How To

Many of  our customers like to keep a stash of  Lake Street Market baked goods in the freezer.  Some folks prefer to pick up our pizzas unbaked and finish them at home.  Don't feel like leaving the house?  Live too far away to make the trip?  Or do you  just like firing up the oven and making the house smell delicious?  Whatever your completely excellent reason might be, if you are ready to bake something you picked up from us unfinished, here is what to do.    

Scones

These are the to-die-for morning or afternoon treat that started it all.  Our scones have become so popular that finally we had to re-assert our right to use the oven for other things once in a while...so for fresh hot scones whenever the mood strikes, get yourself a "bar" of four and do this:

1. KEEP FROZEN UNTIL READY TO USE!  If fully thawed before baking, they spread out and lose their physique. ;-)
2. Preheat oven to 400.
3. Unwrap scone bar and let sit at room temp for 5 to 10 minutes.
4. Cut bar into four scones.  Occasionally frozen pieces will break off--if this happens, simply push them back into place.
5. Brush tops with milk or buttermilk and sprinkle with Sugar in the Raw (packet included).  If you have Ham and Cheese scones, sprinkle with shredded asiago instead (also provided).
6. Arrange two inches apart on a baking sheet.  We double pan them here at the store to prevent scorching on the bottom, but that is not necessary in every oven.  We also recommend using baking parchment for less mess.
7. Bake at 400 for 16-20 minutes or until browned to your liking.  Please note that fresh fruit and berry scones take a little longer to bake fully.

Bagels

Plenty of well-traveled bagel enthusiasts agree that ours are their favorites (and I feel I should mention that only one of these super-fans is related to us.  The rest are demographically random and focus-groupable).  Opinion varies more when it comes to how to handle them once they leave the building, however.  After years of continuous, um, "testing," here is what we recommend.

1. Say it with me:  KEEP BAGELS FROZEN UNTIL READY TO USE.  Pretty please, ok?
2. Preheat oven to 400.
3. Place bagels directly on rack and bake for about nine minutes.  The outside will get crusty again, and the inside will get hot and chewy and awesome.
4. Rip and dip:  tear the bagel in half and put cream cheese on every bite.  Trust me.

We know there will be some resistance to this from folks who have never in their lives eaten a bagel that wasn't sliced and toasted.  That method is fine for what these days is often just bagel-shaped bread.  But we go to a lot of trouble to make bagels the slow and traditional way--every batch takes two days--and that gives them a texture that we think will raise your eyebrows, IF you finish them our way.  Try it once.  It'll change your life!

Bread

NOTE:  The packaging that comes with your bread will have baking instructions that differ from these.  That is because they were written under the assumption that we have already finished baking it once, and you are simply refreshing it.  Not so!  Do this:

1. Keep bread refrigerated until ready to use.
2. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
3. Place bread directly on center rack.
4. Bake loaves and full-size baguettes 8 minutes; demi-baguettes and ciabatta rolls, 5 minutes.
5. (Optional)  Put on flour-covered apron before serving.

Pizza

Well.  You own the pizza now, so either you've had it before or you've already heard the spiel.  It's, you know, good.  Here's how to bake it yourself:

1. Position a baking rack in the mid to upper section of your oven and preheat to 400 degrees.
2. Lawsuit prevention measures:  remove plastic wrap and slide the pizza off the cardboard (yes, we have been asked if this is necessary) onto your preferred pizza-baking surface.  We back pizzas right on the rack; customers have reported great results using a stone.
3. Bake for around 15 minutes, depending on your oven and your preference.  If your oven heats unevenly you may wish to reposition the pizza halfway through baking.