Two weeks ago I wrote about Bien Cuit’s pastries because I thought they were the main reason to visit them. Now that some time has passed I find myself having cravings for their breads–not their sweets. So I headed back for a third visit with one goal in mind: try more of their breads. They did not disappoint! As luck would have it owner/baker Zack Golper was there and took some time to chat with us.
As good as Bien Cuit’s twice-baked chocolate almond croissant is, I think their Rye & Sunflower bread even better. At $4 for a half ($8 for a full) it’s not a full-on sourdough but it’s got a bit of tart going on. The quality of the crust is fantastic. It’s beautiful to look at and great to sink your into. I recommend eating it with just a bit of butter or marmalade.
A few highlights of our conversation with Zachary Golper:
On his plans for expansion: Zach says he’s not interested in expanding the retail operations of Bien Cuit much more (the commercial side is a different story). How would he know if the operation has gotten to big? In order to answer this question he told us a story about a famous colleague who was no longer recognized by his staff when he visited their bakery. They didn’t even know what he looked like! That would be too big. On how he decided what specific breads to master and sell: he says he bakes and sells what he likes to eat. When pressed he said he will probably add more breads as part of the regular menu or in some kind of “bread of the week” format.
Part I of our coverage of Bien Cuit is here. Their website is here. Bien Cuit has two locations: the main store is located on 120 Smith Street in Brooklyn the Manhattan location is on 35 Christopher Street (East of 7th Ave). Follow DessertBuzz on Twitter.
Looks great…