Pantry · Oakland, California
Firebrand Artisan Breads
Wood-fired Oakland bread from a bakery built around open hiring.
- Founded
- 2008
- Founded by
- Matt Kreutz
- Based in
- Oakland, California
Making it since
2008
Their story
Matt Kreutz has worked in bakeries since the mid-1990s, and in 2008 he started Firebrand with four employees in a West Oakland warehouse. The bakery has since moved into a larger facility as it has grown.
Firebrand practices open hiring, offering jobs to people who face steep barriers to work, including those coming out of prison or experiencing homelessness. Kreutz also placed a majority of his voting shares in a perpetual purpose trust, governed by a committee that includes employees and community members, so the bakery's values outlast any one owner.
How it's made
Firebrand bakes its breads and pastries in a wood-fired brick oven, which Kreutz values for the deep caramelization it gives the crust, something a standard gas oven cannot match.
It just allows you to get a level of caramelization you're not going to get with a regular gas oven.
Why we carry them
We love supporting a neighbor across the bay that bakes this well and does right by its team. Warm a loaf briefly before serving to bring that crust back.
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