James Dickinson photo
Bread-making is hard work. Just ask Rich and Sher Lahvic, the owners of Montana Gold Bread Co.: Every day, the couple toils with about a thousand pounds of flour, water and yeast product. "It keeps me in shape," Rich says. In 1994, the Lahvics bid adieu to climbing the corporate ladder and began their Carytown business. Fifteen years later, they say it's still a lot of fun.
Each morning, the low-tech spectacle commences exhibition-style in the scratch bakery at 4 a.m., when one of the employees puts the wheat in a stone burr mill. By 7:30 a.m., the dough is getting kneaded by hand. In addition to bread, the company offers made-from-scratch honey butter, hummus, pimento cheese and chicken salad, as well as box lunches and catering. And there's something new to look for this month: Gluten-free bread.
Sher says she enjoys interacting with customers who have questions about what types of breads should be served with particular meals. "I always like to give them a couple of choices," she says.
"One of our most popular breads is our challah," she adds. "This is the best bread for grilling because it gets nice and crispy on the outside. One of our favorite ways to use it is to make a GCBTO — grilled cheese, bacon, tomato and onion sandwich." The recipe follows. For more information on Montana Gold Bread Co., call 359-7700.
Grilled Cheese, Bacon, Tomato and Onion Sandwich
Ingredients
2 thick slices of challah bread
2 slices of your favorite cheese
3 slices of cooked bacon
2 slices of tomato
2 slices of onion
1 tablespoon of butter
Directions
Place cheese, bacon, tomato and onion between the slices of bread. Heat butter in a skillet on medium-high. Grill the sandwich for two minutes on each side until brown and crispy, pressing lightly with a spatula.
