The once sleepy town of Arlington is undergoing a renaissance as of late, and — much to the delight of carb-loving residents — there has been an unlikely influx of bakeries leading the charge. Within the past six months, Mass Hole Donuts and Butternut Bakehouse have both set up shop in town and the Arlington Bakery reopened after an ownership change, joining mainstays like Quebrada and Cookie Time. Now, the new kid on the block, Breadboard Bakery, is bringing artisan pastries, baguettes, cake and breakfast treats into the fold.
At the helm is Texas native Daisy Chow, a seasoned veteran on the Boston baking scene with more than two decades of experience at establishments like Clear Flour Bread, Maison Robert and Ames Street Deli.
Breadboard, which is Chow’s first brick-and-mortar, actually began as a pop-up concept at Cutty’s deli in Brookline Village. After gaining a loyal local following and receiving more than a few requests to open her own space, she located the perfect place to make that dream a reality: the former Commune Kitchen space in East Arlington. It wasn’t all smooth sailing, though; there were still renovations to be made and specialty equipment to be purchased before the storefront was ready for prime time.
Fortunately, the baker’s longtime supporters were more than happy to help and donated nearly $34,000 via Kickstarter to cover these costs, allowing Breadboard to finally open for business on Tuesday of this week. “I’m looking forward to having my own space to bake after working for others and doing pop-ups the last few years,” Chow said.
While as the name suggests, the bakery’s focus is on gourmet breads like sourdough and whole-grain Danish rye, variety is the spice of Breadboard’s offerings. “I’m excited to work on fun, technical baking projects, but also some of my favorite everyday treats,” she shared. One of these treats is kolache, a Central European pastry and Texas breakfast staple that features fluffy dough and a center filled with fruit, cream cheese and sometimes even savory toppings like bacon and eggs. Those with a sweet tooth can also look forward to rich, chocolatey “wacky cake,” cinnamon rolls, muffins, cookies and the occasional mini-pie or cake. And of course, there will be plenty of drip coffee to wash it all down.
To start, Breadboard will be open from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m., Tuesday through Sunday. “Arlington has been really welcoming through my set up of the space,” Chow remarked. “I’m happy to open the doors to the neighborhood and finally say hello to everyone.”
Learn more about Breadboard Bakery at breadandstuff.com or follow on Instagram at breadboard_bakery.
