The Essential Baking Company offers artisan breads made with high-quality, simple ingredients, avoiding artificial additives and preservatives for a healthier option. Founded in 1994 by George DePasquale and Jeff Fairhall, the company provides "take and bake" loaves that are freshly baked in just 12 to 15 minutes, using traditional methods and locally sourced ingredients.
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You only need a few simple ingredients to make bread: flour, water, yeast, and salt. But if you peek at the label on a loaf of sandwich bread, baguette, or other pastry in the supermarket, you might discover many other additions such as high fructose corn syrup, Diacetyl Tartaric Acid Esters of Monoglycerides (also known as DATEM, an artificial emulsifier), or calcium propionate (a preservative). These ingredients might aid with shelf life and texture, but it also means you’re adding potentially harmful chemicals to your diet. Enter: The Essential Baking Company. This brand knows we don’t all have time to mix, shape, and bake artisan bread at home, but believes you should be able to enjoy a high-quality slice anyway.
In 1994, George DePasquale and the late Jeff Fairhall started The Essential Baking Company. Fairhall was the founder of a sandwich startup, and DePasquale had recently relocated to Seattle from San Francisco to pursue his twin passions of baking and playing bass guitar. When their paths crossed, the duo started selling DePasquale’s breads at local markets.
The Essential Baking Company makes artisan breads and other baked goods using high-quality ingredients, with an eye toward environmental and social responsibility. Its innovative line of “take and bake” loaves are ready-made and delivered in oxygen-free packaging to maintain freshness. That means warm, oven-baked bread can be yours in only 12 to 15 minutes. The brand’s FreshSeal™ packaging provides locked-in freshness for months (sans freezing or preservatives) and is manufactured without BPA.
A team of bakers at The Essential Baking Company starts every loaf the same way you would in your own kitchen—by mixing water, flour, sea salt, and naturally occurring yeast. The brand’s original starter is the signature ingredient, and it dates all the way back to the Gold Rush era. Besides the base ingredients, all the loaves have a few other things in common:
You’ll love warming up one of these signature loaves from The Essential Baking Company.
Made without preservatives, this ready-to-bake loaf is loaded with fragrant garlic flavor. Thrive Market member Sheryl from Arkansas calls it her “number one favorite product” when opening her Thrive box.
Enjoy this traditional sourdough loaf with Sunday supper. The recipe uses only four ingredients, and the dough is fermented for more than four hours to enhance the distinctive tang.
A sandwich is really only as good as the bread you use. That’s because this essential ingredient lends flavor, texture, and structure to everything from vegan bites to Italian subs. Here are some of our favorite healthy sandwich recipes from ThriveMarket.com.
You’ll never feel deprived when Vegan BLTs or Pulled Jackfruit Sandwiches are on your weekly menu. Head to the blog to get all seven of the easy vegan sandwich recipes.
This breaded chicken sandwich is tender and crunchy, and made with a gluten-free coating. That means more people can enjoy this crave-worthy dish.
A sandwich to cap off the meal? Yes, please! These miniature bites are made with creamy almond butter and jam for a spin on PB&J, then dunked in melted chocolate.
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