Hot Bread Kitchen churns out more than a line of outstanding baked items. The not-for-profit bakery provides job training for women from all over the world and gives them the skills to enter the restaurant industry (or launch their own food businesses). The multi-ethnic breads are inspired by the home countries of the bakers, and they are worth seeking out.My personal favorite is the Moroccan m'smen, a buttery, chewy, flaky flatbread that is great eaten out of hand the day it is made (that's a stack of them on the very right of the display case in the picture above). If you manage to get home without devouring them, try reheating in a dry cast-iron skillet, then topping with little honey, or (my favorite), butter and salt. I had one for breakfast with dollops of ricotta and some sliced avocado. Yum! They also make a great multi-grain loaf, rustic granola, beautiful challah and fresh blue- and yellow-corn tortillas.
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2 Big stack of m'smens—these will be gone by noon!
3 It sounds like an exaggeration, but the multigrain is pretty extraordinary. Sturdy crust, chewy middle, keeps for days.
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7 Yes, please.
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9 Reheated in a dry cast-iron skillet, the chewy, flexible m'smen become a great base for open-faced sandwiches. Or just slather them with some soft butter and sprinkle with salt.
Currently, the breads are sold in a handful of retailers in the New York tri-state area, at greenmarkets, and through a CSA. You can watch a Today Show clip about the bakery here.
