FAQ
What style pizza do you make?
Glad you asked! We call it OAKLAND-STYLE, something of a hybrid between “California” and “New York” styles of pizza. Our pies are made on a thin sourdough crust and feature seasonal and local toppings, along side skillful renditions of the classics
What is sourdough? Why is it better than dough made with commercial yeast? What is sourdough starter?
Sourdoughs are bread doughs that are fermented and leavened (risen) with a naturally occurring colony of yeast and bacteria that grows in a mixture of flour and water. This mixture is called a SOURDOUGH STARTER.
The starter is perpetuated (maintained) by adding fresh flour and water to a residual amount of it after it is used. The yeast and bacteria feed on this mixture and multiply within it: this is fermentation.
Not only do we find that sourdough is tasty, tasty, tasty, many people report that sourdough and long fermented doughs are easier to digest. Through the long fermentation and due to the action of the naturally occurring bacteria and yeast, sourdoughs “predigest” their starches. Though we are just humble bakers and don’t make health claims, we’ve read and heard many reports of people with diabetes, IBS, and certain gluten sensitivities having a much easier time with sourdough than with yeasted or chemically leavened doughs.
Please note: Our work environment contains a lot of wheat flour, we do not recommend anything from our facility for someone with a severe gluten or wheat allergy
What is in your pizza dough and what is the process for it?
Our pizza dough contains:
Organic white wheat flour (Central Milling), Water, Sourdough Starter, Canola and Olive Oil, Malted Barley, and Sea Salt.
-A trace amount of pan spray is used on it (brand: Vegelene 3-oil Blend), this contains soy lecithin as a surfactant and should be noted for folks that have soy allergy
-Semolina is used for dusting. This is a type of wheat.
Our process:
Our pizza dough is mixed between 24-48 hours in advance of when it is baked. Dough usually gets between 6 and 12 hours of “bulk” fermentation at ambient temp, when it is fermented before it is portioned. It’s then rounded and continues fermentation both at room temperature and under refrigeration until it is made into a pizza.
Can we buy pizza dough?
Sorry, due to the demands of pizza service we are unable to sell our dough
Can we have some starter?
Absolutely! We are happy to give you a small amount of starter (seed) that you can grow your own starter from. We love sourdough baking and encourage its craft. Our starter is fed at 12 hour intervals at around 75% hydration, though you may adjust yours to meet your own baking schedule
What’s in your Bagels?
Ingredients: organic wheat flour, water, sourdough starter (water and flour), organic sugar, malted barley, sea salt, yeast
Are the bagels sourdough?
Our hand shaped bagels contain both sourdough starter and commercial yeast to allow for both a consistent rise and deeper flavor.
Are the bagels boiled?
Yes! Our bagels are made in a traditional manner, they are both cold fermented overnight, and boiled before baking
Are the bagels vegan
YES!
Can I order a large quantity of bagels?
Yes!
Because we are a small batch bakery we limit walk up orders of bagels to 2 dozen (26), but we can accommodate advance orders over 2 dozen with about 48 working hours notice (cut off 4pm 2 days in advance).
Example: Sunday pick up order must be in by 4pm Friday.
This is to allow time for increased starter production.
Orders for Weds must be in by Sat 4pm, as we are closed Mon & Tues.
WE ONLY TAKE ADVANCE BAGEL ORDERS FOR 2 DOZ OR MORE.
Please email nickbakes@gmail.com for advanced bagel orders
Catering trays of lox, veggies and cream cheese also available!
Which of the breads are sourdough?
Bushrod*, Olive*, Artichoke*, Focaccia*, Garlic-Cheese, and Sour Baguettes* are all made from the same dough. This is 100% naturally leavened (no commercial yeast). Made with only Organic flour (blend of white and wheat), starter, water, sea salt
Which of the breads are yeasted?
Honey Wheat (*dairy and egg-free, contains honey), Maple Twists and Morning Buns, Pickled Pepper-Cheddar are all made from the same or similar “high-extraction” wheat yeasted dough (buns and twists contain butter)
Ciabatta*, Dutch Crunch* and Sweet Baguettes* are all made from a white flour yeasted dough. It is “long fermented” with close to 24hr total fermentation time
*=denotes vegan item, also bagels
Do you egg wash your breads?
No. None of our current line up of breads are egg washed. Our scones are.
Are any of the Pastries and Desserts vegan?
No, sorry they are not. Please see above for vegan breads available
Are any of the Pastries and Desserts egg free?
Maple Twists and Morning Buns
Are any of the Pastries and Desserts wheat free?
Pignoli Cookies
Organics, GMOs, rBST?
Sugar: Our primary sugars are organic (brown and evaporated cane juice) these are used wherever a formula calls for white or brown sugar. Our confectioners sugar and honey are conventional (honey cannot be certified organic by USDA)
Eggs: we only use organic eggs
Flour: with the exception of the semolina we use for dusting, all of our flour is certified organic
Dairy: We use Clover Farms rBst-free liquid dairy and butter
Cheeses: Our cheeses are generally either imported from countries that don’t use rBST, producer certified to be free of rBST, or made from the milk of non-bovine animals. This includes all forms of mozzarella, ricotta, sandwich cheeses, feta (sheep’s milk), goat cheese. Unfortunately, we cannot use organic cheeses due to commercial market constraints.
Produce: Much of our fresh produce is certified organic: all loose greens (spring mix, arugula, spinach) and basil, as well as much of the produce featured on our special pizzas. Our canned tomatoes are conventional, we generally receive conventional on onions, potatoes, romaine, mushrooms, roma and grape tomatoes, dates, olives
Nitrates?
Our roasted deli meats (turkey, ham, roast beef), pepperoni,and smoked salmon are made by Hobb’s Meats and free of added nitrates outside of those naturally occurring in their seasonings (which only occurs in the pepperoni to my knowledge).
Salami, Bacon, Hot Coppa, Mortadella, and Prosciutto come from various vendors and may contain added nitrates in their curing agents