Favorite Trader Joe's bread?

[fadista]

What's a great bread at Trader Joe's? The four or five ingredient $1.99 whole wheat loaf is my standby, and it's good but not great. I'm willing to try a non-whole wheat if it really is terrific, but my experimentation thus far has disappointed.

This bread will be eaten:
- With eggs.
- In sandwiches of ham, cheese, pesto, smoked salmon, avocado. (Not all at once)

Thanks.

[L2k]

I'm outside of Boston, and I can never remember the name of the one we like, but it's got pumpkin seeds and a whole mess of other things baked in. Hardly any bread for all the grains!

[paulj]

In the Seattle area, I get:
- 10" flour tortillas ('truely hand made are bit better, but $1 more)
- 9 grain - this is the one I can keep for a long time in the fridge, and use any time I want a hearty bread (sandwiches, panino). Not nearly as sweet as softer wheat breads like Milton.
- sliced Tuscan - one of the less expensive of this category; though I've had it grow mold before finishing
- locally made whole loaves

[Caitlin McGrath]

Maybe a candidate for eating with eggs, I like the multigrain English muffins, which are high in fiber and protein and a nice grain flavor.

These may not be the kind of thing you are looking for, but in the Bay Area, a few of the "artisan" breads are actually Acme - definitely the herb foccacia (what Acme calls herb slab) and sourdough cranberry walnut.

[LA Buckeye Fan]

Probably wouldn't appeal to someone in the Bay Area, but I love the cracked wheat sour dough. Nice and sour and makes excellent sandwiches and toast.

[chinchi]

I have a few favorite sandwich breads from Trader Joes.

I like the TJ brand whole grain bread. The packaging looks similar to Milton's brand, and there are several varieties, but the whole grain is my favorite.

The soft multigrain grain sandwich bread is also nice, but the size of the slices is smaller so I prefer it for toast or grilled cheese.

I just tried the multigrain fiber bread last week, and was pleasantly surprised at the soft texture, despite having 6 grams of fiber per slice.

And an old standby, though not TJ brand, is the Ezekiel sesame bread. Hearty and dense, but good for toast and sturdy sandwiches. I love the sesame seeds when they get toasty!

[Jay F]

I like the sandwich bread at the TJ in Pittsburgh. Some of it has a religious-y sounding name I don't remember. I get one in white and one in whole wheat, and that lasts me two weeks unless I'm in ultra-sandwich mode. It's cheaper than similar bread at either WF or Giant Eagle (local chain), IIRC.

I don't buy baguettes or other "good" bread at TJ. I usually get ciabatta from a local baker at my local fromagerie. Goes great with St. Andre. Speaking of fromage, I tried Epoisse last week after a recommendation from someone here. Didn't like it. Too gooey, and I didn't care for the smell. Not bleu-smelly, but not pleasant either.

[Joltingjoey]

TJ's breads are definitely not a strength of the chain, but on the East Coast the challah is excellent, especially for making french toast.

[yfunk3]

Maybe try the par-baked breads like the mini-ciabatta buns or the ficelle loaves. They're pretty cheap at my local TJ's, and I put them in the fridge/freezer to last longer. Still bake up fine, just give it a couple more minutes. Something about "freshly baked" (so to speak) bread that makes it taste so much better, even if it's not exactly like getting it from an artisan bakery.

[cheesecake17]

I buy the 'bake at home' rolls and ficelles pretty often and there's always some in the freezer. It's nice to be able to pop a roll or two into the oven and have something fresh in about 10 minutes.

I also like the demi-baguette- I use it to make sandwiches for husband's lunch. Has an airy texture with bubbles in it and doesn't get soggy if it has tuna as a filling.

The tortillas are good- habanero & lime flour, handmade flour, 45 calorie whole wheat wraps, and corn. I use them as wraps or to make enchiladas or a baked layered lasagna. The flour varities make great homemade chips.

Also.. the Ezekiel Bread is much cheaper in TJ's than other stores. It's maybe $3.49-$4/loaf in TJ's and it's $6+ in other stores. It's also sold fresh in TJ's.. in other stores I;ve only seen it frozen.

[Cathy]

Bakery, meats, floral and dairy are locally, not nationally, supplied. Tell us where you are located so people from that area can give recommendations.

Otherwise, the bag of six frozen mini-baguettes, imported from France, are excellent. As are the frozen mini-croissants.

[fadista]

I'm in the SF Bay Area.