460 Bread

It looks like just another set of garage doors in a small industrial park.

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But these are no ordinary doors. They are the threshold of the newly-opened bread bakery, 460 Bread, in Driggs, Idaho.

Speaking on behalf of all Carbohydrate Queens everywhere: Yup.

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I’ve eaten bread from Paris to Pasadena, and trust me, Ty Mack and Jerod Pfeffer know their dough.

I don’t know if Jerod has ever actually used the words “mission statement” in a sentence or not. But in response to a random question about yeast, he replied, “We just want to make the best bread possible.”

Now there’s a mission statement for ya.

They have learned their craft well. For my money, they produce the best crust, color, crumb, and contentment-inducing crunches of fabulous flavor in Teton Valley.

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They use fresh, clean, local ingredients…

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… and mill their own specialty grains, like organic hard red winter wheat and kamut.

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They’re natural, comfortable teachers, too.

Even though I like to think about myself as a maker of bread, I didn’t know the difference between a liquid levain and a stiff one…

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… or how either one of them tasted against the soupy leaven known as “poolish.” But listening to the breadmeisters talk about the nuances of “nuttiness,” and “earthiness,” and “bright lemon” brought back memories of being educated by some of the finest vintners in California wine country.

I’m just glad they didn’t mention “notes of wet stone and old gym sock.”

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It’s a gentle hands-in/on/under operation.

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The dough is alive and must be cut and offered up in a way entirely optimistic and grateful.

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There’s something about hand-formed ciabatta that makes me breathe all the way in.

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Meet Bongard, the benign behemoth of a deck oven that partners with them in the kitchen. Bongard is a 12,000 lb., 460-degree steam-breathing dragon.

Ty keeps him focused on their Quest For The Golden Crust with his magic paddle.

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Ty is a dragon tamer.

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Ever wanted to actually watch the grass grow? To replicate the gig for free, just stand in front of Bongard and some newly-hatched ciabatta eggs.

Before your very eyes.

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As in all other things, timing is everything…

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… unless it’s also the strength, suppleness, and willingness to have a spine cut into you that separates the Baguettes from the Boys.

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We ate the entire loaf in one day… before dinner.


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17 thoughts on “460 Bread

  1. Rosco

    These guys are the real deal… I got a chance to observe for a day and I was very happy to be up at 6am to do it. Hope the rest of the world finds them in sleepy Teton Valley.

  2. dena lyn

    Heard 460 bakery got themselves a great new employee 🙂 I was able to visit your bakery a couple months ago and have been hearing about all the excitement since my son moved out there in Nov. What a perfect fit!!

  3. Pingback: A lot of baking, not much blogging… |

  4. Kathy P.

    True to my promise, we did head south from Montana to Driggs last week, just to try some 460 Bread. Our cranberry walnut loaf was moist, sweet, and perfect — the best of its kind, EVER! (We realized too late that we should have bought THREE.) What an amazing bakery! I wish we could enjoy such delicious artistry every day.

  5. Julie

    My mouth is watering! Love the pictures of rangy Ty and Jerod lovingly shaping the dough with their big, gentle hands! I can’t wait to bite into a baguette!

    1. rickandkathy

      Julie, it was really something watching it live. These are true renaissance guys: skilled bakers, but also musicians, authors, carpenters, and probably six other skill sets I didn’t pick up on.

  6. Rose

    I’ve never heard Ty (my husband) described as a dragon tamer before…the thought makes me smile.

    I love the whole post. Thank you for the beautiful photographs and humorous exploration of the craft and process. Hope to see you in 460 Bread sometime soon!

    Rose

    1. rickandkathy

      Rose, it was delightful to find 460 Bread in the Valley. We are so happy to have such a high-quality operation and people so close at hand. We will definitely be back.

  7. Debra

    Awesome post! Loved every word and picture! Thanks…I still have a smile on my face…

  8. Kathy P.

    Yum!! When we can drive down from Montana, let’s head there for breakfast!

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