Saltwater Bakeshop

As you likely know from reading my blog, I love baked goods.  Morning pastries, desserts, etc, I love them all.  I'm always eager to try places I haven't been before, so I was thrilled when an event I was staffing had some goodies from a new-to-me place, Saltwater Bakeshop, for us volunteers. 

"Saltwater Bakeshop was opened in 2018 by Chef Brittany Holden with the goal of developing a menu that is deeply influenced by the classics while also incorporating unique and thoughtful flavor combinations. " 

The bakery produces mostly breads and pastries (no cakes, etc).  For breads, Saltwater Bakeshop focuses on sourdough (boo, as I don't care for sourdough!), with 5-6 different loaves.  They also make a classic French baguette.  The pastry lineup has all the classics (croissant, pain au chocolat, almond croissant, ham and cheese croissant, seasonal danish, cinnamon twist), plus modern trends (passion fruit kouign amann, chocolate pistachio croissant, cardamom buns, seasonal mochi muffins, and croissant toast).  I was drawn in by the sounds of basically all the pastries, but was only able to try two.

"We believe in being part of our community and Baking a Difference! Each quarter we will be featuring a specialty item on our menu with 100% of the proceeds being donated to a Bay Area charity or nonprofit.  Join us in savoring the goodness and making a positive impact, one delicious bite at a time. "

They always have a "Bake a Difference" item on the menu, with proceeds going to a charity.

Saltwater Bakeshop does not have a physical storefront, but rather, sells at Farmer's Markets around the San Francisco Bay Area.  You'll see ingredients from the market used in their products, such as seasonal fruit and local charcuterie.  The items I tried were from the Fort Mason Sunday market. Their products can also be found at various cafes in the area.

Seeded Sourdough.

"Organic sourdough filled with poppy seeds, sesame seeds, flax seeds, and pumpkin seeds."

Although I don't generally go for sourdough, I didn't know this was sourdough at the time, and I was drawn in by the seeds.

It was a nicely baked loaf of bread - great crust, moist inside, no big air pockets, loaded with seeds.  I suspect it would make a great breakfast bread with cream cheese, be a nice base for avocado toast, or a nice healthy lunch sandwich bread.  But ... it was very sourdough, so not my thing.  I appreciated the seeds and quality baking though.  **+.

Classic Croissant.

"Layers of butter and croissant dough rolled together and baked to a golden brown."

I started with the most basic of the pastry lineup, the classic croissant.  A good judge of the quality of the rest of the laminated dough options.

It was fine, but not exceptionally good.  Well formed, nicely laminated, crispy exterior.  It tasted quite fresh, but did lack some of the buttery goodness that would push this into **** territory.  ***+.

Croissant Toast: Spring Seasonal Special.

"Croissant toast topped with seasonal farmer's market produce."

"Spring flavor: Honey citrus syrup, layered with custard, topped with an almond, pistachio, walnut crumble and a Phyllo nest."

And finally, I snagged the last hunk of an item that just looked super unique.  And it was!  It turned out to be their croissant toast, which rotates toppings seasonally.  This was the spring version.  The croissant toast itself is just a laminated dough that they bake into loaves, and slice.  It made for a good base.

It was great!  It reminded me of bostock.  I loved all the textures and flavors on top: the nutty crumble (almonds, walnuts, pistachio), the crispy phyllo, and of course, the creamy custard.  All nicely sweet from the honey syrup, but not cloying.  It mirrored the flavors of baklava, but more subdued.  I really enjoyed.  ****.