Finally, after nearly two years of planning and preparation, Blackmarket Bakery is opening its downtown Santa Ana location on Saturday, January 9. The new storefront, which replaces a clothing store, is the bakery’s second location after Costa Mesa. While it’s known for its wide array of sweet rolls, breads, pies, cookies, and tarts (and a cult following for ’em at that), its new location will also offer special items like pan dulce, breads from flours on site, and more savory goods. The first 50 customers will get a free egg-wichy—that is, an egg sandwich made with either a brioche bun or buttermilk biscuit. Doors open at 8 a.m., so you know what that means: free (if you get there early enough) breakfast!
Owner/chef Rachel Klemek is known for her Cabernet wine flour, which adds a light wine taste to some of her sweets. For those who’re unfamiliar with the bakery, here’s a great recap from Edwin’s 2008 review:
As a a proponent of all things natural and made-from-scratch, chef/owner Rachel Klemek operates with her grandmother’s credo in mind: “If you’re going to make a pound cake, you’re going to need a pound of butter.” You’ll encounter nothing unpronounceable on her ingredient labels. The list for her spiral brioche sounds downright Zen—flour, milk, butter, eggs, sugar, yeast, salt.
Simplicity and technique govern item Klemek bakes. Her froufrous follow the recipe for French-style macaroons and utilize no flour. They owe their structural integrity to nothing more than almond paste, egg whites, powdered sugar, sliced almonds, and citrus zest. The resulting surfboard-shaped cookies eat like Nilla wafers but disintegrate like meringues.
Gee, thanks Edwin—now I’m hungry!
Blackmarket Bakery in Santa Ana is located in the Santora Building at 211 North Broadway.
