Häsi Bread

LA Sourdough Bakery Hasi Bread, Which Sells at Erewhon, Opens in Del Rey | Eater LA

"Opened a retail shop and cafe in the Del Rey/Mar Vista area last Tuesday, May 13, on the corner of Centinela and Washington Boulevard inside the former Hot Cakes Bakes, this first permanent standalone location for the farmers market favorite sells its popular yellow-and-blue sourdough bread, along with pastries and coffee. The sunny space offers a full view of the baking operation, including a massive commercial steam oven and a stone mill to grind wheat, rye, spelt, and khorasan (kamut) on the premises. Founded by baker Matias Barang (whose family calls him Häsi, pronounced "hay-zee") in 2018, the signature pea butterfly flower and turmeric-tinted loaves have been a staple at Erewhon and farmers markets in Brentwood, Westwood, and North Hollywood over the years. With both Austrian and Afghan heritage, Barang felt the call of sourdough ever since he took a leave of absence from university in 2013 to attend culinary school and learning how to make Neapolitan pizza; in 2017, he learned more advanced baking techniques from a small village bakery in Austria founded over 150 years ago by his sister-in-law’s family. By 2018, Barang opened a cottage bakery at his parents’ Studio City home, distributing by word of mouth and at farmers markets; he experimented with natural coloring like matcha and charcoal before landing on a pleasant combination of pea butterfly flower and turmeric, which produces a weaving blend of pale purple and yellow dough inside every baked good. Barang sees the colors as an appealing trademark but also something that introduces anti-inflammatory and other salutary properties. While on social media, the colors look vibrant, to the naked eye, they’re a bit more muted. Through the COVID-19 pandemic, Barang and his wife, Dawn, continued to operate in Studio City, building a 300-square-foot shed until they landed at a commercial space in Venice, and in the past few years—fueled by a cult following and Erewhon sales—they expanded the business without the need for investors or other partners. At the new Mar Vista–adjacent space, the bakery has been making baguette loaves, croissants, cookies, ciabatta, challah, English muffins, and multiple flavors of bread loaves topped with seeds and other grains; doughs are leavened over multiple days (up to five for the pastries, around three for the bread) using only natural sourdough yeast, something Barang is adamant about. Eventually the bakery will host sourdough Neapolitan-style pizza nights from a wood-fired oven. Last week, as Barang and his dedicated baking team were finishing loaves to fulfill wholesale and retail orders, he sliced open a warm loaf: the crumb was wide and open, well-developed and gorgeous with its signature colorway. The flavor of the sourdough exuded a pleasant balance between nutty whole grains, a complex tang, and sturdy crust; Barang brought out a block of salted Irish butter as its only accompaniment, grinning at the results, relieved and satisfied that their bakery is finally open. The shop is located at 4119 S. Centinela Boulevard and is open from 7 a.m. to 2 p.m. daily (closed on Memorial Day)." - Matthew Kang