Last December, we spotlighted baker Alex Carlson as the face – and hands – behind the beautiful bread program at Five Bistro. Carlson recently “kneaded” that dough operation into an independent business called Red Guitar Bread, whereby his old-world boules, bageuttes and torpedos made from certified organic flour are now available to the public.
The Scoop ran into Carlson yesterday at the Webster Groves Farmers’ Market as he was readying his booth for the first day of the market season. Carlson explained why the Webster Groves market is the only market he will be participating in this year. “I don’t want to get too big, too fast; slow growth is the key. And what I’m doing now keeps me pretty busy.” That’s for sure. Carlson bakes an average of 75 to 100 pounds of bread daily, subleasing space from the Five Bistro kitchen.
Bread-lovers who can’t make the Thursday afternoon market, which runs through October, can also place orders via e-mail. (A website is coming soon.) Prices range from $3 for a smaller-sized baguette to $8 for Carlson’s newest creation, a hickory-smoked whole wheat loaf. Don’t know whether you want to opt for ciabatta or a hefty 1 and a half-pound pain au levain boule? You can drool over his rustic, edible works of art on the company’s Facebook page.
And for diners who have come to love Carlson’s bread at Five Bistro, Salume Beddu, The Mud House, Cyrano’s, Big Sky Café and even at Entre Underground events, no worries. Carlson will continue to service all of those accounts.
This article appears in May 1-31, 2011.