Hot Bread Kitchen
“If you find yourself around La Marqueta with a hankering for carbs…”
“The grindstone rye, raisin breads, pepita whole wheat, conchas, and bialys are favorites.”
“Delicious, high quality bread with a mission to empower low-income women.”
Hot Bread Kitchen
Take-out: Yes
Accepts Credit Cards: Yes
Bike Parking: Yes
Price range.
$$ Price range Moderate
8 reviews
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I got bread here, but sadly, it wasn't hot.
It was still pretty good though. This place is a little counter in the larger La Marqueta building, which is just like the Essex St. Market, and even has a Beurre & Sel cookie counter just like it.
They have a bunch of different kinds of bread, as well as two different kinds of sandwiches, one of which they were didn't have. The other option was a grilled cheese, so instead I went for some Peanut Butter on Walnut Raisin Bread ($2.50). Peanut butter can pretty much make anything taste amazing, so I wasn't really that impressed that this little sandwich happened to taste good. It was still disappointing though that the bread was not hot.
The bread here all looks really good. I guess I might be more inclined to come back if I could try a sandwich or some kind of bread that lives up to the name of the place.
Hot Bread Kitchen has an incredible product.
And the incubator concept (where they train immigrant/low-income women in the art of baking) is much needed.
However, they have no clue that running a neighborhood bake shop in spanish harlem requires some skill and a lot of kindness.
I find myself at HBK once a week as it is one of the places that makes authentic bialy's. Bialy's have become a bit of an endangered species. In fact a woman asked the cashier just this morning, "What is a bialy?" The cashier says, "It's sort of like a bagel with poppy seeds and onion. It's good." Sort of, exactly wrong but I appreciate the effort.
Back to the breads. The bialy, pepita square, nan el barbari are my faves.
The bialy is a crusty, chewy, breakfast roll with a touch of sweetness from the caramelized onion. If you need instructions on how to toast it without losing all the filling I can show you.
The pepita square is a dense whole grain, healthy tasting bread with pumpkin seeds that is delicious toasted and slathered in butter.
The nan el barbari is a flat bread topped with nigella and sesame seeds. I like to slice it, toast it and then serve it pan con tomate style. It is divine.
I have had better challah, stollen and babka (see cohen's bakery in ellenville). Also, no whole wheat challah, please?
The bread is pricey but worth it. The rolls typically are a better value and after 2p you pay what you will.
Two of the women who work there are friendly and competent – the rest are not. I do not mind incompetence as long as someone is friendly. But attitude and incompetence. No way. So, now I buy my bread and DIY it at home.
Other important details – the bread stock varies depending on what the online / delivery demands are for the day. Translation, the bread available to storefront customers are the dregs. So, you cannot count on a nan el barbari unless someone online made an order. They are still amazing but again the storefront is an after thought.
Sometimes, the staff from the incubator will come down and make themselves a snack. Or work the bakery and make food for others. Now, I'm all about flavor OK, but "Where have those hands been?"
Mostly I say go. It is a really special place. The bread is beyond worth it.
My hope is that HBK would be more transparent that the storefront is second class to the incubator. Also, it's spanish harlem at la marqueta. We need friendly/ of the people/i'm your neighborhood bake store not just in concept but in practice and what better place to practice then at the storefront itself.
On a recent visit to NYC, I knew I had to make a visit to HBK… especially after hubby & I purchased their cookbook late last year (but shame, shame.. yet to make a recipe from it.) Besides the prospect of yummy ethnic breads, I also wanted to support this business' very important mission of providing long-term financial stability and skill building to low-income, immigrant, or minority (mostly) women. And I was enamored with the thought of HBK being asked to be the flagship of the city's vision for the new La Marqueta and the entrepreneurial spirit!
On Wed 4/20, we set out from our family's apartment on the UES (125th & Riverside) with a party of 5 planning to take the bus x-town, but somehow managed to walk until Lexington due to adventures in shopping (and a huge Gap Sale!). At Lex, my 6yo niece had a violent allergic reaction (see my review for Red Rooster, NOT their fault!) and the rest of the group had to turn back with me soldering on solo to explore and report back. It was a beautiful day for a walk (perfect temps, sunny, and pleasant) so I enjoyed the people and locale watching along the way.
Once I arrived at La Marqueta, all the tempting breads on display made it difficult to choose but I finally settled on an avocado toast (given my choice of bread, I selected the herb focaccia) and mini cheddar bialy to enjoy for lunch in-house. There is not much space in the actual store– just the display case and cash register with a couple of small 2-tops so to eat here you are likely to sit at one of the small or communal tables in the shared center space of the closed-in market building. The avocado toast was much larger than I was expecting… for $4 it more than filled me up with a generous amount of avocado slices on top! I had to strain to eat the cheddar bialy ($1.50) afterwards, even though it wasn't more than a handful of (delicious) bites.
The most interesting part was that while waiting for, and then eating my lunch, I got to see the HBK concept in the flesh! A group of about 8 women (some with very little English skills) arrived one by one, got their work authorizations checked, and waited for the group interview, orientation, and tour to begin. I got to witness a brief peek into how this all works! I have no idea how often they do initial interviewing.
To share at home, I picked up:
— Nan-e Quadi ($3ea x2, "A rich, creamy Persian sweetbread made with milk and honey and topped with sesame seeds. Ideal for breakfasts or afternoon tea."),
— M'smen ($2.50ea x2, "A buttery, flaky Moroccan flatbread that melts in your mouth — made with wheat flour, semolina, and butter. Traditionally eaten for breakfast with honey, it's also great with lamb and onions.")
— Nan-e Barbari ($4ea x4 halves, "A savory Persian flatbread with a chewy crust, topped with black and white sesame seeds.")
— Bialy ($2ea x2, "Classic New York breakfast roll filled with caramelized onions and poppy seeds and baked directly on the hearth.")
— Macadamia Nut Cookies ($2.75 for a 2-pack) for my little cookie monster waiting on the UWS!
My Persian husband was not super enthused about the Quadi and Barbari– he felt the Barbari was a little too thick and dense and I tend to agree. In my experience from authentic Iranian bakeries in the US, Canada, and Iran it is true that Barbari tends to be a little more delicate than that of HBK's. But we both went bananas over the M'smen which we shared for breakfast the next morning drizzled with honey– reminded us of all those amazing and elaborate Moroccan breakfasts we had during a trip there ten years ago! The bialy's tasted good to me, but I'm not sure I've ever had one before so unsure what they are "supposed" to taste like. And my little one gobbled up those mac nut cookies and didn't even complain about the lack of chocolate (usually a must for her!)
My total came to $39.25 for lunch and all the take-home goodies, which I thought was a pretty nice deal for this city. All in all, a place I will support again the next time I am in the city!!
Stopped in today with the intention of getting a baguette and a latte. I saw that the baguettes were $4 (a little too rich for my blood considering they're $2 at fairway) so I just got a latte, $3.50. The latte was decent but I probably wouldn't go here for coffee again. The reason I gave this place high marks is because there really isn't any other place like it in the neighborhood. I just wish that their coffee was a little better and bread was a little cheaper.
If you know me, you know that in a previous life, I was the Pilsbury Dough Boy. Why? It's simple; I love me some hot bread.
The name here says it all.
Hot, delicious bread baked on premise by a fantastic group of culinary, philanthropic individuals, all with a smiling face to boot.
If you find yourself around La Marqueta with a hankering for carbs… Be sure to grab a bialy and a hot apple cider and enjoy life the way it was meant to be enjoyed.
Crumb on my face?
On Saturday mornings, Fort Greene has a local farmer's market right at the mouth of Fort Greene Park. When I am up early, I always make it a point to go to the Farmer's Market and pick up some seasonal fruits and vegetables.
I always find myself admiring HBK's breads. I mill around their counter and always end up buying some bread. This morning, I chose two raisin walnut rolls and also the Moroccan M'smen. I really like the M'smen. It is a flaky flatbread and reminds me of a Chinese scallion pancake minus the grease and salt. It is made with semolina, wheat flour and butter. I like to eat it with some dip and also with cheese.
They don't have a store, but the bakery is in Harlem and they sell at all the local farmer's market. You can go to their website and see where they are selling their bread.
Delicious, high quality bread with a mission to empower low-income women. Social responsibility at its best. Does it get any better than this?
This place has incredibly lovely bread.
That is on top of their awesome mission to help low-income women learn the skills needed to start a business and its focus on breads from all over the world.
The bread is not too expensive, actually, and they are made incredibly well and, they boast, "authentically."
Wednesdays, they're at the Union Square Market.
This place is amazing for many reasons! First of all, your purchase supports a good cause. The company employs women from the community who have had difficulty finding work or have fallen on hard times a paid apprenticeship learning how to bake delicious artisan breads. The nonprofit has affiliations with many upscale bakeries in NYC and has been able to place many of its graduates in great jobs baking quality bread. Second, the bread itself is delicious and reasonably-priced. My favorite is the multigrain, but I have enjoyed all of the breads I have tried. Also, if you want to save a few $$, you can also come in the afternoons I think after 2pm or so, and it's pay what you wish for bread. Third, I just like supporting local small businesses. This one is in La Marqueta, which has definitely seen better days, but I'm rooting for it to become more popular and reinvigorate the area.