Bread, Coffee, Cake

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Located just a short jaunt across the Mississippi from downtown St. Paul is Bread Coffee and Cake (BC2). Light and airy, with a few tables inside to have lunch, this unassuming bakery offers homemade soups, sandwiches, pastries and their specialty –bread. But this is not just any bread; this is artisan bread that rises to the level of creative perfection.

Ranging in varieties from sourdough to German rye to creative combinations, unique in texture and taste, these breads will leave your mouth watering for more. Some varieties may seem more traditional, while others may cause a raised eyebrow, but will soon win over hearts and stomachs at the first bite.

I happily tasted several varieties, engaging in my kind of feast…a total carb fest! Favorites are hard to choose, but choose I did, and they are as follows. The first is the whole-wheat cinnamon raisin loaf, pure comfort with its hearty, dark crust and mellow cinnamon flavor infused throughout. A surprising second is a bread that may seem common, whole-wheat 12-grain, but is uncommonly light and airy with a rich, nutty flavor.

But best of all is the tres queso y chorizo (three cheese and Mexican sausage) bread. The chorizo, sourced from the neighborhood meat shop Joseph’s, is sweet with just a hint of spice, playing a starring role to the sharp blend of cheeses and hearty white dough. The combination is simply perfection.

The story of the bakery is just as unique as the flavors and textures of these breads. Though a trained and experienced chef, BC2 owner and baker Robert Dubuc said he lacked baking experienced. In fact, he had not originally intended to bake for the masses, but after identifying a lack of quality bread in his St. Paul neighborhood, he decided to take the matter into his own hands, literally, and began experimenting with baking bread at home. 

The dough at BC2 is low sodium, vegan (except the cheese breads), and free of refined sugars. Additionally, the yeast Dubuc uses, while it increases his time and labor, has natural health benefits that he feels are important to provide for his customers. Dubuc confided that he is so devoted to his yeast starter of nine years, he has lovingly nicknamed it “Sweet Betty”.  He and Sweet Betty meet up every morning at 3 a.m. to make everything on-site and from scratch using fresh, locally sourced ingredients when possible.

Dubuc also takes pride in supporting and giving back to his community. One example of this is his Palmira coffee. It comes from a third generation coffee farmer in Guatemala, the son of which, lives in right here in Como. The son receives the raw, green coffee beans from his mother and then roasts them here in the cities, before delivering them to BC2.

If you haven’t visited Bread Coffee and Cake, let me assure you that it is worth the trip. I know I’ll be back, perhaps not for the atmosphere, but to purchase these carbs I crave. If you can’t make it to West St. Paul to visit this bread artist, he can be found at the St. Paul winter farmer’s market and the Mill City summer farmer’s market.

Katie Cannon is the blogger behind Camacho Watcho as well as an up-and-coming Twin Cities photographer. She both works and plays in the Mill District of downtown Minneapolis.

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