Inside the Bread Room

Hi! My name’s Ed, but depending on who you talk to, I might be Br’Ed, Eddie Buns, or just Bread Guy.

I’ve been Carlino’s Lead Bread Baker for 7 years. Now that’s a long time, in fact it feels like an eternity. I couldn’t have done it alone though. I’ve got Jerry and Serge, my right and left hands. They have been with me for the last 2 years, and I couldn’t be happier.

Me? I was trained “old school”. Attended The Restaurant School at Walnut Hill College in Philadelphia from 2004 – 2006, with an associates in Baking and Pastry Arts. After graduating, I got a job at a small wholesale bakery, Wild Flour Bakery, in Northeast Philadelphia. Starting at the bottom, with hard work and determination, I rose to the rank of Production Manager. Working hand-in-hand with chefs all over Philly, I developed specific breads to compliment their products. I attribute a lot of my success to them for giving me those opportunities. Here I am 10+ years later, still giving you that classic, yet simple flavor you all enjoy in your Italian Breads.

When entering one of the Carlino’s markets, you may be overwhelmed by the vast amount of product that surrounds you. It truly is amazing to see all the fantastic products that our team of chefs creates each and every day! As you journey through, you stumble upon the dark and crusty loaves that are on display. Your first thoughts? maybe “Wow” …….”OoOoh” ……….”That looks good!”…….. “Holy $*&T!”. That’s where I come in.

A term I hear a lot in this business is “Ghost”. You see it, but you don’t know how it gets there. I couldn’t agree more! I wanted to start this blog to give you, the customer, our guest, a look inside that “Bread Room”. You may see the bread on the shelves, or maybe even in your hands before you take a bite of your sandwich. First, you might notice the color. Then as you go to take a bite, you might smell the toasted sesame seeds, or toasted cornmeal. Then, the bite…..the crunch…The marriage of flavors. Bread, Meat, Cheese, Lettuce, Onions, Pickles, Mayo, Dijon..mmmm……….I’ve gone off on my first rant……..The point I’m trying to make is the bread is the base of a lot of what you might buy at Carlino’s.

My most frequently asked question?

What time do you start?! My team works 18 hours a day. I say team, because that’s what we are. I’d love to take all the credit, but it’s really three guys working around the clock to give you, the customer, the freshest product possible. We always RISE to the occasion. Long time customers will remember when the Ardmore oven was out of commission. I’m proud to say that those days are loooong over, and things are operating at 110%. Some would say that we are Rolling in the Dough.

You might ask, “What is going on in that Bread Room?…” Good Question. A lot of experimentation. You might notice the Garlic and Rosemary baguettes circulating around. It is our classic Italian dough mixed with whole roasted garlic and fresh chopped rosemary. We’re also working on a Sourdough Rye as well as a 100% Whole Wheat. Aye Oh!

This is where I’d like to turn it over to you, the Customer. I’m always open to suggestions, comments, concerns, hey tell me the product sucks! I want to make the best bread on the planet. I’m biased, because I’m the dude that makes it. I think it is fantastic. Your opinion matters more than mine, and I want to hear it. Best way to make your voice heard? Leave your feedback below and I will respond as soon as possible.

By the way, I’m the handsome blonde in the photo.

Thanks for reading. I hope to make this a regular thing, so I hope you enjoyed reading it. I want people to know that their bread is hand made on a daily basis. I want to hear feedback from the people buying the bread I produce. So until the next time, thanks for reading, and I’ll catch you down the road.