Nothing makes the aroma of fresh baked goods smell even better than a long hike, ski or bike ride in Banff and Lake Louise, which is why the area offers some great options when it comes to local bakeries.
Nothing makes the aroma of fresh baked goods smell even better than a long hike, ski or bike ride in Banff and Lake Louise, which is why the area offers some great options when it comes to local bakeries. With Easter fast approaching, now is the perfect time to visit one of the artisanal shops to stock up on hearty breads and sweet goods.
Laggan's Bakery in Lake Louise
Laggan's Mountain Bakery and Delicatessen was established in February 1987, but owner Cynthia Magee adopted its name from a historical reference.
The name Laggan's came from Laggan's Siding, which was the original name for the visitor centre of Lake Louise back in the days when Canadian Pacific Railway trains stopped there.
Every station had a name and this one originated from a small village in Scotland. Since the bakery's inception, it has undergone considerable physical changes, but has always maintained a reputation for quality baked goods and hot food with friendly and helpful service.
“Definitely, by far, the health cookie is the most popular item. People come from all around for the health cookie and we also sell it in the dry format so people can bake them at home,” said Laggan's manager Lori Mackay.
“They're popular because you can take them on the go with you, take them hiking, take them skiing.”
Their cookies have a reputation for being pretty hearty and sturdy, so you can throw them in your ski pants to enjoy between runs with a tea or coffee.
“We also make our own chili from scratch and offer soups every day and we have turkey pies, mac and cheese. We do pizzas, pizza bagels, fresh sandwiches and salads,” Mackay said. “Every kind of specialty beverage you can think of, we pretty much offer here too.”
In May of 1997, the deli underwent significant renovations. The kitchen was relocated to the basement, thereby creating a new seating area which now seats 25. As well, all the old pastry cases were replaced with sparkling new ones, and all outdated equipment was replaced.
Laggan's installed a dumbwaiter to assist in sending things to the kitchen or sending things upstairs to the deli, with washrooms being renovated and relocated as well.
Over the last three years, Laggan's have redeveloped their coffee and tea station, installed electronic menu boards and high definition monitors which, during the summer season, showcase the magnificent scenery of the national mountain parks.
The owners felt that not only were such changes necessary in order to provide more service areas and better seating, but also to provide an overall better ambiance for guests to enjoy.
The following is a favourite that home bakers can include in their repertoire.
Laggan's Gluten Free Almond Macaroon
1 1/4 cup white sugar
3 cups sliced almonds
5 egg whites
Combine all ingredients in a bowl and beat with an electric mixer on high speed for about 10 minutes. If in doubt, whip a few minutes longer.
Spoon onto a baking tray lined with parchment paper and bake for 15 minutes at 350 F, increase temperature to 400 F and bake for another 10 minutes.
Drizzle with melted chocolate and enjoy.
Banff's Wild Flour Artisan Bakery Café
he courtyard on Bear Street where Wild Flour is located is about a decade old, however, what was found during construction of the site would reveal a remarkable historical coincidence.
“This used to be a Chinese bakery and it was called Kwong Lee,” said Wild Flour manager Laura Daley. “Kwong Lee came over to Canada to help build the railroad and then opened up a Chinese bakery, so we're actually on an old bakery site.”
One of Wild Flour's customer drawing points is its open kitchen/bakery.
“Our customers can watch and see the process and see that everything's pretty much made by hand,” Daley said. “People will honestly come in and buy what they see is being freshly baked because it looks and smells so good. They'll say, ‘I want that, I don't know what it is, but I want it.' ”
She says their sourdough bread is one of the most popular items and is made on a daily basis, along with a variety of other offerings.
“We do a lot of other breads like mix-seed, baguettes and specialty breads all week,” Daley said. “Other popular items include our breakfast sandwich on our sourdough, and we do a gluten free banana muffin that people love.”
Wild Flour also offers Friday music hours and offers local artists a location to display their work.
“We change it every month,” Daley said. “We have a two-year waiting list for local artists to put their art up on our walls. We do that free of charge and sell their art through us.”
For those who like to bake at home, Daley offered up a Wild Flour recipe. Although there are quite a few ingredients and a bit of waiting, making hot crossed buns is actually quite simple.
Wild Flour hot crossed buns
Ingredients:
500g of strong white bread flour
75g of caster sugar
7g sachet of dried yeast
50g of butter, cut into small cubes
1 egg, beaten
300 ml of milk, boiled and then cooled until you can comfortably dip a finger in it
220g of dried fruit and mixed peel
One apple chopped into small, fine pieces
The zest of two oranges
Apricot jam
Instructions:
Mix together the flour, sugar, yeast, butter, beaten egg and warm milk until you get a sticky dough – it's best to start off with a spatula or wooden spoon.
Add all the fruit, making sure it's spread evenly through the dough.
Lightly dust a clean, dry surface with flour and stretch and knead the dough for about 10 minutes or until it's stretchy.
Grease a clean bowl and put the dough in it, cover and leave in a warm place for one hour, or until it's doubled in size.
Divide the dough into 12 and roll each piece out into a small ball. Place on a baking sheet lined with greaseproof paper. Make sure they are even so when they expand they end up touching each other. Let sit for another hour.
Heat the oven to 220C/425F/Gas 7
To create the cross, mix 50g of flour with two to three tablespoons of cold water until you get a thick paste. Put it into a piping bag and pipe a line along the middle of each row of buns in both directions.
Bake for 20 minutes or until golden.
Heat the jam until it's runny and brush onto the tops of the buns. Leave to cool.
Hot cross buns can be served cold or popped under the grill to toast up, but are best spread with salted butter.
