Mom was looking at Union Market’s website and saw the link for Bread Alley. One-click later, we knew where we were headed the next day. Our first challenge was finding it.
There address is 1250 5th Street, NE. Don’t put that into the GPS though. You are not likely to find it that way. Bread Alley is literally in an alley. As we were driving around looking for it, we were very skeptical that we would find something worthwhile but eventually, we saw our floury heaven tucked into a typical city alley.
We were able to find a place to park on Morse Street and then walk down the alley between 4th and 5th streets. We found a building painted black with Bread Alley painted on the side. Then we smelled the deliciousness baking and followed the instructions on the door sign to ring the bell.
This store is small. At 100 square feet, it could be the smallest store we have ever entered. You can see the giant kitchen in the back with a lot of glutinous goodness going on. Bread Alley bakes the bread for the well-known Le Diplomate. Each day the bakers start at 3:30 making a wide variety of yeasty treats.
We wanted one of everything they had to offer. The selection varies each day and they celebrate the seasons. While we were not able to enjoy everything they had, we did end up purchasing a baguette, some pastries, and a loaf of cranberry nut bread. While bread is the “bread and butter” of the shop, they also offer jams, honey, salts, and butter. The butter was sold out but hearing the description of it certainly made us put it on our do again list.
There are lots of chances for us to give it another try. Bread Alley is open every day from 9:00-5:00. You will want to get there early for the best selection. They will close early if they sell out.
Walking down the alley to what felt like a speakeasy for bread was a really special experience. They have something for everyone and we all loved it.
