Bread donations: Through customer contributions, Four Worlds bakery make regular fresh bread deliveries to soup kitchens, feeding the hungry. Your contributions can now be tax deductible thanks to a partnership with the Hunger Coalition.  Donate through any of the online order forms, links on the ordering page. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Philadelphia Inquirer, in the Earth Day feature. 

 

 

 

 

 

Video made by Peter Crimmins covering the bakery move in July 2008. 

                                                                               (photo courtesy of Albert Yee)

 

 

Four Worlds Bakery is located at 4423 Chestnut in West Philly; sharing a retail space with Kaffa Crossing Cafe and Restaurant.  Head Baker Michael Dolich started the bakery in his home kitchen at a West Philly cooperative house on Walton Ave (near 48th and Baltimore) in 2006.  

 

We specialize in sourdough (ie naturally fermented) breads made with freshly milled whole grains.  Click here for a current ingredient list for all products.   We mill all the whole grains on site at the bakery; the picture to the right is the mill we use at the bakery. We offer baked products rooted in a tradition where baking is an art form (thus artisan) and the breads are made with the utmost attention, hand work, care, and expression of our highest ideals.  These breads stand alone in the Philadephia area; there is nobody making breads like this commercially anywhere near here.  Click here for a Challahman Blog article about the benefits of freshly milled grains and natural fermentation.

 

We strive for the perfect process for making bread, thus we are not trying to achieve exact consistency in results; and if you are attentive, you will note subtle (and sometimes not-so-subtle) differences in the products from week to week. All the products, however, are produced by exact formula which are continually in development.

 

And because all the breads are made with natural yeast starter (using natural fermentation) you get a high degree of density, more complex flavor, more durability, and better keeping quality.  Although these breads are perceived as being more expensive, by weight these breads offer the best possible value on the market.

 

We buy locally produced ingredients (including spelt, wheat, cranberries, butter, and milk)  which add seasonal variation to our products. Our ingredients are chosen for the highest quality possible; some are certified organic, some are verified "chem/pesticide free," some are conventional. The only salt we use is Celtic Sea Salt, the highest quality salt available.

 

In today's market, it's very challenging to get fresh bread to consumers.  Most bread you buy, even if locally baked, is not baked the day you eat it.  We set up a pre-ordering system to guarantee your bread is fresh when you pick it up.  By pre-ordering, your loaf is made especially for you, on the day you pick it up. 

 

We deliver your pre-ordered products to various pickup sites around town: Upper Darby, West Philly (2 options), Center City (Fair Food Farmstand), Mt. Airy,  and Pennypack Farm in Horsham.   You can also come to the bakery on bake days or buy it through some select retails stores in town.  There are several options to get Four Worlds products, so review the ordering page for details if this is your first time ordering.  Be sure to get on the email list for weekly news and specials and a reminder to get in your order.  Get the most value and selection by pre-ordering.

 

Much more background information about the bakery on the Facebook page.