Albert T.
Yelp
I visited The Cottage, Community Bakery a couple of weeks ago for the first time and was instantly hooked by their fantastic bread and pastries. I've been several more times afterwards, making this essentially a weekly excursion at this point. Yes, it is that good.
Ciabatta ($3) - The size of a large hamburger bun, these ciabatta buns are a miracle of the baking world. A chewy and moist crumb combined with a fantastic, very well developed flavor and a crust that's crisp yet gives. (5/5)
Vanilla Bun ($4.25) - Think of a cinnamon roll - somewhat dense and bready, but rich and sweet - and subtract the cinnamon, but add a generous amount of vanilla and a layer of sugar on top. That's the vanilla bun. It's sweet and chewy with a burst of vanilla flavor. Delicious. (5/5)
Pear Bostock ($5) - Thick cut piece of toast, baked until it develops a harder layer on the edges, but the interior remains light. It's topped with a delicious almond frangipane, light, fluffy, and smooth, then a layer of tender skin-on sliced pear, and finally dusted with powdered sugar and cinnamon. If that doesn't get your mouth watering, nothing will. (5/5)
French Onion Soup Focaccia ($7) - They had a sample of this in the store and I couldn't resist buying after trying. The interior is exceptionally moist and fluffy, topped with baked cheese, giving a fantastic nutty flavor, combining well with the rosemary. There are small pockets of salt to create an explosion of flavor with every bite. I think this bread could have used just a bit more time in the oven to create additional browning on the bottom, but flavor-wise, this focaccia is excellent. I'm not sure if this was intentional, but there are soft onion bits baked inside, which have settled to the bottom half of the bread. If you only eat the bottom side of the bread, the flavor is very reminiscent of a Chinese green onion pancake. (5/5)
Toasted Walnut Sourdough ($9) - Again, an excellent baked crust with an exceptionally moist, high hydration interior. The bread looks a bit darker on the interior, possibly due to the walnut skins coloring the dough? The taste is nutty with a pleasing sourness. While toasting the bread, there are sections where the heat hits the interior walnuts, giving a great toasty flavor. (5/5)
Cardamom Bun ($5) - This is essentially a cinnamon roll but with added cardamom. I found this pastry to be a bit weaker than everything else. While it has a pleasing sweetness level and the cardamom flavor isn't too overpowering, the interior feels a bit too hydrated, with dough that's kind of melded together and a crumb that's too moist. I wonder if the the cardamom sugar mixture slathered inside adds too much moisture? Still, this bun is plenty tasty and I especially love the additional crunch from the nib sugar strewn on top. (4/5)
I was trying to find a replacement for my favorite Zingerman's in Ann Arbor after moving to Washington and I can safely say that I've found it. The only downside is the prices - I've never seen a place sell baguettes for $7 before! Still, the Cottage, Community Bakery is a stellar bakery, and is one that I will be visiting time and time again.