ISO Authentic Italian Bread

[janetzuccarini]

Chowhouders, why is no one doing authentic Italian bread in this city? I have found excellent Italian "Filone" bread all over NYC, but not here at home - can anyone help me?
Grazie!

[toveggiegirl]

Sobey's in-store bakery makes filoni. I've never tried it, but some of their breads are surprisingly good.

[Vinnie Vidimangi]

I think that what you want can be found at St. Phillip's Bakery , Keele St south of Wilson, east side , in a strip mall.

[janetzuccarini]

Thank you everyone...I will check all of these places out and let you know!

[fatman0000]

Have u tried Commiso Bros. or Nino D'aversa ?

[janetzuccarini]

So far Nino D'aversa has been my favourite ...just still not like in Italy as well as what I have found in the majority of Italian restaurants in NYC.

I appreciate everyone's input!

[Jar]

I go to many bakeries mentioned, but about a decade and a half ago, I gave up looking for another bread I used to buy on Bloor St. W. ----- Olive Paste Bread ----- next time in San Remo, I'll ask them and see if they might be able to bake the fabulously flavoured Olive Paste Bread!!!

[janetzuccarini]

I will try La Rose bakery as well: I heard they also have Italian "cornetti"...something else I have been looking for.

[pancake]

La Rose is worth a visit. They do a nice Ciabatta that sounds similar to what you are describing but I'm not sure they have exactly what you are seeking.

[FrenchSoda]

Out of curiosity, when you say "authentic" are you comparing to the ones from NYC or also from a particular part of Italy?

[janetzuccarini]

@FrenchSoda: The kind of Italian bread I am in search of is described above: It's called a "Filone" and is found all over Italy. I have mainly eaten this bread in Rome, where I lived for 8 years. I have also found this bread in all of Mario Batali's restaurants in NYC as well as in other NYC Italian eateries such as, Bar Pitti, Torrisi, Inotecca, La Loconda Verde, Peasant, etc. "Filone" is characterized with a deep caramelized crust, which is super crunchy, inside is very dense with lots of air bubbles. I have not found a truly authentic italian bread anywhere in Toronto...sold at a retail level or in any restaurant.

[Kagemusha]

Italian bakeries around the GTA tend towards one-note bread products: different shapes but usually the same 1-2 mixes. You might have better luck with a non-Italian artisanal baker. I know the type but haven't seen it for years around DTTO. LaRose and SanRemo might come across with the goods--they don't crank out the usual stuff.

[bytepusher]

Filone is or was a popular bread style in parts of Italy but not everywhere, in Tuscany for example they usually have an unsalted bread that takes a little getting used to. Over here we have this oddball perception of Italian cuisine being frozen in time but nothing could be further from the truth, a good example of this is the now nearly ubiquitous Ciabatta loaf, believe it or not it didn't exist before 1982 when it was invented by a bakery near Venice specifically with the idea of making an sandwich bread alternative to french baguettes.

In Toronto if you get into your wayback machine and go back 30 years or so you would have found filone loaves at just about any grocery store with an in house bakery and it would have been the bread at many Italian restaurants but the triple whammy of the gutting of real in store bakeries in favour of reheateries (thank you Ace), a preference for other bread styles (like baguette and ciabatta) and a trend in restos to using more interesting and varied artisanal bread styles instead of what was seen as the rather boring filone.

You ought to be able to find some at the Italian specialty bakers mentioned.

[LJS]

This is where you need to head:
Sanremo Bakery in Etobicoke offering a diversified line of Italian Breads, Foods and Desserts.
www.sanremobakery.com

[janetzuccarini]

Thanks LJS, I will check San Remo out. I also just wanted to explain what "Filone" bread is: It has a very crunchy caramelized crust, that makes a lot of noise when you slice it, the inside is very dense with large bubbles.

[pancake]

La Rose Bakery in Etobicoke also offers a variety of fresh baked breads everyday.