Best bakeries in Louisville ??

I enjoy the fresh baked pitas and lavash from Al Watan on Klondike.

Cannoli shells are fried. I would love to find someone who makes them fresh and not with premade shells.

For pies, my go-place was Thornberry's out on 3rd Street. I have not lived in the southend for a few years, so I cannot vouch for them now. They used to sell them in bring-back old time pie tins.

Kizito cookies and Desserts by Helen for cakes and other pastries . . .

Go to the old location of Shiraz at the Cottages. A grand bakery and grocery.

I've been enjoying the heck out of the Small Times bakery on Richland Ave. Great stuff, very reasonably priced.

i was in fresh market a few days ago in the bakery section. i was told by the man behind the counter that most of all their baked goods, cakes, cookies and cheesecakes, are trucked in frozen from vendors and then thawed. i had been in there to voice my concern the last time i was there i had purchased napoleon's and they were soggy. mind you there are made with phyllo dough and should be flakey to the touch of a fork and they were just mush. so while i was in there i didn't see my favorite cookie. black and whites, he tells me there in the back frozen and sure enough he pulled out the 6 cookies i requested. frozen. i guess fresh market should maybe change their name to frozen market.

Generally, frozen cookies and cakes, even cheesecakes, do very well and aren't in the least compromised by being frozen. It's a surprise to many people that bread freezes beautifully and can be easily refreshed. For many cakes especially, it's a simple matter of allowing them to thaw in the refrigerator. Cookies you can often pull right out of the freezer and eat right away. For breads, it means you refresh them with a limited bake. For phyllo, though, generally, disaster. Or anyway that's my experience and my understanding. Although of course one exception to the rule, Greek milk pie (galaktoboureko), for example, one of our favorite things on the planet, which is layered onto a phyllo base, layered over again with phyllo, baked and then a simple syrup poured over the top. There's no way that's going to be a crispy pastry, but it's so fabulous nobody cares. Then again, it a thing you don't dare freeze either. Some baked goods really do need to be done pretty much on the spot.

Agreed. Anything with phyllo nees to be fresh baked, but cakes actally improve with freezing - if done properly. Wrapped completely, put in a freezer that only contains cakes, and defrosted still wrapped. Keeps them nice and moist. I've found the same for bread. .

Agreed. Anything with phyllo nees to be fresh baked, but cakes actally improve with freezing - if done properly. Wrapped completely, put in a freezer that only contains cakes, and defrosted still wrapped. Keeps them nice and moist. I've found the same for bread. .

Question - when you refer to freezing bread, do you mean baked, or unbaked? We might not be doing it right, because we haven't had much luck freezing baked bread.

You should be able to successfully freeze already-baked bread. But you don't simply let it then thaw and eat it after thawing. I have a printed up spiel I always include with my breads outlining how to successfully freeze and then refresh bread. As long as the bread is still in its prime when you freeze it, you should be able to freeze and refresh it with really wonderful results. But in order to enjoy it after freezing, you have to give it a limited bake again. You can do that in a couple of ways.... Let it thaw partially outside the freezer and then bake in a preheated oven for maybe 15 to 20 minutes (it depends on the loaf, size, etc), or take it directly from the freezer and put it into a preheated oven for about 30 minutes or so. You get the added benefit then of a renewed crispy crust that is just a little thicker and which many people love.

You should be able to successfully freeze already-baked bread. But you don't simply let it then thaw and eat it after thawing. I have a printed up spiel I always include with my breads outlining how to successfully freeze and then refresh bread. As long as the bread is still in its prime when you freeze it, you should be able to freeze and refresh it with really wonderful results. But in order to enjoy it after freezing, you have to give it a limited bake again. You can do that in a couple of ways.... Let it thaw partially outside the freezer and then bake in a preheated oven for maybe 15 to 20 minutes (it depends on the loaf, size, etc), or take it directly from the freezer and put it into a preheated oven for about 30 minutes or so. You get the added benefit then of a renewed crispy crust that is just a little thicker and which many people love.

Thanks! I love a crispy crust, and now I can order more of your breads and store them! Very anxious to try them - they look and sound devine!

Kizito's has a great story, but the cookies have never been any better than average.......my own opinion, of course.

best bakery is blue dog...for sweets however, Cake flower on east market is amazing...everything they make is delicious. The scones and quiche are my favorite.

[Robin Garr]

Cake flower on east market is amazing...everything they make is delicious. The scones and quiche are my favorite.

Agreed. It's "Cake Flour," though.

I make my own excellent cheesecakes, do a great deal of baking and still I pay (once a year) for a whole plain cheesecake from Helen's for my Birthday. The flavor is incredible and it's wonderfully creamy too. It must weigh 5 lbs or more.

Unfortunately, while they sell individual cheesecakes and slices at some places, the quality/flavor is nowhere near as good (I'm guessing a different recipe or they just sit too long). The good news howver, is that cheesecakes - like breads- freeze extremely well, so I usually eat half around my birthday and then freeze cut slices separated with parchment, tightly wrapped and then can pull out a piece when I have a craving...

Deb