Before sunrise at Allegheny Bread Works
How a two-person bakery in Lawrenceville sells out by ten every Saturday, and what the rest of Butler Street learned from it.
By Maria Kessler1 min read
The ovens at Allegheny Bread Works go on at 3:30. By the time Butler Street wakes up, the first racks of sourdough are cooling in the front window and the line for Saturday croissants has started to form.
Two people, one oven
Owners Lena and Marco bake everything themselves in a deck oven they bought used from a closing bakery in Erie. They make about 180 loaves on a Saturday and stop when the dough runs out. "We would rather sell out than throw bread away," Lena says.
What sells out first
The country sourdough and the seeded rye go first, then the croissants. Regulars pre-order by Thursday; everyone else learns to come before ten.
Why it works for the neighborhood
Three cafés on the street now serve their bread, and the bakery sends its day-old loaves to a pantry in Garfield. If you are on Butler Street early on a Saturday, follow the smell of toasted rye.
In this story
- Allegheny Bread Works
Naturally leavened loaves, baked before sunrise
Restaurants & cafés · Lawrenceville
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