Signature Dish: Mountain Bread is a sweet peak at Greg’ry’s Bakery

BERGEN — Genesee County may be fairly flat, but residents in the Town of Bergen know exactly where to go to see some white-capped mountains: Greg’ry’s Bakery.

But the peaks found there aren’t for climbing or skiing. They’re for eating.

For 30 years, the bakery has been serving up it’s light, sweet treat, Mountain Bread, to residents. It has become so popular that, particularly at holiday time, that it is the signature dish.

But what is Mountain Bread?

“We describe it as a white bread with a little more honey in it, so it’s sweeter,” said owner Laura Smith, who took over the bakery from her mother last year. “It’s really soft and great for sandwiches, toasted, or just by itself.”

The name comes from the bread’s appearance. It’s a circular shape with four peaks on top where the dough was sliced with an X. The flour dusting it receives just before baking gives it the look of snowcaps.

While ownership of the bakery, 13 North Lake Ave., has changed a few times, the recipe for Mountain Bread is the same as it was when Greg Stefl opened Greg’ry’s in 1986.

It uses only eight ingredients, and, as Smith pointed out, they’re easy to pronounce. It’s just flour, water, eggs, margarine, honey, milk powder, yeast and salt. No preservatives, no sugar.

I drove out to Bergen on Wednesday to try the Mountain Bread after receiving a recommendation from a loyal customer. It lived up to its billing. The bread is light and sweet. I ate it just with some butter, but it’s perfectly good on its own.

Greg’ry’s also serves a dinner roll version of the Mountain Bread, which is a big seller during the holidays.

Then there’s a Cinnamon Mountain Bread, which is the same recipe, but adds a swirl of cinnamon through the middle and a coating on top. It’s basically a cinnamon roll in loaf shape.

“It’s awesome for French toast, or just on its own,” Smith said.

While the Mountain Bread is good on its own, visitors to Greg’ry’s can also order sandwiches on it. The bakery, which produces more than a dozen types of bread, offers standard sandwiches like tuna melt, BLT and chicken salad with chips and a pickle for $5.50.

Between the two varieties of Mountain Bread, Greg’ry’s will sell about 50 loaves per week. It also takes the bread to farmers markets and bakes for local restaurants.

If you time it correctly, you can catch the loaves coming out of the oven, which is the best time to eat them.

The Mountain Bread sells for $4, while the Cinnamon Mountain Bread is $4.25.

Matt Kreuger, Batavia Daily News
http://www.thedailynewsonline.com/bdn05/signature-dish-mountain-bread-is-a-sweet-peak-at-gregrys-bakery-20160416