Bakery On The Square

  A small-town main street doesn’t just exist because of buildings—it exists because of people showing up for one another. Brick-and-mortar businesses are where that happens in real life. They’re where conversations start at the counter, where neighbors run into each other by accident, and where relationships form over time. When you walk into a local shop, you’re not just making a purchase—you’re participating in a living, breathing community space that can’t be replicated online. Mom-and-pop stores keep money circulating locally in a way big corporations simply don’t. The dollars spent there are more likely to be reinvested right back into the town—through wages, local sourcing, donations, and community projects. These businesses sponsor events, support schools and fundraisers, and step in when something needs done. They are often the first to give and the last to leave when times get tough. There’s also something deeper at work—identity. A town without its small businesses start...

  A new item on our menu. Potato Pockets. Mashed and buttered potatoes stuffed with a variety of ingredients. All rolled up in our buttery pastry crust.  

  The Perfect Pairing: At Bakery On The Square , we believe the best coffee deserves the best pastry, and the best pastry deserves the best coffee. That’s why we bring together a full coffee bar experience inside our scratch bakery. Every bagel, pastry, and treat is made in-house, by hand, from the finest ingredients—just like every espresso, latte, and cold brew is crafted with care. Here, the warmth of fresh-baked scones meets the rich aroma of perfectly pulled espresso shots. Whether you’re stopping in for a morning cappuccino and a mouth-watering cinnamon bun, or unwinding with a handcrafted latte and a slice of our signature coffee cake, every bite and sip is a testament to real, from-scratch craftsmanship. Come for the coffee. Stay for the baked goods.  It’s all made fresh—just for you.

 

    The Living Legacy of Sourdough: A Journey Through Time and Flavor In the world of artisan bread, sourdough holds a special place—a perfect balance of history, science, and flavor. Few bakeries can claim the deep heritage of a sourdough starter quite like ours, which traces its roots back to 1893, in the bustling mining town of Cripple Creek, Colorado. At the height of the gold rush, this starter fed the miners who worked tirelessly to unearth fortune from the rugged Rocky Mountains. Today, that same starter, with its rich and complex microbiome, continues to thrive, carrying with it the flavors of history and the nutritional benefits of generations. The Historical Journey of Our Sourdough Starter Our sourdough starter’s journey is as remarkable as the bread it produces. Thought to have originated in Europe, this culture traveled across the Great Plains with pioneers heading westward during America’s manifest destiny. Oral history tells us that it made its way to California...

Not only do we serve artisan bread, gourmet pastries, breakfast and lunch, we are also your place in Andover to get a wide variety of espresso drinks. From an espresso shot to an Iced Mocha. We’ve got you covered.  WiFi is available. Just ask us for the password.   

  440-293-1200 When you enter our bakery, you are enticed with the aroma of freshly baked bread, pastries, fresh brewed coffee, and Paninis on the grill!  We take pride in crafting each item with skilled hands and the finest ingredients.  To ensure you always get your favorite treats, we recommend placing an order in advance. While we bake plenty of goodies daily, our delectable creations are available on a first-come, first-served basis, and sometimes they fly off the shelves quickly! Don't miss out on your must-have sweets and savory bites – place your order today and savor the joy of always getting exactly what you crave! We don’t want you to disappoint that you weren’t able to pick up your favorite bread or tasty treat.  

The history of the pretzel is rich and steeped in tradition, with roots that can be traced back to early medieval Europe. Here’s a detailed look at the origins and rise in popularity of the oversized soft pretzel: ORIGINS AND EARLY DOCUMENTATION Early Beginnings (6th Century) Monastic Origins The earliest documented evidence of pretzels dates back to the early Middle Ages. One popular legend suggests that pretzels were invented by an Italian monk around 610 AD. He twisted leftover dough into the shape of a child’s arms in prayer and gave them as rewards to children who learned their prayers. These were called "pretiola" in Latin, meaning "little rewards." Symbolism The three holes of the pretzel were said to represent the Holy Trinity of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Thus, pretzels became associated with both religious traditions and simple nourishment. Spread Across Europe (7th-12th Century) Pretzels spread from Italy to other parts of Europe, particularly amon...

Unbleached and unbromated flour are two types of wheat flour that are often used in baking and cooking. They differ from their bleached and bromated counterparts in several ways. Let's do a deep dive into these terms to understand what they mean and their implications for baking and health. Unbleached Flour: Definition:  Unbleached flour is made from wheat that has not undergone a bleaching process. Bleaching is a chemical treatment that some flours undergo to whiten and "mature" the flour more quickly. Production:  Unbleached flour is typically produced by milling wheat and then allowing it to naturally age or mature over time. This aging process can take several weeks or even months, during which the flour naturally lightens in color. Color:  Unbleached flour is slightly off-white or creamy in color compared to bleached flour, which is whiter. Texture:  Unbleached flour may have a slightly coarser texture than bleached flour due to the aging process. Flavor:  ...

The artisan baker, like the brewmaster, takes great care in choosing the types of grains, sugars, and yeast that are used for each artisan bread. Keeping starters going for years, that pull the wild yeast out of the air to create regional sourdoughs. Blending together starters with poolishes to create complex French and Italian. Developing wheat starters and poolishes to coax the flavor out of the grain to create the artisan's unique Honey Wheat, Spent Grain, German Rye and Multigrain. Gently working the soft Ciabatta dough, that spends the night in a bath of extra virgin olive oil. The two-day process of the biga that creates the desired texture and flavor of the Neapolitan dough, for hand tossed pizzas. Commercial bakeries are mainly concerned with pumping out as much bread as the machinery can produce. Grocery stores buy frozen, pre-shaped, dough that they then thaw and bake. (Baked fresh daily and made fresh daily are not the same!) For the artisan baker, the combinations of st...

Freezing bread for freshness is a common practice that has evolved over the years as a convenient way to extend the shelf life of bread while preserving its quality. Here's an in-depth history of freezing bread for freshness and the best way to thaw it: History of Freezing Bread for Freshness: Early Preservation Methods: Before the invention of modern refrigeration and freezing methods, people used various techniques to keep bread fresh. These methods included storing bread in cool, dry places, wrapping it in cloth or paper, and even dunking it in water and reheating it before consumption. 1930s - Invention of the Freezer: The development of the modern freezer revolutionized food preservation, including bread. In the 1930s, Clarence Birdseye pioneered the commercial freezing of food with the introduction of quick freezing techniques. This breakthrough made it possible to freeze bread without significant loss of quality. World War II: During World War II, freezing bread became more ...

Once upon a time, in the rolling green hills of England, where the misty mornings painted the landscape in hues of mystique, there was a humble baked delight known as the scone. The tale of the English scone is a journey through centuries of tradition, evolution, and exquisite taste. Our story begins in the early medieval period, where the scone's earliest ancestors were born. These were not the sweet and tender scones we know today, but rather unleavened rounds of barley or oatmeal dough cooked on a griddle. They were a staple of the Scottish and Welsh diets, serving as a hearty sustenance for the common folk. As time wove its intricate tapestry, the scone started to undergo transformations. With the introduction of baking powder in the 19th century, the scone began to rise and take on a fluffier, more delicate texture. It was during the Victorian era that the concept of afternoon tea became fashionable, and the scone earned its place at the elegant tea tables of England. With the...

The history of sourdough bread is a fascinating journey that spans centuries and continents, much like an epic tale told in the style of Longfellow's narrative poetry. Let us embark on this historical voyage together. In the annals of culinary history, sourdough stands as one of the oldest known forms of leavened bread. Its origins are shrouded in the mists of time, dating back to a period when our ancestors first began grinding grains and mixing them with water to create a dough. This dough, left exposed to the elements, would naturally ferment and give rise to the bubbling, tangy mixture we now know as sourdough starter. Picture, if you will, the ancient Egyptians along the banks of the Nile, some 4,000 years ago. They were master bakers who cultivated sourdough as a staple of their daily diet. To them, this fermenting dough was not just a source of sustenance but also a symbol of life's eternal cycle. The wild yeasts and lactobacilli that colonized the dough were seen as age...

Amanda’s Biscotti Amanda has been making Biscotti for over 15 years.  Her flavors include: Lavender Honey, Cranberry Orange, Chocolate with Chocolate Chip, Anise, Spice, Cranberry, Lemon Poppy, and Toasted Coconut with Chocolate Chips. The biscotti, those delightful, twice-baked Italian cookies that have captured the hearts and taste buds of many around the world. To embark on a deep dive into the origins of biscotti is to journey through time and savor the rich history of this beloved treat. Our story begins in the heart of ancient Italy, where biscotti, or "biscotti di Prato" as they were originally known, were born. The word "biscotti" itself stems from the Latin "bis" (twice) and "coctum" (baked), a fitting name for cookies that undergo a double baking process. The Birthplace: Prato, Tuscany Prato, a charming town in the Tuscany region of Italy, is credited with giving birth to biscotti. The origins can be traced back to the 14th century, whe...

 I would like to talk a little bit about sourdough bread. More specifically, our sourdough bread. We have two starters that Paul uses to create Andover Sourdough. One date back to 2004. The other dates back to 1893. The 2004 starter is used in Paul’s white sourdough. He uses unbleached, unbromated stone ground-aged bread flour for this bread. The 1893 date back to a mining community in Cripple Creek, Colorado. This starter is used in Paul’s Multigrain, Whole Wheat Sourdough, and all of our Rye bread. In his book ‘Sourdough Culture’ Eric Pallant writes about the history of Sourdough and, in particular, the 1893 Starter that we use here at Bakery On The Square. When we were in Meadville, we owned The Creative Crust Bakery. Eric apprenticed with Paul for research for his book. https://www.amazon.com/dp/1572843012/ref=cm_sw_em_r_mt_dp_PMTD7RG4RSGQP02SG2HD