Josey Baker Bread

JBB really knows bread. This place is inside The Mill, which is Josey Baker bread and Four Barrel combined. This place has amazing bread and even better toast. I came here early in the morning and got a loaf of the Countryman bread and it was still warm! The outside has a good thick crunchy crust and the inside is soft and moist. You can get a delicious slice of toast here for $ 4 or buy your own loaf for $ 6.99 and make your own. Either way, it’s heaven. If you do get the toast, get the cinnamon sugar! It takes a bit of time to make, maybe because the girl was moving like molasses that day, but it was well worth the wait. It’s the only place where I would pay $ 4 for a tiny-​ish piece of toast.

Not a bread for wimps. This is a manly bread well suited to tear into while charging into battle on a fiery steed brandishing a sword (if you happened to be hungry at that particular moment in time). Breaking off a piece of this bread is similar to tearing a small phone book in half, so you had better have good teeth and jaws to eat this lovely chewy crust. Women beware, I ate a large chunk of the multigrain and the next day I swear two or three hairs sprouted on my chest. I am sending my depilatory bill to Josey Baker. Still I would return since it is exactly as bread should be in my view, chewy crust, springy and soft inside. Rawr!

I’m in looooooooooooove! With a moist, chewy, tangy, fragrant, mie-​licious loaf of bread so sumptuous I close my eyes & make indecent moany noises while I eat. Thank you, B. Patisserie for staying closed another half-​hour on Sunday morning, thus leading me to Josey & his loaf-​of-​the-​week & –of-​my-​dreams at my new favorite place on earth. Tip: try it still warm, slathered in salted Irish butter. You’re welcome.

Pricey seems to be the name of the game at Josey Baker ($ 6.99 loaves, $ 4 toast??) but the bread is certainly worth it. The classic country loaf has a dark, rich crust but a surprisingly springy, spongey interior… mmm. Expect to devour that baby within 24 hrs (FYI, it reheats just fine with a sprinkling of water and a quick pop in the oven). It’s not a carb-​friendly meal, but if you find yourself at Josey Baker you’re probably not the catb-​conscious type, anyway.
Pro tip: apparently you can bypass the long lines if you’re just getting bread by putting money in a donation box. I wasn’t able to figure out where exactly the box was, but apparently it exists…

Came here on a Monday to get something on the toast menu and waited in line for it. When I got to the register, they told me they don’t do toast on Monday nights. If so, why wouldn’t you remove the large sign with the toast menu at least as a warning on days you don’t serve that?
Seems like a flaw in the customer experience and sort of put me off.

Got some donuts and a cookie. Pretty unique for my eastern taste and the cookie was delicious. Very friendly service too!

Came here after seeing the good reviews and hearing about the bread. It is true, you can definitely smell the bread as you walk down the street, and it is extremely tempting. One thing I loved upon entering was how open and bright the space is. The kitchen area and counter is set back enough that there is plenty of room to put tables as well as form a line (a line did start forming around 830 AM on a Friday).
After chatting with the cashier, I went with the cinnamon sugar toast and one of the non-​caffeinated teas. Total it took about 10 – 15 min to receive everything. I loved the presentation of the tea, and luckily was able to procure some honey to sweeten it up from the slightly moody toast guy. The toast was… different, and I am still trying to figure out my thoughts on it. The crust was very toasted and a bit bitter in spots, but the inside was soft, a little sour (the menu said country bread, but kind of tasted like sour dough), and had a perfect combination of butter and sugar. On a whole, I think I liked it, but the flavor varied a bit. Overall, it was an enjoyable experience.

The bread here is expensive but it is so delicious and very different from normal bakery bread. If you want a regular white batard this is not your place. The bread here is dark and complex. Equally good by itself, with olive oil, or slathered in jam and butter. There are always seasonal varieties too; a recent Parmesan pepper loaf and an apple loaf were absolutely amazing.
Oh also on weekend mornings one if my favorite things are the pistachio croissants and their donuts (recent pumpkin glazed donut hit the spot).

Picked up a loaf at Bi-​Rite and this was the most unique tasting, texture, delicious bread I’ve ever eaten. Move over Ciabatta, I now have a new favorite! Expect to be in San Fran one more time before we return back east, there will be a suitcase full of bread on our flight home!

Always interested in a good baker. Having seen a lot of the profession and it’s awesomeness throughout Europe, it seems like the art is a bit lost in the bay area. Tartine and a few handful of places are taking it to the next level and it’s good to see JBB added to that group. The seed feast and country breads are both fantastic. The former also comes in a gluten free from that is just as good as many I’ve had in Europe. Certainly quality product!

I smelled the bread before I saw the line. The line moved quickly and, although there was limited seating, we were able to find a table before our toast was ready (most people were good about leaving soon after they were finished).
While paying $ 4 for toast doesn’t seem like a great idea, trust me, you will not regret it. The coffee served here is also delicious.
All in all a great experience (plus who can have a bad time when WHAM is playing on the record player?).

The toast here is amazing. Made fresh and toasted on the spot so there is a little bit of a wait before you get your toast. I personally love the cinnamon one.

I feel pretty cheated that I’m a San Franciscan and have only just discovered this jem of a coffee shop/​bakery.
I love good bread and this place doesn’t disappoint. I’m still not sure how the set-​up works but you can get Four Barrel Coffee, bread from Josey Baker Bread and fancy toast here.
Now, I will say I was one of the $ 4 toast naysayers BUT it really is good (similar to Trouble Coffee’s toast). Calling it «toast» is somewhat of a misnomer since the bread is very thick and the topping is slathered on generously. When you think of it like a pastry, it’s easier to swallow (pun intended) the cost. I think people spend that much for pastries all the time so for the size, this «toast» is no different.
Coffee was typical four barrel (a little bitter for my liking but the iced coffee hit the spot on a sunny day). Service was kind and the line wasn’t very long.
I bought a loaf to take home and it probably won’t last more than a day – really delicious bread. Very much like Tartine except without the ridiculous reservation system.
Space is airy and light. Great for a catch up with a friend. Though, it’s so close to Alamo Square Park that we got our coffee/​toast to-​go and sat outside in the park instead.
Definitely a must-​try if a bread fan and in the area!

What a great open space. It invites you to come in.
Bought a few things to try:
— Mushroom Gouda Tart (~$ 5): can’t exactly recall but in that price ball park. This was fantastic. Great balance of mushroom and gouda cheese (which sometimes can be overpowering) on a flaky puff pastry like bottom, with a smattering of sesame seeds for added nutty flavor.
— Dark Mountain Rye w/​Pumpkin Butter ($ 3.75): a thin but dense slice of rye, sesame seeds, sunflower seeds, flax seeds, freshly milled corn bread with a generous slather of pumpkin. It wasn’t sweet enough and just seemed a little wet. I should have just followed the suggested pairing of cream cheese, salt/​pepper. But overall not worth getting a slice when for $ 2 more you can get a whole loaf.
— Croissant w/​Pistachio & Blackberry (~$ 4.75 or something like that): A split croissant with some ground pistachio and blackberry filling. It was a little sweet especially in comparison to the Gouda Tart. My least favorite of the ones we purchased.
— Seed Feast Loaf ($ 6): blend of bread flour and whole wheat, sunflower seeds, flax seeds, pumpkin seeds, sourdough culture, sea salt. DELISH! Still warm in bag. Chewy interior, hearty crust that you just want to tear into. My 1.5 year old toddler loved it too.
Good coffee, high ceiling lofty space, smells wonderful.

There are people who commit first to profit and economies of scale and pleasing as many people as possible and then there are people who hone in on a craft and do it well and then the people and profits follow. Josey the Bread Baker is the latter. Sweet Jesus that bread is delicious. Confession: every time I get a loaf, the entire thing is devoured that day. Obviously, this is the best and freshest way to do it, but, if you hate carbs well, then, I feel bad for you because this bread is amazing. Also, amazing bread is nectar of the Gods. Just sayin
I have had the $ 4 toast (it’s$ 3.50 actually) and it is also amazing. How do they get it toasted so perfectly?
I have yet to venture out for pizza on Monday nights but given that this is my new neighborhood, I am itching to check it out soon.
Lastly, it seems like josey is a great guy w a really warm, positive vibe. I really want to take a bread baking class that he’s starting to offer occasionally, but they sell out quickly, I guess. I might just have to buy his book. It’s got pretty glowing reviews amongst amateur and veteran bakers alike.

Love this place; possibly my newest favorite bread bakery! I get a relaxing, welcoming feeling when you enter the great lofty room with shafts of sunlight streaming in from above, highlighting their wall full of fun cooking related stuff and more. Definitely a bustling café and bakery, with a long communal table and smaller tables on the sides. Totally fine place to get some work done as well — only for a shorter period of time. No wifi and no outlets sends a clear signal to would-​be road warriors, but the place is so great who cares? It may be a little bit of a guilty indulgence to splurge on their thick cut toast + a latte, but you can always go whole loaf for a much better deal. That said, the toast is a nice way to try different bread+topping combinations, before you commit to a whole loaf. And really, sometimes you just wanna kick back and let others do the work for you…

Great place for a $ 4 toast and a latte. There’s no wifi or outlets, but there’s plenty of seating and no shortage of people bustling around the well-​lit and airy space. I loved the high ceiling with skylights letting in rays of sun through the slatted wooden beams. The crystal clean almost floor-​to-​ceiling windows also let in floods of light. Great place to meet up, people watch, or just feel inspired. Just wish they had wifi and outlets so I could stay longer, but I guess this way more people can enjoy it too :)

I’ve been searching the bay area for a good whole wheat bread and I think I found it.
My dad loves Acme’s walnut bread, but it’s not whole wheat, so I’ve been looking around other bakeries to find something that would be a good replacement for it. I stumbled upon Josey’s bakery during my search and it seemed promising, so I picked up a loaf of their whole wheat bread for $ 6 at Bi-​Rite market the next time I took a trip to San Francisco.
Wow. I was a little disappointed that they didn’t have a walnut or even a nut version, but you seriously don’t miss it with this bread. Firm and crisp on the outside, but not too firm where you have to use your teeth to try to tear a piece of it apart. Inside it’s very soft, spongy, and just moist enough that it’s not TOO soft. You can hear a nice chew when you’re eating it. I really enjoyed the sour taste to it; it gave the bread a nice taste and made me not miss the walnuts.
I hope they make a walnut version, but next time I go back to San Francisco, I’ll be sure to buy two loaves!

Those who criticize Josey Baker for the $ 4 toast should pony up another $ 2 and get a loaf of the country French. It is everything bread should be, with flavor and complex texture in every bite that makes you amazed that you are tasting nothing but water, flour and salt.
I was lucky enough to have a conversation with the baker and learn something of his technique. Everything in the shop is based on a whole wheat starter though the country bread is built on preferment from the previous day’s batch. The country loaf is ⁵⁰⁄₅₀ whole wheat and white flour which is pretty dark and aggressive. The white flour is from a reliable source I know well; the whole wheat is ground in house. There are bits of wheat berry left in the dough, I’m sure intentionally. [Update: in the light of day, it looks more likes flax seed.] The stuff is a symphony of flavor and one of the best breads I’ve had.
I see that most of the reviews are based on the café experience. Fine if you want to use the wireless, have a beverage and a slice of the $ 4 toast. But also pick up a loaf of the country French and a chunk of cultured butter from Bi-​Rite down the street. When you get home, or maybe for dinner or the next morning, slice the bread and spread some of that butter on it. Voila: your Josey Baker experience has just morphed from too-​expensive to priceless.

We’ve all heard about the $ 4 slice of toast. I was sure that I would walk out of Josey Baker Bread/​The Mill with my suspicions that it’s overrated confirmed. Way overrated at that.
I was wrong.
The man in my life wasn’t exactly excited about starting our day w toast. So I did what any savvy female foodie would do. I brought out the big guns, & had him watch the video Josey Baker made about his story. Hee-​hee. It totally worked. Little effort, giant payoff. Now the man is both intrigued & genuinely interested in trying «the toast.» Have you seen the JB video btw? It’s really hard not to fall in love w him & his story. Even someone that has sworn off carbs or wheat can’t help but succumb, hightail it over there, & order a loaf, or at least a slice of toast, eventually. True & trust.
We arrive. The space is fantastic, w great light. Really great light. I ordered the maple apricot wheat. He ordered the cream cheese rye. Skeptical as all get out, we were both totally blown away. Josey Baker Bread is straight up just FRIGGIN AMAZING bread. This is a different level. Healthy & delicious. It tastes clean… unembellished & pure, even with the toppings. The maple was not over powering or too sweet like I was afraid it might be. I drooled over other orders I saw w the strawberry jam. I’m getting that next time. Love.
Josey Baker was just born to do this. A true craftsman. Don’t miss out. The new gold standard.