Your Daily Bread: Courtesy of the Co-op Bakery

There is nothing quite like the enticing smell of fresh-baked bread just out of the oven. It’s addicting, and for this self-confessed carb-aholic, heavenly. I often find myself lingering next to the Co-op’s bread shelf a little longer than necessary, checking out the delicious array of fresh baked bread from the Co-op Bakery.

Never heard of Co-op Bread? For the past three years, the Co-op has been crafting artisan loaves made with local, organic wheat and flour from Montana Flour and Grain of Fort Benton, Montana.

The bread bakery is located across Main Street from the Main Store in the Co-op’s Central Kitchen and Warehouse (in the space where the old Blockbuster was located). Every day, our bakers create up to 300 loaves of bread, all made from scratch, hand-shaped and baked on a hearth-style stone deck oven.

Co-op bread is the result of our stellar team of bakers, a crew of folks that truly care about the end product. Led by Bread Manager Todd Bennett, these bakers pay particular attention to the details, respecting both the ingredients and the bread making process.

“We do everything here from scratch,” said Bennett. “Respecting the ingredients, not rushing the process and focusing on bringing out the natural flavor in the wheat, results in a truly delicious loaf of bread.”

The Co-op offers 14 different varieties of bread, from crispy baguettes, to classic sourdough, sweet challah, hearty cracked wheat and flax, chewy ciabatta (my favorite!) and more. And rest assured, when we say fresh, we mean it: The Co-op Bakery bakes bread every single day starting at 3:30 a.m. At the end of the day, any extra goes to the Gallatin Valley Food Bank.

Not only do these loaves have the highest-quality ingredients, they taste incredible and most are between $2-4, making them very affordable. The Co-op’s bread is a testament to the fact that, yes, it is possible to offer high-quality local and organic goods at a price that does not break the bank. From the Montana wheat farmers to the customers that enjoy this tasty bread, it truly is a win-win situation.

Additionally, the Co-op has begun wholesaling this same great bread to a few restaurants in Bozeman including the Sola Cafe, the Nova Cafe, the Bacchus Pub and the Bay Bar and Grille, as well as All Things Italian Market. Look for more restaurants and retail locations to be added in the coming months. The bread is sold under the BozoDough Co. label.
For more information on Co-op bread varieties, click here.