Our Bread

Artisan Bread

We love to talk about our bread as much as we love making it. Every loaf has its own unique story, from our ‘Okanagan Apple’ bread, developed from a traditional Norman recipe using tart organically certified Spartan apples from Klippers Organics, to our ‘Love at First Bite’, the first loaf that we baked where every ingredient was grown within 71 miles of Vancouver City Hall.

Our loaves claim a historic past that goes back over 100 years, when bread was mixed and kneaded with only basic ingredients such as yeast, flour, water and salt.

Our list is simple, usually only 3-4 items: flour, salt, water, Levain (or starter). We do not use “clean label additives”. We do not call things manufacturing aids so that they don’t have to be listed on the label. Real food, baked with love.

And while every loaf has a story, how we create our bread is the magic. We use live cultures developed with individual qualities.  A great loaf of bread takes many careful steps in the process to reach perfection.  From the mixing of the dough, to the pre-shaping and hand molding of each loaf, to the proofing and the baking.  All these steps need to work flawlessly to produce a perfect loaf. Our team of artisan bakers knows exactly how to do this.

The goodness of heritage and ancient grains, the skilled hands of an artisan baker, and the starter, coaxed out of the distinctive combination of climate and soils that we are proud to call home.

Only The Best Ingredients

Our ingredients are different. Our breads are organically certified. This means that you will not be ingesting herbicides or pesticides with your morning toast or sandwich at lunch.

As a result of the organic-certified requirements, no GMO’s are permitted in the bakery.

Rest assured that we bake with real ingredients, traditional grains, grown by family farms in the Fraser Valley and beyond. We bake with love.

Pool wheat, the kind you see on the rail cars and ships loading at our port, have never been a part of our bakery. Instead, we choose to work directly with farmers, knowing the specific varietals that they are growing – it’s those varietals that are in each loaf of your bread. This is a large part of our Artisanal process and it’s not something that can be matched by any other bakery.

Beyond our grains, we source local cranberries and blueberries from Pitt Meadows, apples from the Okanagan, Hazelnuts from Bradner (between Mission and Abbottsford). Our cheeses use only Canadian dairy products. We are very proud to have so many local farms supply our ingredients. Every ingredient selected is chosen on flavour: flavours that we are anxious to share with you and your family.

Pick Your Partner

One of the best things about living in Canada is that everything has 2 names: we still have miles and kilometers, English and French. We took that message to heart with our breads.

Love at First Bite (100 Mile Bread)

With everything grown within 71 miles of Vancouver, we were proud to bring our first truly local loaf to Vancouver in 2009. Blueberries and Hazelnuts in a Heritage sprouted grain loaf.

Happily Ever After (Spelt)

It’s light and airy, prepared as a sourdough using a traditional levain, this pure spelt loaf might be your indulgence if you wish to have a wheat alternative.

Missionary (Country White)

The same recipe as your grandmother might have had on the prairies. Slowly leavened overnight to let the flavours develop, and baked fresh in the morning, this is phenomenal white bread!

Wild Thing (6 Grain Multigrain)

This has a big flavour for any who love a hearty rich tasting loaf. High in fibre, filled with Rye, Triticale, Millet, Wheat, Barley and Corn, this is great with salami, pickles, and liverwurst, but is also a regular at the breakfast table toasted with peanut butter!

Skinny Dipper (Focaccia)

Sliced about a centimeter (½ inch) thick, lightly brushed with olive oil and grilled or broiled, this is the best snack all by itself. With your favourite soup, it takes its role in an amazing dinner.

Brioche (Brioche loaf)

Whether this is your “Texas Toast”, lightly grilled beside your plate of barbeque, or as part of a family breakfast (it’s amazing as French toast), this braided loaf is a rich, buttery flavor sensation.

Love Birds (Seed)

Without a doubt, our favourite for toast. The flavour of the seeds really jump when you toast them. Flax, Poppy Seed, Sunflower and Sesame. Enjoy this whole grain bread tomorrow morning for breakfast.

Nooner (Heritage Sprouted Wheat)

A perfect answer to every lunch box problem. A blend of 3 locally grown heritage grains, sprouted in our bakery and ground on site, this is a loaf of bread for every sandwich. Sweetened with a whisper of grape juice, kids love it!

Cheeky (Amazing Sourdough)

Our sourdough culture is the heart of our bakery, the flavours of California wine country, aged since 1986. It is amazing! Best partnered with a bit of rare roast beef. What a sandwich.

Soulmate (Whole Wheat Sourdough)

Our Napa Valley Sourdough culture with the goodness of whole wheat. Yum! Sandwiches, please!

Three’s Company (Roasted Garlic and Cheese)

We roast whole cloves of garlic slowly, so the garlic is nice and sweet; mix the whole cloves into our sourdough and then, just before it goes in the oven, we stuff it with Gouda, Cheddar and Monterey Jack. As it rises in the oven, the cheese spills all over the top. Yum!

Birds and the Bees (Whole Grains and Honey)

Oats, Flax, Barley and wheat: sweetened just a whisper with honey, this is our best selling sandwich bread.

Sweetheart (Cranberry Semolina)

This makes the absolute best turkey sandwich. A delightful flavour combination with the rich buttery flavour of the semolina and the sweet, yet tart flavour of the cranberries.

Naked (Traditional Baguette)

Dress me up and watch me go. Whether it’s a 3 ingredient hors d’ oeuvres (Baguette, peanut butter and marshmallow is always popular) or a carefully created canopy, this traditional French Baguette has a crispy crust and a fabulous flavour. Baked with ancient grains, our baguette is always a crowd pleaser.

Light Rye (Winnipeg Rye)

A traditional Winnipeg style rye bread, rich in flavour and a crowd pleaser at any buffet.

Sleepless in Seattle (Pecan and Flax)

We need to warn you to be careful about who you eat this with because, well, like in the movie, you’ll fall in love. This richly moist loaf is a breakfast favourite, toasted it’s incredible. With your home made jam, even better.

French Kiss (French Country Rye)

This is a real traditional peasant bread leavened over 3 days with its own unique culture. This favourite of Tanya’s (our Master Baker) is ideal paired with lentil soup for a warm supper on a wet winter night. Makes an awesome Smoked Meat sandwich.

Pillow Talk (Ciabatta/Rosemary Ciabatta)

A truly authentic Ciabatta with a chewy crust and a centre so moist you think you are eating a cloud. Available traditional style or infused with rosemary. Be sure to have some oil and balsamic handy!

Burger Buddies

Whether it is our traditional Ciabatta buns or the Brioche Buddies, nothing holds whatever you have coming off the grill better than our Burger Buddies. Traditional Burger Buddies have a chewy crust and easily hold any juicy burger coming off your barbeque. The Brioche Buddy has the richness of butter and eggs, with a soft crust.

Olive You Forever

Rich, ripe Greek Calamata olives stud this naturally leavened bread.  A Bread Affair’s levain, mixed with whole and unbleached white flours create a delight for bread lovers. Perhaps this is the bread that inspired our slogan that “good bread is best served naked”.

Sourdough Baguette

We take our famous sourdough but shape it as a baguette to increase the amount of the crisp, layered crust.  The result:  an amazing sourdough that is perfect for your spinach dip, other spreads or sliced length ways for the best sandwich that you are likely to make!

GRANVILLE ISLAND BAKERY

1680 Johnston Street (beside Granville Island Public Market main building)
Vancouver, B.C. V6H 3S2 ‎

Tel: 604 695 0000
Email: bakery@abreadaffair.com
Hours: Mon – Thurs 8:30 am to 7:00 pm,  Fri – Sun 8:30 am to 7:30 pm including Holidays

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