Julia Child
is said to have once remarked, “How can a nation be great if its bread tastes
like Kleenex?”
It’s a
question Long Island resident Robert Biancavilla took to heart when he
established Duck Island Bread
Company several years ago. Bob’s gorgeous European-style breads and
pastries have been a fixture – and a hot commodity – at the Northport Farmers’
Market for many seasons. He hand-shapes his breads and pastries and allows each
small batch of dough to develop its deep, satisfying flavors through natural
fermentation and carefully nurtured starter-cultures. Duck Island's delicious offerings include brioche, baguettes, croissants, cinnamon buns and pretzel rolls, among many other options.
I profiled
Duck Island Bread Company a year ago for Edible
Long Island. Bob is passionate about baking. By day, he’s an assistant
district attorney for Suffolk County, but on Friday nights he shifts focus and works
all night at a rented commercial bakery to shape and bake the breads and
pastries sold at the market on Saturday.
 |
| Robert Biancavilla and his wife Sherri of Duck Island Bread Company |
Now, Bob is
working to establish a bakeshop and retail home for Duck Island Bread Company
in Huntington and has initiated a Kickstarter campaign to fund store
renovations and purchase of refrigeration, mixers and a proofer.
Check out
the Duck Island Bread Company Kickstarter campaign here. It’s a worthy cause to consider this holiday
season, not only because Bob is an accomplished baker, a true gentleman and
community-minded individual, but I also love the idea of the community getting
behind “the raising” of a local shop that sells nourishing bread made from
scratch.
Because,
James Beard got it right when he said, “Good bread is the most fundamentally
satisfying of all foods; and good bread with fresh butter, the greatest of
feasts.”
©2014 T.W. Barritt All Rights
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