Winter Hill Bakery Is an Iconic Somerville Bakery | Eater Boston

"An old-school, family-run bakery in Somerville that has been a neighborhood constant for decades, serving a simple menu of sesame-covered Scali loaves, crusty French bread, dinner rolls, pizza, fruit pastries, small cakes and, since 1995, Portuguese sweet bread and pastéis de nata. Owned since 1995 by Fernando Fernandes, a Portuguese immigrant who bought the shop from his uncle and kept traditional, hand-made methods, the bakery opens before dawn after overnight baking shifts (Saturday nights can involve up to 10 staff working 5 p.m.–5 a.m.) to meet a loyal Sunday crowd — some customers even drive many miles to stock up. Prices remain modest (Scali loaves for about $2, half a dozen rolls for $1.90, pizza dough for $1.20), and the bread is made simply — flour, salt and yeast, no preservatives — which customers sometimes note when loaves mold quickly. The shop has adapted its offerings to serve waves of immigrants by adding regional breads on request, but faces pressures from the pandemic, growing grocery chains, rising rents linked to development (including the Green Line extension) and changing neighborhood demographics." - Katharine Swindells