Anyone who’s eaten at The Good Pie in Midtown knows that the crust is a fine one. A great deal of that credit goes to Ted Wilson, baker at the Neapolitan pizzeria since it opened in late 2008. Wilson spent a year-and-a-half learning the trade from famed baker Jim Lahey at his Sullivan Street Bakery in New York, and now he’s ready to spin with a project of his own: an artisan bakery called Loafers.
Loafers, explained Wilson, will specialize in baking “great European breads” – from familiar French baguettes to less-common, hefty, five-kilo boules. Wilson also plans to depart from the traditional schedule of baking from late at night into the wee morning in order to offer the freshest bread possible. “Usually, they get breads to restaurants between 4 and 6 a.m.,” Wilson explained. “I want to change that model so the bread isn’t 12 hours old.” Instead, Loafers’ bread will come out of the oven in the afternoon so it’s at its freshest – whether for walk-in customers or for area restaurants who serve Loafers’ bread to diners. (Mike Randolph, chef-owner of The Good Pie as well as MEDIAnoche and Half & Half in Clayton, told The Scoop that he will serve Wilson’s bread at all three of his restaurants.) Since the bread shop will have afternoon and early evening hours, Wilson plans to offer small bites like artisanal cheeses, charcuterie – and bread, of course – along with beer and wine, so customers can linger before heading home with loaf in hand.
The location for Loafers is yet to be determined, although a decision may come as early as next week. In the meantime, Wilson’s plans are already in motion. His tenure at The Good Pie will come to an end on July 21. This fall, he’ll be travelling to Europe to spend time as a stagiaire in Florence, Paris and Munich, immersing himself in Old-World bread-making. If the timeline holds true, the doors to Loafers will be unlocked in the spring of next year. “As far as I’m concerned, this is happening,” said Wilson. “Or else I’m out of a job.” More as we learn it.
— Photo by Greg Rannells
This article appears in June 2012.