Winner
Organic Sourdough with Whole Wheat
When Aviv Fried immigrated to Calgary from Israel, his search for a good loaf of bread eventually led him to learn the craft of artisanal baking. Sidewalk Citizen started with Fried selling and delivering his sourdough loaves by bike. Thirteen years later, Fried and co-owner Michal Lavi have grown Sidewalk Citizen into a bakery/deli/restaurant business with almost 50 employees and three locations offering their signature breads, pastries and dishes inspired by Israeli street foods.
Sidewalk Citizen’s sourdough has become a staple for many Calgarians, beloved for its complex taste and the textural contrast between the crispy crust and soft crumb. Fried’s 13-year-old sourdough starter is a key component of the bread. Sidewalk Citizen also works with suppliers in Alberta to source local ingredients such as red fife flour from Highwood Crossing and all-purpose flour from Grainworks.
Each loaf takes three days to produce, allowing the dough to go through a cold fermentation process to develop its robust flavour before being hand-shaped, proofed and then baked.
“We have worked, reworked and tested our recipe numerous times to finally get to a satisfying flavour and crust-to-crumb ratio,” says Lavi. “We love what we do, we love bread and have been very fortunate to have loyal customers who have made our sourdough a part of their routine. Its always exciting and deeply satisfying to see returning customers and especially kids that grew up on our bread and still like it.”
Read our guide to the best local gifts.
