Epi Breads Ltd.
1526 Bayview Avenue
Toronto, Ontario
M4G 3B4

416-488-1952
www.epibreads.ca

I drive by this place now and then and have always wanted to go inside. Today, after an early morning rock bathing treatment, I decided to head on over for some freshly baked bread.

Being a carb-lover, I’m always excited to try new bakeries out. So as soon as I stepped inside epi breads, I was pleasantly surprised at their extensive bread selection. Granted, it took me a while to figure out where their freshly baked loaves were. The store is actually quite large, with a cafe filling up half the premises.

I made my way over to the north side of the store, where they displayed all their freshly baked breads. At a mere 2 hours after opening, some of their goods were on the brink of selling out… although I suspect more was coming, as right behind the counter, trays and trays full of freshly baked bread and goods were waiting to be showcased on the shelves.

A woman behind the counter greeted me with a smile and asked what she could get for me. Naturally, I asked her what their most popular loaves were. She mentioned the multi-grain flax, and the pecan fruit loaves were their popular ones. I looked on the counter top and noticed a plate with bite-sized morsels of bread, which looked very much like the pecan fruit loaf sitting on the shelf. I asked her, and sure enough, it was. I took a piece and enjoyed the sweetness of the fruit that contrasted nicely with the flavour of the bread.

After much thinking, I ordered 1 butter croissant, 1 almond croissant, 1 white cheddar and chive scone, and 1 loaf of pecan fruit ($6.75). Totaling $13.47 in all, I made my way out the door, before quickly scanning for anything else I may have been interested in. I noticed at the last minute that they did have a small selection of organic tea leaves for sale as well.

The outcome:
I have to say, the croissants were wonderfully baked, with crunchy crust, moist innards, and best of all, not overly buttery. I was in fact quite surprised at how little the butter taste was. My fingers weren’t all buttered up as well, after handling the croissants. I enjoyed this croissant quite a bit, and was just as satiated with the almond croissant. I love a good almond croissant, and this one, with its non-butteryness, gave just the right balance. These are likely the best croissants I’ve tasted in a long time.

The pecan fruit loaf also didn’t disappoint. Although the crust isn’t overly crunchy, the innards were moist and springy, and with the abundance of fruit inside, this was also a great eat. The varying kinds of fruit was a nice welcome as it improves the flavour profile of the overall bread.

Another thing that impressed me was the large variety of ingredients they used for all of their breads and baked goods. With a variety of herbs, cheeses, nuts, and fruits, there was plenty of selection to choose from.

I have a feeling the next time I drive by this bakery, I will have a strong urge to go inside again.

Dough Bakeshop
173 Danforth Avenue
416.465.2253

It was a pleasant surprise when I first found out that a new bakery had opened up on the Danforth. I took this as a warm welcome and a chance to see what new good eats they can offer this part of the neighbourhood.

When I first visited the bakeshop, it was a saturday afternoon. To my dismay, I noticed that the shelves were practically all empty except for the few loaves that had not been sold out for the day.

My original intention was to buy a dozen bagels. But with the bare shelves, I was a little disappointed in my selection, and almost left the store empty-handed. While stepping out of line, I perused the shelves behind the counter as I overheard what the next person in line had ordered. It was a walnut loaf. As soon as I heard that, I got back in line and ordered one for myself as well.

A few weeks later, I visited the bakery again, hoping to grab another good eat. This time, however, I went early on a Saturday, shortly after they opened for the day. According to their webiste, Saturdays is a sourdough day. Great! I love them sourdoughs.

However after entering and seeing that they had no sourdough loaves that day (starter didn’t work well that day apparantly), I was left a little disappointed yet again. Someone behind the counter, however, overheard my inquiry and kindly noted that they were in the midst of baking a herbed cornbread.

Herbed cornbread? Now that sounds like an interesting mix. It wasn’t going to be ready for another couple of hours, which actually worked well for me since I was on my way to dimsum that morning anyway.

Fast forward a couple hours later, and I find myself back at Dough. A moderate amount of people milling about, and the shelves were freshly stocked. I inquired about the cornbread, and sure enough, they were just coming out of the oven.

When inquired about the ingredients, she mentioned that it was a cornbread with a mixture of oregano and feta. A rather interesting combination, I thought. I’m all for trying new things out, so I got myself a freshly baked loaf, still piping hot in the bag. Added to that, I treated myself to two croissants, just to try them out.

I noticed that as soon as the croissants went in to the paper bag, the buttery goodness showed immediately. Good? Bad? Well, to each their own.

—

The walnut loaf I absolutely loved. The subtle flavour of the walnut and the sweetness of the innards was exactly how I hoped it would have been. It was a loaf that didn’t last very long on my countertop.

I had mixed feelings for the herbed cornbread. While I naturally like cornbread, I felt its presence in the loaf was too subtle. The dense texture was apparent, although a slight sourness in the dough (from what, I don’t know), and an even lighter flare of oregano and feta, left me wanting more of a solid cornbread aftertaste.

I tried lightly toasting the slices and as it turns out, I liked it much more this way with the light and crispy exterior, and the soft and moist innard.

And finally the croissants. Who doesn’t love freshly baked croissants from the oven? While I mentioned the buttery goodness of it, I’ve had croissants that were made with even more butter, aiding my justification on having this heavenly treat. Despite all the butter, it wasn’t too overbearing when you ate it. That bode well for me and my stomache. I found the exterior to lack the crunch that other croissants sometimes have. I actually liked it this way; the slight pull of the exterior and the soft and smooth innards were a combination I can have any day.

I’m happy to say that this is a very nice welcome to the neighbourhood. With its location right near the subway station, it’s convenient to go to. The people are friendly, and when you walk by, that aroma of freshly baked bread is enough to pull anybody away from the cold wintery chill.

Next up: bagels. At about $7 per dozen, I can’t wait to see how they’ll fare.

…now, if only they’d do something with their website. It just doesn’t serve their products any justice.