NYC: Bakery by Textbook in Bed-Stuy

I was invited to visit Bakery by Textbook for this blog post. Although my visit was complimentary, all opinions shared here are my own and reflect my genuine experience.

Bakery by Textbook is a bakery and cafe on Hancock Street in Bed-Stuy. Some of you might know Textbook Cafe from Fort Greene, which is where it all started, but the bakery part is a new addition and means that Textbook can now supply its cafe locations with their own bread and pastries, fresh out of the oven.

The master baker at Bakery by Textbook is chef Tony Yarema. Through extensive travel, Tony has gained first-hand experience with baking traditions around the world. The bread and pastries at Textbook are mainly influenced by Mediterranean and Middle Eastern classics, but Tony isn’t afraid to experiment in the name of good taste.

I arrived just in time to see a gorgeous cookie dough focaccia being pulled out of the oven. Would I want to try it? Oh yes! The Cookie Dough Focaccia is a new creation, and it’s still to be decided whether it will make it to the regular menu. If you ask me, it’s a yes.

I also had the savory olive fougasse, which had a chewy crumb and a crispy crust, and which tasted delicious. When it comes to bread and pastries, I often prefer something savory during the week and try to limit the sweet stuff to weekends and special occasions. Chef Tony mentioned that he’s also a big fan of savory, and that he’s hoping to introduce even more savory items to the customers at Bakery by Textbook.

Bakery by Textbook has a solid selection of coffee drinks to choose among, and all the coffee syrups are made in-house with good, wholesome ingredients. The one that spoke the most to me was the Lavender Iced Latte which is latte with a hint of lavender. Lavender is really big this year, and I hope the trend is here to stay, because the floral notes are delicious with the coffee flavor.

The Espresso Toffee Cookie is one of the most popular items at Bakery by Textbook. It is made with Callebaut chocolate, espresso, and a sprinkle of Maldon salt, and has a grown-up apperance and a sophisticated, not-too-sweet flavor, that I really liked and that made a great companion to my lavender latte.

Bed-Stuy is undergoing a significant transformation, some might call it gentrification. Once an underserved neighborhood in terms of foodie spots, it is now seeing a surge of hip cafes and trendy restaurants. However, this influx of a more affluent clientele comes with a risk of creating a disconnect between the new businesses and the original community, and many might find themselves priced out of the fancy new establishments. Bakery by Textbook wants everybody to have access to quality bread, so they set up the Name Your Own Price for Bread program. You pay what you can afford, no questions asked. This is such a great concept and an excellent way of giving back to the community.

When the liquor license is in place, a speakeasy bar, The Understudy, will open in the basement.

There’s no extra charge for plant-based milk in your coffee.

Bakery by Textbook, 874 Hancock St, Brooklyn, NY 11233