From Dough to Perfection: How Novak’s Bakery Makes Artisanal Bread

The art of breadmaking dates back to thousands of years. The earliest evidence of bread making can be attributed to Egypt when grain production became a cultural practice. Today, breadmaking has evolved into an industrial process where thousands of loaves are machine-made every single day. However, there still are Samaritans who follow age-old recipes and baking techniques to craft handmade bread.

If breadmaking is an art, we are the artists. At Novaks Bakery, we take the art of baking bread to a whole new level. With a blend of rustic crust, textured interior, and complex flavours, our bakers create magic everyday using fresh ingredients to deliver exquisite loaves to kitchens, cafes, and restaurants across Limerick. Our artisan breads are, indeed, a morning staple for hundreds of Irishmen.

But what makes our artisan bread so special? And how is it different from the mass-produced bread you find at supermarkets?

The answer lies in the process. In this blog, we’ll look at how we make art with artisan breads every morning.

Our Artisan Bread Making Process

First and foremost, artisan bread is all about the ingredients. A whole-grain artisan Sourdough bread can be made with four simple ingredients – flour, water, salt, and yeast. But we at Novaks Bakery take it a step ahead and use high-quality ingredients. That means using protein-rich flours that render a superior structure and texture to our breads. Our bakers also use filtered water free of impurities and heat it at the right temperature to activate the yeast properly.

With locally sourced ingredients like rye, poppy seeds, and more, we start our baking process. Our bakers mix and knead the dough along with these ingredients. A big part of the process is slow fermentation, which allows the dough to rest and develop complex flavours and textures. This means our artisan bakers mix the dough and let it rest overnight, long before it is served at your breakfast table.

The long fermentation process causes the yeast to feed in the sugars and produce gases, creating air pockets in the dough. Our bakers gently shape the dough with their hands to develop a flawless structure and turn it into a loaf. The loaf is then baked in our oven.

The key to baking artisan bread is technique and patience. A moist bread with a crusty interior takes time, care, and passion to perfect. For that extra texture, we spray water over the bread before baking.

Once the loaf develops a golden brown crust, we let it cool on a wire rack before packing and sending it on its way to our customers.

Our bakers have perfected the art of breadmaking over several years of practice and patience. And the end result is truly worthwhile. Whether you are a consumer waiting for a high-nutrition breakfast or a kitchen serving sourdough buns, burgers, and baguettes to your customers, a delicious, crusty loaf from Novaks Bakery is what you need to impress friends, family, and patrons.

Contact Novaks Bakery to learn more about our range of sourdough bread and brioche buns that boast excellence. You can also discuss your needs with our team and get fresh & flavourful bread delivered to your doorstep every morning.