I don’t have the energy to articulate in words, with nuance, what a year 2021 has been: it’s been shit. The first couple of months wrapped up a long road-trip culminating in living in Los Angeles and San Francisco. I visited my friends in San Francisco again in July, and since then have been in relative hibernation in Brooklyn.

I bought an apartment in Brooklyn, and moved in in August, and that has been quite lovely.

Bread explorations have of course remained limited, and all domestic to the US.

Sourdough Boule, À Bloc, Los Angeles, California (Jan)

Noticeably doughy and sour scent. Not the greatest crust, but pretty delicious. $12 for a medium-sized loaf.

À Bloc is located in the beautiful Highland Park neighborhood of Los Angeles at 5025 York Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90042

Country Loaf, Night Heron Bread, Alameda, California (Jan)

I was staying with my friend Raj in Alameda. Walking around in the neighborhood, I spotted someone selling sourdough from their home! What a pleasant surprise.

Night Heron’s sourdough was incredibly moist, and the dough was incredibly flavorful. The crust could have been more burnished, but this is one of the tastiest loaves I’ve had in a while. I enjoyed eating this plain with butter. $10 for a medium-sized loaf

You can buy their bread online here, and you’ll need to pick it up in Alameda.

Country Sourdough, Josey Baker Bread, San Francisco, California (Jan, JUL)

Just before heading back out on the road to head east, I couldn’t help making a pit stop to Berkeley Bowl to pick up a loaf of my favorite sourdough bread I’ve had anywhere in the world – Josey Baker’s Country Sourdough. What an absolute pleasure to be reunited with this fermented edible loaf of joy.

Josey Baker Bread is available at several Bay Area locations. I normally pick mine at The Mill, but this time I picked a loaf at Berkeley Bowl at 920 Heinz Ave, Berkeley, CA 94710

Sourdough, Folk, Nashville, Tennessee (Feb)

After driving through a snowstorm in Arizona, then making our way through Albuquerque, New Mexico, we made it to Nashville, Tennessee just in time to pick up some excellent pizza at Folk, which also makes excellent sourdough.

$6 for a quarter loaf with good olive oil.

Folk is at 823 Meridian St, Nashville, TN 37207

Ramp & Pine Nuts Sourdough, Maison Fleche, Brooklyn, NY (May)

Laurent Flechoux bakes some good sourdough loaves. It’s spring in New York City, and everyone’s lining up at the farmers’ markets for ramps, that elusive allium, that had it not been for the its fleetingness no-one may ever have pain it much attention.

I found Laurent’s bread at IXV Coffee on a very warm Brookyln afternoon. My particular loaf seemed to not have much, if any, salt, but came alive with some salted butter. I enjoyed eating it topped with Bellweather Farms’ sheep ricotta, drizzled with olive oil. The mild-onion flavor from the bread was the perfect accent for this rather delicious cheese.

$16 for a medium boule.

I bought my loaf at IXV Coffee at 497c Pacific St, Brooklyn, NY 11217

Homadama, Lost Bread Co., Brooklyn, NY (Jun)

I tried Philadelphia’s Lost Bread Co.’s excellent Whole Wheat Redeemer couple years ago. This time I got their Homadama made using hominy, with a touch of sweetness from maple syrup, and whole grain wheat. The maize gives the bread a very prominent nutty flavor. The bread had a beautiful crust, and had a fluffy, moist interior. I enjoyed eating this plain with good butter.

You can find Lost Bread Co breads at a few farmers’ markets in New York including Union Square and Grand Army Plaza.

$8 for a small loaf.

I bought my loaf at the Grand Army Plaza greenmarket at Prospect Park West, Flatbush Ave, Brooklyn, NY 11215 (Saturdays)

House Bread, Otway, Brooklyn, NY (Aug)

Otway’s house bread, served with cultured butter had a pleasant, mild flavor, serving as a nice vessel for the cultured butter.

$6 for a small portion, including cultured butter.

Otway is in Brooklyn’s Clinton Hill at at 930 Fulton St, Brooklyn, NY 11238

ACQ Sourdough Sandwich Loaf, ACQ Bread Co., Brooklyn, NY (Nov)

ACQ’s Red Fife flour sandwich loaf has been my go-to’s since I discovered it at Dimes Market in the Lower East Side. I have really enjoyed eating this, lightly toasted, with butter, peanut butter and banana.

$11 for a medium-sized, dense sandwich loaf.

I bought mine at Dimes Market in the Lower East Side at 143 Division St, New York, NY 10002

Light & Mild, Union Loafers Café and Bread Bakery, St. Louis, MO (Dec)

I enjoyed eating Union Loafers’ Light & Mild, plain with butter. $7.50 for a medium-sized airy loaf.

Union Loafers is at 1629 Tower Grove Ave, St. Louis, MO 63110