Baked in Bellville, loaves of Kara’s breads have a great backstory. Their sourdough base uses a starter with a 45-year history stemming from an artisanal San Francisco bakery. On the bakery’s website, the starter is described as radiating the aroma of citrusy IPAs and buttered popcorn. And while we can neither confirm nor deny the aroma of the starter itself…
It makes a really good loaf of bread.
A loaf of walnut cranberry bread from the bakery is, in fact, weirdly and pleasantly fragrant. It smells like a warm and welcoming wintery wassail, and a quick investigation of the label explains why; there’s cinnamon in the mix, and cloves too. This is no a pedestrian cranberry loaf. While we’re looking at the ingredient list, it’s worth noting that the house recipe also involves honey and cranberries sweetened with cane sugar. True, most people don’t pay attention to the difference between cane and beet sugar, but if you do try them side-by-side, you’ll probably prefer the stuff made from sugarcane.
Combine all those magical elements together and you get a big, dense loaf of bread that is something special. It holds together decently when carved, and is good straight, but it loves butter as well. The blend offers the right balance of goodies to grains and every bite is infused with festive suggestions reminiscent of winter kitchens.
Kara’s offerings extend well beyond the fragrant bread. There are loaves for those who prefer savory, such as an Olive Manchego Sourdough, versions with spelt and flax, and plain sourdough loaves as well. Kara’s also has a pronounced commitment to a the pasta scene, with offerings that leverage the sourdough starter for bonus flavor depth. And there’s house-made granola too.
Locally, you can find all Kara’s wares at Beechwold Farm Market; Bexley Natural Market carries the granola and pasta.
For more information, visit karasbread.com.
