Food & Drink/Food Trends

DEAR GRAIN, Super Seeded Loaf
48 Ossington Ave.
deargrain.com

This Hamilton-based bakery recently opened its Ossington Avenue location and it’s quickly grown a cult following among Torontonians. The Super Seeded Loaf is coated in a layer of black and white sesame, pumpkin, poppy, sunflower, millet and flax seeds to give it that craveable nutty flavour. With a mix of three different organic flours — including dark rye, light spelt and sifted wheat flour — this dark and malty loaf is one of the most desirable breads in Toronto. After one slice, you’ll understand why Dear Grain is slowly becoming a breadhead destination.

MATTACHIONI, Italian Sourdough
1617 Dupont St. & 1501 Gerrard St. E.
mattachioni.com

Mattachioni is known for its pizza and pasta, but throughout the pandemic, this bakery was slinging out some of the city’s best sandwiches made on its Italian sourdough bread. This light and fluffy loaf is not your typical sourdough: the exterior is thinner than the crust of a traditional loaf, but it’s chewy and crisp and always spotted with pockets of char for an added smoky flavour. The bread itself has a great sourness and tang contrasting the rich texture.

EMMER’S COUNTRY WHITE LOAF, Country White Loaf
161 Harbord St.
emmertoronto.ca

This Harbord Street bakery is a newcomer on Toronto’s bread scene, but that doesn’t mean it hasn’t already made its mark. With praise in the media for its patisserie and viennoiserie, it’s no surprise its sourdough is also off the charts. The Country White loaf is a classic white sourdough made mostly from bread flower with a little wheat flour for added texture, colour and a slightly malty flavour. This is a deliciously traditional loaf and a must-try for sourdough lovers.