A few weeks ago I finally made my first visit to Boulted Bread. They are a relatively new bakery located in downtown Raleigh near the historic Boylan Heights neighborhood that offers bread and pastries made with organic, heirloom and locally sourced grains. It was opened by Fulton Forde, Sam Kirkpatrick, and Joshua Bellamy, friends who grew up in Raleigh and reconnected later in life to find they shared a passion for baking and making an impact on their community through the creation of local sustainable food systems.
The bakery is a neat space. It occupies a small renovated storefront on W. South Street that has a rolling garage door on the front that can be opened during the warmer months. There is parking along the side of the building where you will also find a few raised bed gardens and picnic tables along the side wall of the building with a great mural backdrop. The inside space is small but cozy and has a warm vibe. The glass garage door ensures the seating area is basked in morning light. There are only a few tables inside but they are a perfect spot to enjoy a morning pastry and coffee while people come and go to pick up their baked goods for the day.
Boulted offers five primary breads: Levain, Seeded Rye, Seeded Levain, Ciabatta, and baguettes. They also offer a rotating menu of croissants and other pastry, showcasing seasonal, locally sourced ingredients. On the day I visited I tried an excellent raspberry danish that was perfectly baked with a slightly crisp exterior contrasted by a light and fluffy inside with just the right amount of raspberry. It was the perfect accompaniment to my cup of Counter Culture Coffee which you can also get at the bakery. They had a nice display of other pastries and baked goods and I look forward to going back to try even more of their great selection.
One unique feature about Boulted Bread is that they mill all of their flour and rye in house using a custom made mill they had made using stone from a quarry in Salisbury, NC. This specialized mill is what allows them to work with heirloom varities of the southern grains in their breads. To help fund the making of the mill Boulted obtained a low interest loan from Slow Money NC, a great organization that focus resources on the local community and works to “build resilience in the local food economy by catalyzing loans to local, sustainable food and farming businesses.” Slow Money NC has also played a role in funding other great local Triangle businesses like Big Spoon Roasters, and Cocoa Cinnamon in Durham. You can learn more about Slow Money NC at http://slowmoneync.org.
Boulted Bread is a cool place to check out and I am really impressed with their baked goods. I’d add this to the top of your list of places to visit in Raleigh if you are a fan of bakeries like me. To wet your appetite I highly recommend following Boulted Bread on instagram where they regularly share pictures of their delicious baked goods. Boulted Bread is open Wednesday–Friday 7am-6pm,Saturday and Sunday 8am-5pm. They also sell their baked goods at the Western Wake Farmers’ Market each Saturday.
Boulted Bread
614 W. South Street
Raleigh, NC (map)
website: http://www.boultedbread.com/
facebook: https://www.facebook.com/boultedbread
twitter: @BoultedBread
instagram: @BoultedBread
The Triangle Explorer 