Who doesn’t love warm, fresh bread? Bread has supported humanity for centuries; from the banquet halls of royalty to the peasant’s midday break, this staple completes and carries many a meal. It has been a part of our daily existence for so long that many cultures have common expressions about bread.

More recently, bread has taken some punches from anti-carb schools of thought, which breaks our hearts. We’re all about that bikini body, but when you source your food from quality ingredients you can enjoy nearly anything guilt free.

By the grace of the proprietors of Brodfour Urban Mill & Bakery, Torontonians now have a place to get bread made like it once was: fresh, sans preservatives, using ancestral, organic grains from Canadian farmers. 

Stone Milling

Fresh bread is abundant in the city, but Brodflour takes it one step further: they introduced a stone mill into their bakery so that they can use freshly-milled flour. Fresh flour is not shelf stable and may only last a few weeks to a couple of months under refrigeration, while flour that we buy at the grocer has been stripped of some key oils and nutrients to make it last longer. The stone mill at Brodflour is a sight to behold, and you can taste the difference before the bread has even made it to your mouth.

A Pilgrimage for Bread

Dara Gallinger and Ronnen Harary, the co-founders of Brodflour, wanted to bring back the goodness of bread, so they went on a two month trip across Europe, the Middle East, and North America to experience bread across the globe. 

They were most inspired by the Scandinavian food culture and made a strong connection with Robin Edberg from Sweden, owner of the organic, artisan bakery Cum Pane in Gothenburg. Robin loved Dara’s concept and immediately wanted to work with her and her partner to develop their business model. For this reason you’ll experience the cozy concept of Hygge upon entering Brodflour. 

Some Scandinavian flavours are also infused into the menu, such as smoked salmon and cardamom. You’ll definitely have to try a Cardamom Knot or as many call them a ‘Cardi B’ made from red fife, butter, eggs, sugar, milk, fresh yeast and cardamom. 

Ancestral Canadian Grains

Artisinal baking is a lot like craft beer, using quality ingredients that show locality. There is a map displayed near the stone mill outlining the Canadian farmers who directly supply Brodflour with grain. You can enjoy baking made with red fife – the oldest known heritage grain from Canada – as well as spelt, rye, emmer, and prairie red. All are non GMO and used fresh as not to compromise the taste. The bread is richer because the germ oil is alive, giving it the delicious taste, minerals, and nutrients it can otherwise lack. 

We are overjoyed to see bread as special, even sacred again. Brodflour’s slogan ‘Back to Good’ is doing just that. Upon arriving at the bakery we were greeted with a warm hello and a piece of fresh bread topped with cultured butter. Simple and perfect – you’ve got to try it!

After you fall for the flavour, buy a bag of freshly-milled flour for your own baking endeavours and get some pointers from the experts. Of course, if you’d rather tuck in straight away, you can pick up a fresh loaf, sample some baked goods (there is top notch coffee at the ready), or try their brand new pizza offerings.

Bread doesn’t have to be a guilt ridden affair… Let the wholesome goodness of stone milled flour reignite your love affair with one of humanity’s longest traditions at Brodflour.