After a trip to an apple orchard a few weekends ago, my husband and I finally found time to stop at Great Harvest Bread Company. I love bread but I am also very picky about what constitutes good bread. I was raised in France where they have some of the best breads in the world and where it is customary to buy your bread fresh each day at your local bakery. I didn’t know anything about Great Harvest before stopping in, only that it was a bakery.

We were greeted by very friendly staff who were only too happy to answer my questions. I was looking for a rustic bread, high fiber, low sugar, low fat, and no preservatives. Little did I know that that describes every bread they make! Their philosophy is to grind the flour fresh, and add nothing other than grainy, wheaty goodness. We were offered samples off their “bread board” and while tasting, they recommended breads that they thought would match what I was looking for. I wanted something heavy, full of coarse grains and a robust flavor. They gave me a sheet that had information about each bread they bake, along with a schedule of baking times. We tasted several delicious breads while the staff explained their different breads, including something sweet and apple-y. We decided to purchase the “oatbran flax.” We also couldn’t resist trying one of their sweets and purchased a cherry-berry sticky granola bar that was seriously yummy. We didn’t sit in their little café area since we had other things we wanted to do that day, but I intend to go back sometime to either have lunch and try one of their sandwiches, or just stop in for a coffee and something sweet. We have been back every week since our first visit to buy bread for the week and have tried a different bread each time. They have all been delicious!

If you haven’t experienced their delightful breads yet, you really are missing out on a Rochester treasure! Stop in and see for yourselves!! Here is their website for more information:

http://greatharvestrochester.com/

Next stop will be Daube’s Bakery. I’ve tried a desert of theirs at their restaurant Jasper’s that was delicious, but I have yet to stop by the bakery!