There is nothing quite like the smell of bread baking—that warm, nutty aroma that fills your olfactories and makes you toss caution to the wind and reach for yet another slice. After our recent tortilleria visit, we would argue the same can be said for fresh tortillas. New Mexico has some incredible artisan bakers, experimenting with a variety of grains and gluten-free options, and this is just a small sampling of what is out there. Because of the pandemic, our travel radius was limited for this edition of Eight around the State, so if you have the lowdown on other wonderful artisan bakeries around the state, drop us a line and we will be sure to check them out in the future.
The Ferm Brinery and Bakehouse
What we are eating: Tamaya Blue blue cornmeal sourdough, and we purchased freshly milled spelt flour and a sourdough starter to make our own bread.
Worth noting: All of The Ferm breads are made with at least 50 percent freshly milled whole grains. Biodiversity in grain is important, and they strive to include at least two varieties of grain in each loaf. They mill many of their flours fresh every day and also make several of their house-milled flours available for purchase.
Find: Fresh loaves at The Acre, Zendo, and Downtown Growers’ Market. Place your order by Wednesday at midnight for Saturday delivery in Albuquerque. thefermmm.com
Bread Shop
What we are eating: Seedy Rye, The Cookie, and baguette
Worth noting: Bread Shop specializes in naturally leavened bread that is dark, caramelized, crusty on the outside, and moist on the inside. Their breads are made from mostly organic grains milled in southern Colorado, Arizona, and Utah. The sesame-loaded cookies, known as The Cookie, are a hot-selling item.
Pro tip: Bread Shop’s loaves and focaccia regularly sell out by early afternoon, but you can pre-order online starting Wednesday morning for pickup Thursday through Sunday 10 am–2 pm.
Find: 1708 Lena, Santa Fe, breadshopsf.com
Kind Bread Company
What we are eating: Sourdough bagels and pretzels
Worth noting: Everything Kind Bread Company makes, from pretzels and bagels to bread and chocolate chip cookies, is sourdough. Their sourdough is fermented for 24 to 48 hours before hitting the oven. Varieties are ever changing with the seasons and experimentation. Breads available include the traditional sourdough loaf, caraway rye, demi-baguettes, green chile cheddar sourdough, and parmesan and black pepper sourdough, among others.
Find: 201 S Solano Dr, Las Cruces, kindbreadco.com
Tortilleria Cuauhtemoc
What we are eating: White corn tortillas
Worth noting: These freshly made corn tortillas are definitely the best we’ve ever had. Two dollars and fifty cents will get you two dozen. Trust us, once you try these, you will never buy them at the grocery store again.
Pro tip: Ask if they have any warm tortillas in the back versus grabbing them from the shelf. The sweet smell of fresh, warm tortillas will make it impossible to keep your hands off of them while you’re driving home.
Find: 844 Bridge Blvd SW, Albuquerque
Revolution Bakery
What we are eating: Brioche, multigrain loaf, blueberry scones, croissants, and cinnamon oat muffins
Worth noting: Revolution Bakery is 100 percent gluten-free and organic, and they aim to serve the best bread and pastries you have ever had. From focaccia to quiche and brownies to pumpernickel, just about every baked good you can imagine is prepared without wheat at Revolution.
Find: 418 Cerrillos in Santa Fe on Fridays from 10 am to 1 pm for bread pickup only, and Albuquerque pop-up every Saturday from 9 am to 12 pm at 616 Lomas NW. revolutionbakery.com
Bosque Baking Company
What we are eating: Khorasan wheat sourdough and savory empanadas made with seasonal ingredients
Worth noting: With six-dollar sourdough loaves and three-dollar baguettes, Bosque Baking is one of the more moderately priced bakeries around. Their sourdough is quintessential, crusty outside and airy inside, and with the perfect balance of fermented tanginess. The chocolate chip cookies are notorious.
Find: 922 Coal Ave SW, Albuquerque, bosquebaking.com
Farmhouse Café and Bakery
What we are eating: Olive loaf
Worth noting: Farmhouse Café and Bakery in Taos sources the majority of its ingredients within miles of the café. Many menu items, which often come with gluten-free and vegan options, vary somewhat from season to season. Their croissants are a house specialty and worth every buttery calorie. Dining alfresco at Farmhouse Café is second to none, with a spectacular view of the Sangre de Cristo Mountains.
Find: 1405 Paseo Del Pueblo Norte, El Prado, farmhousetaos.com
Ihatov Bread and Coffee
What we are eating: Butter Milk Biscuit, cinnamon roll, and a loaf of buckwheat flour with amaranth seeds
Worth noting: Ihatov, pronounced EE_HAH_TOV, means land of the harmonious. With racks of bread and the sweet smell of baked goods wafting over you as soon as you walk in the door, harmony does seem to be all around. The three-dollar biscuits are a true star, not your traditional flaky biscuit, but soft and sweet. The texture is achieved with additional buttermilk and butter—crunchy on the outside, creamy on the inside. We’ll take the biscuit over donuts any day.
Find: 3400 Central Ave SE Albuquerque, ihatov.us
Edible celebrates New Mexico's food culture, season by season. We believe that knowing where our food comes from is a powerful thing. With our high-quality, aesthetically pleasing and informative publication, we inspire readers to support and celebrate the growers, producers, chefs, beverage and food artisans, and other food professionals in our community.
