered one of each to explore the possibilities — roasted eggplant, tomatoes, mozzarella and basil; and Jamon Serrano with thinly sliced Spanish Manchego cheese and a roasted red pepper-tomato spread.

Because we dined on a busy Saturday, the kitchen ran out of focaccia bread, so our sandwiches were served on ciabatta bread which provided a much chewier experience. Not that I am complaining, because the sandwiches were divine, but the pillow softness of the focaccia is singular, making this a special sandwich. We did feel the sandwiches were a little light on the filling and deserve to be amped up a bit.

The next iteration of sandwiches on the menu will feature a traditional French ham and Comté cheese, like a Gruyere, Dijon mustard and cornichons on a Parisian baguette; and the vegetarian will include roasted golden beets, apples, chicory from Ground Stone Farm and goat cheese on focaccia.

Though named The Bread Shop, Brennen informed me they took inspiration from Italian bakeries, so expect to find sprinklings of Italy throughout. For example, the Hazelnut Brownie ($5) is what I have deemed a “brownie brick” and I mean that in the most complimentary way. Naturally, Nutella lovers will flip for this culinary creation, but prepare to share this brick because a little goes a long way. Cut it into bite-sized chunks and let the “oohs” and “aahs” commence. The toasted hazelnuts on top provide the right amount of crunch to offset the seriously dense and decadent Columbian dark chocolate interior — a sensational treat.

The hazelnut brownie notwithstanding, The Bread Shop’s baked goods tend to slant in the direction of healthy. Try the Adventure Bar ($2.95), Breakfast Cake ($3.75) or the Pear Blondie ($4.25) — all of which feel somewhat virtuous. We savored the Almond Chocolate Chip Cookie ($3.25) and pronounced it a sensational balance of crisp edges and chewy interior, and the Maldon salt sprinkles give it a nice lift.

As for what’s next for this maturing bakery, Brennen says he, Berman and the team are planning to “up our selection of cookies and sweets for the holidays. And we started working with a new Italian food importer and will continue to expand our selection of olive oils, high-quality Italian dried pasta, pickled vegetables and other miscellaneous edibles.” Fortunately, we are about to kick off the season where food is the main ingredient. Luckily, we can count on The Bread Shop to be a one-stop shop for breads, sandwiches, baked goods and dry goods — promising a good time will be had by all.