Our Bread

Artisanal bread, baked fresh daily

Brio makes bread that isn’t simply a platform for butter or jam—but it is great with butter and jam, or anything else for that matter. It has a unique, special flavour that comes from the quality of the grain, the texture of the loaf, and the obsession of our bakers.

Brio makes bread by hand in an Old-World, artisanal style, a style used by bakers for thousands of years. We call it “pain au levain” or “sourdough,” but it isn’t like the sour-tasting San Francisco-style sourdough loaves you might have tried—in fact, it isn’t sour at all. The name comes from the way the bread is leavened: all of our bread is leavened with a wild yeast levain first created in 2013 in San Francisco, that we continue to use to this day.

What is a Levain?

A levain is simply flour and water mixed together in equal parts, then allowed to sit undisturbed. Over about a week, wild yeast in the air ferments the starter, making it possible to leaven bread with it. By feeding the starter flour and water over time, the wild yeast can be kept alive indefinitely, and used to make all-natural, artisanal bread.

All of Brio’s bread starts with our levain—just flour and water, fermented. For our signature Prairie Loaf, we just add more water, more flour, and salt to make our dough. For our other breads, we add extra ingredients: olives maybe, or raisins. Once the dough is made, it’s folded by hand, divided, shaped and allowed to rise. Once it has risen, it is scored, quickly steamed and then baked. Altogether, the process takes between thirty and forty hours—but it’s worth it when you taste it.


And, just so you know, we only use organic and locally-sourced flour in our breads.

Selection of our breads

Each day we bake a variety of breads, including breads made from stoneground whole wheat and rye flours. Here are a few of our most popular breads.

Prairie Loaf

The Prairie Loaf is our signature bread, the cornerstone of our bakery. It’s perfect for everyday uses like toast and sandwiches, and the building block of many of our other varieties. The Prairie Loaf is made of 90 percent organic white flour, 10 percent locally-sourced whole wheat flour, water and salt.

Olive Prairie Loaf

Our Prairie Loaf, loaded with rich Kalamata olives, herbes de Provence, and lemon zest.

Walnut Raisin Prairie Loaf

Our Prairie Loaf, with walnuts and raisins added to the mix for a bit of a sweet treat—perfect for breakfast.

Multigrain Prairie Loaf

Our Prairie Loaf with toasted sunflower seeds, sesame seeds and flax seeds—a delicious bread for sandwiches.

Brio Baguette

A crisp light crust and a beautiful open, irregular crumb. Just try not to eat the whole thing on the way home.

Our Viennoiserie

Indulge in the delicious world of our viennoiserie, from croissants to pain au chocolat.

Our Bakery

Find out more about our community-oriented bakery, our partnerships, and what sets us apart.

Our Cafe

Experience our welcoming cafe and learn about our carefully sourced coffee beans and drink options.