Chabaso recently released four flavors of its Oval bread, as well as Double Pumpkin Ciabatta Rolls.

The Essential Baking Co. also now reaches a national audience with its Take & Bake line of artisan sourdough batards and baguettes, which get a notable 190-day ambient shelf life thanks to modified-atmosphere packaging (MAP).

Baking bread is a balancing act, and any change in ingredients and technique can shift the outcome of a loaf in ways that affect flavor, volume and structure.

Passion underpins the dedication to invest the time and resources required to bake bread with unmistakable Old World artisan flavor, appearance and texture. And strong business sense leads such bakers to judiciously capitalize on the technological tools available to help bring those truly artisan breads to a wide customer base without compromising craftsmanship.

As the artisan bread movement continues to gain momentum across the U.S., one of its most-ancient forms—sourdough—is garnering more-widespread attention.