For the past two years, St. Louis bread heads have flocked to Tower Grove Farmers’ Market for some of the best sourdough bread in town from Mr. Meowski’s. Beginning today, they can visit owner Tim Nordmann’s new brick-and-mortar bakery in St. Charles.
The focus is strictly on the baked goods. “The shop has a great pastry case,” says Nordmann, noting that the bakery only offers carry-out service, largely for people driving to work along Missouri 94 in the mornings. “It’s not a designer space. It’s comfortable.”
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The bakery is the result of months and months of savings. “I realized that for what I was paying in rent at commissary kitchens, I could have my own space,” says Nordmann, “so I started saving every penny.” Over time, he bought a deck oven and then a three-compartment commercial sink, paying for equipment and contractors as he went. Today, he’s able to do all of the baking—for retail customers, wholesale clients, and farmers’ markets—from the same building.
Here’s a sampling of what to expect from Mr. Meowski’s ovens:
Sourdough Baguettes & Breads: Fans love this simple bread, from the crisp crust to the soft tanginess inside. “When people taste sourdough fresh from the oven, it’s unique—very different from loaves off the shelf,” Nordmann says. “I’m also excited about super-thick slices of toast made from sourdough baked in pans. I have to say, my toast has a lot of meat to it.”
Sourdough Bagels: “There are a few unique things about our bagels,” he says. “They’re sourdough bagels, which we boil before baking. That makes for a chewier bagel. I also use barley malt flour for a slight sweetness in the dough. You can’t just go into Restaurant Depot and pick up barley malt flour; it’s something we bring in especially for the bagels.” (Yes, small tubs of cream cheese are also on hand for the bagels.)
Croissants: “The croissants don’t have any sourdough in them,” Nordmann says. “Sourdough would never hold its shape in a croissant.” Instead, he uses yeast, rolling out the croissant dough by hand and layering the sheets with Plugra, a high-fat European butter that produces light and flaky croissants. “When you roll a bit of Plugra butter between your fingers, it has the feel of silly putty—soft and pliable,” he says. “Regular American butters shatter if you roll them between a thumb and forefinger; the butter we use makes all the difference.” In addition to the traditional variety, Nordmann makes chocolate croissants.
There will also be freshly baked blueberry muffins, as well as a small selection of beverages, including Kuva coffee, San Pellegrino flavored waters, and eventually Ski sodas by Excel.
