I have been visiting Elm St Bakery since the early 1980's as a child. All of our family celebration…read morecakes came from here. We love all of their items!! It is a clean and friendly ambience with so much color in the baked goods. Fast service and smiles. This bakery is always a definite stop whenever we go home to visit.

Been coming here for at least 30 years and the quality has gone done as the prices rise. Now as…read moreanyone knows when bread keeps having giant holes in it is not being handled properly by the baker before hand. 4 Why does my bread keep doing this? : r/Breadit To prevent large, unwanted air holes (or tunnels) in bread, bakers focus on proper fermentation, firm shaping, and degassing the dough. Key techniques include avoiding under-proofing, degassing the dough thoroughly after the first rise, using adequate gluten development, and creating tension during shaping to ensure a tight crumb. Key Techniques to Prevent Large Holes: Proper Fermentation (Avoid Under-proofing): Large, single cavities are often caused by under-proofed dough, which allows gases to expand unevenly during baking. Ensure the dough is fully proofed. Degassing and "Knocking Back": Gently but thoroughly deflate the dough after its first rise (bulk fermentation) to pop large gas bubbles, preventing them from becoming huge pockets. Firm Shaping & Surface Tension: When shaping loaves, make sure to fold and roll the dough tightly to eliminate gaps. Pop any visible surface air bubbles with a toothpick before the final proof. Proper Scoring: Score the loaf deeply enough. If the crust forms too fast and gas cannot escape, it can lead to "flying roof" or tunnels. Avoid Excessive Dusting Flour: Too much extra flour during folding can create, rather than prevent, big holes in the crumb. Check Dough Handling: Perform 3-4 gentle "coil folds" during bulk fermentation, rather than over-working it, to strengthen the structure

A perfect experience from start to finish A+…read more I stopped into Cupcake City and spoke with Jodi about ordering a large number of cupcakes for my niece's baby shower. She made me feel as though nothing mattered more than making my niece happy--true old-school customer service. We discussed several options, and then Keri joined us: the Picasso of cupcake baking and design. She was tremendous, and watching her sketch and talk through ideas was incredible. The cupcakes themselves were beyond delicious, with frosting that was absolutely outstanding. Jodi and Keri are an unbeatable team. Thank you so very much. Very grateful!

Really great local cupcake shop. I went in on a Saturday morning to get x6 for a gathering and my…read moreguest were very pleased. I got the lemon, hostess and margarita. Since it was right when they opened I had plenty of options. The cashier was helpful and answered my question about leaving them out of refrigeration. I paid about $25 for 6. There is plenty of parking spots. I would defintiely inquire if they did custom design.

This isn't just an Italian bakery. It is an Italian bakery for the Jolly Green Giant. The sheer…read moreSIZE of the pastries and treats here will make your eyes bulge. No exaggeration, the eclaires and bismarcks were double wide and at least 10" long. Three people could split an eclaire, oh my gosh. We bought an assortment of cookies, pastries, bread, and pizza. Everything was fresh and excellent. We took our pastries a few minutes away to the seashore and indulged in the comfort of our car for fear thise famous Revere seagulls (which are also giant) would swoop down and steal our sweets. A well-run, quality shop with ample selection for your sweet or savory craving. A local landmark for good reason, and worth the drive from anywhere in the region.

Glitzy shop on Broadway with shiny neon lights and mirrors that resemble a 1970s mall food court…read more Lengthy showcases of pastries of different types and ethnicities, from Italian to Jewish to Latin to pure Americana. Tiny tables-- a dozen or more for your dining pleasure, and they even have table service. Tiny toilet upstairs for your convenience. -- Blueberry Muffin: Nice dome with a well extended overhang, though on one side for lopsided amusement. Blueberries tiny but densely distributed. Everything very soft and spongey, even the dome. Flavor very sugary. Decent muffin. I've had far better. I've had far worse. -- Half Moon / Black and White Cookie: There's a lot of misunderstanding regarding this item-- which is really items (plural). A black & white cookie is more of a New York thing, with a firm cookie base and a thin, hard-shell glaze on top. A half moon I believe is a Boston thing, with a cakey bottom and a thick, soft frosting on top. What's served here is closer to half moon, although I found the base very dry and the frosting too thin. Definitely a frosting though. Not much flavor from the chocolate. Lemony notes from either the white half or the base. Much like the muffin, not the best. Not the worst, either, but a lot closer to worst than best. I liked the atmosphere, the iced coffee, the vibe, and the cheerfulness of the ladies behind the counter.

I've had this place in mind for a while now, and the opportunity to get a cake for an event finally…read morecame up, so we ended up ordering with them. The team LOVED the cake so much that we ended up placing another order for the same week Their customer service is great and everyone is so kind! When it was time for pickup, I was honestly surprised at how big the place actually is. It's a bakery AND a deli, they do catering, and they even have seating inside! The ambience is very New York feeling It literally made me feel like I was back at home. And they really have EVERYTHING in there! They have iced lattes like cookie butter, pumpkin spice, and so many more flavors. Pies, cookies, cakes, pastries, ALLLL the desserts you can think of. Everything looked amazing and I wanted to try one of everything I definitely will be back for a sub, and everything else of course! Bova's Bakery whoooo??

GREAT! That sums it up. We got a couple of boxes of pastries from here for different occasions and…read morethey were always delicious and beautiful. Pictures you ask? Unfortunately, I was so overwhelmed by the alluring pastries I forgot and just dove in for sampling! Great Italian Bakery!

Great friendly service and AMAZING creative muffins. They also have really cute themed things for…read moreEaster. They are busy but so worth it, I would recommend parking across the street.

I have visited the Winchester store many times. Muffins are all very good. The issues isn't the…read moremuffins ... The staff there are always nasty and owner must not care. I mention every visit that they should put a name tag in front of each muffin to speed up the ordering... I must waste my time and more importantly their time answering my inquires... what is that one , what is that muffin ? Does that have raisins on it ? Nuts? Dog shit in it? or whatever ? Wtf Or why are out of certain muffins ? Any In the back on racks? Put a sign up displaying a simple check mark of available muffins? One visit the nasty one at Winchester told me they were out yet I saw the muffin on a rack not yet ready to put out front? So this was my first visit to this Wakefield location ... same issues and staff nasty here too but a bit better as more mature employee? I ordered 6 muffins and wanted 2 in a separate box as a gift to someone and the other 4 in a different box...she puts the two in a bag... A bag ruins the gift look, damages frosting in muffins... they will not put any less than muffins in a box? I'll pay for the dam extra box? Or maybe a smart owner would have a small 2 muffin box? Asked for Boston cream ... out of them .. same as last visit to Winchester location where they were out of many options... Maybe if popular statistically ... then you bake more of them based on POS sales data ? Maybe seasonality affects the daily production forecasts? Maybe offer July 4th red white blue muffins, Halloween frosting, Thanksgiving? Christmas ? Then generate greater sales, The owner should hire a better manager of both locations and stick a dam name tag in display case for each muffin, train all employees in hospitality and importance to retain repeat customers? Owner probably now just mailing it in or letting the off spring to take or already took over ? Maybe sell just sell it off to a interested owner looking to expand, or Improve offerings , add high end croissants, pastries, quality cookies ... coffee and better options? Whatever... 4 years telling every visit to just put a f'n name tag in front of each muffin-so I don't need to ask.. especially for gluten free, nut free allergies conscience people... how about an ingredients sign for each muffin ? I give up

It's become a tradition to celebrate our daughter's birthday with a tres leches cake from Lorena's…read moreCakes. We're celebrating my daughter's third birthday tomorrow. This morning I picked up a cake for 40 people for $55. I learned about Lorena's Cakes because one of my co-workers is Mexican-American, and she occasionally brings one in to work for an office celebration. They're a huge hit at the office. They're so moist! The cakes are always a success with our extended family, too. It's fun to joke with people who ask what the three milks are (e.g. "Cow, sheep and llama!"), but they're in fact evaporated milk, condensed milk, and heavy cream.

We tried to track down Lorena's Cakes but found Blanca's Bakery at the same address instead. (Heard…read morethat Lorena's is now a mobile business.) Nevertheless, customer service at Blanca's is excellent. The girl there on the weekend is super helpful, taking the time to tell us about spanish/mexican pastries as we are novices to that culture. The tres leches cake is super moist and still good!

As a Frenchie visiting the area, the baguette and viennoiseries were as good as back home. What a…read morepleasant find and congrats to the owners. Bravo

If you love your carbs like my wife and I, this is your place if you are a visitor like us. My wife…read moreand I stopped in just before closing on a Friday afternoon and they were sold out of bread. I learned we had to get there in the early morning if we wanted to experience the full selection. Farine is in the heart of old town Marblehead and was a 5 minute walk from our Inn. They are much more than just bread. They have pastry, croissants, and coffee as well. On Sunday morning at 0815 hours, the plan was to take some bread back home with us since there is no bread in NJ. Just kidding. We have a great bread place in town. When I walked up, I noticed the line was already 20 people deep outside. Good news, the line moves. The smell while you wait and when you enter was worth the price alone. I ordered a loaf of the rye blend and a loaf of the whole wheat. The bread was warm. When we got home and sliced it up, it was outstanding. Fresh and soft! Worth the wait. The service was very friendly and the prices are very reasonable coming from NJ. There are a couple of tables outside but this is a "to go" place only. Worth the stop!

Modern is a Boston institution and absolutely worth a visit. Their pastries are amazing. Their…read morecannoli menu is quite basic in comparison to other bakeries in the area, but they are the perfect flavor and crispy texture as they are filled fresh on the spot. I also loved the truffles, notably the dubai chocolate one. Just to note, it is cash only.

Total disappointment. I've had better cheesecake at the Outback!! Lacked taste and underwhelming…read moresize (for the price) Tiramisu also small and not worth the price. No cannolis or ricotta pie in window to buy. Won't be coming back.