I recently discovered Hugh through the Internet. Wish I had known about him earlier, LOL. Ordered the panettone - it was advertised, with lots of good chocolate chunks and candied orange. Delicious. Looking forward to more of Hugh's creations in the future. read more

Delicious bread every time made from a fabulous variety of flours and baked to perfection.

Happy to see that I wrote the very first Yelp review of Crust Baking back in June of 2016. It's appropriate to be writing this updated review on Valentine's Day because I still love it so much... Hugh Morgan has continued to perfect his sourdough recipes and added a variety of brioches to his baking repertoire. Without a doubt, the most exotic and delectable brioche my wife and I have ever tasted is Crust Baking's Chili Chocolate Brioche. (I added initial caps because it's too darn tasty to be written in lower case.) Flour, butter, chili and chocolate flavors are all well-defined and present and yet they blend in subtle and complex ways. Each time I expect one flavor to overpower the others, that flavor retreats to let the other flavors shine through. This is the breakfast version of a fine wine! read more

"One thing you can always be sure of, that you can always know, and there's not much you can always know, is that Hugh's crust is always going to be good." - Cassidy, age 10, Alameda resident read more

Crust Baking - a half eaten loaf of bread - Bakeries Near Me - Alameda, California

Boy do I feel lucky to be in-the-know about Crust baking! Every other week, I receive a message about the fresh-baked loaves sitting on Hugh's porch ready for pick-up. I swing by, pick up my loaf and daydream about how I'll enjoy it when I get home. Sometimes I make French toast with it, other times I eat it with butter and jam; in any form, it always exceeds my expectations. Anyone who loves sourdough will enjoy this subscription; the subscription makes a good gift too! read more

Took Hugh's bread baking class this weekend, and loved it! I highly recommend it to anyone interested in a hands on lesson about the bread making process! If baking isn't your thing, Crust is still perfect for you! Hugh makes fresh bread regularly and offers a subscription service. Once you taste some of this bread you won't want to stop ordering it! read more

It's been almost 1.5 years now that I'm a subscriber to Hugh's crust baking. His bread subscription service is an essential part of why I love living in Alameda. The bread is always good, surprising and makes for great gifts (truly). As a French man immigrated in the US, I can tell you nothing comes closer to home than what Hugh crafts in his backyard. Hugh is flexible in case you can't pick it up a specific weekend. read more

Sourdough, chocolate chili laced brioche, Chibata, whole grain, heritage flours, and more. It is all amazing and more than fit to serve to guests or just keep to yourself. This is bread like bread was meant to be. Full, rich, great texture and you can not just eat one slice, especially when you get it warm and fresh. It is wonderful to know that there is a bag of it with my name on it (literally) waiting for me every week. I'm a repeat customer who expects to keep coming back.... forever. read more

The best thing I ever did was to join Hugh's crust baking. The treats my family has experienced in all the different types and textures and flavors of bread has been phenomenal. Last night we were treated to a brioche of chocolate and chili. The flavor and the after taste was to die for, it's all gone now:( Hugh never lets you down on the flavors from Green Matcha tea to all the seeds in the rye. All I can say is keep baking don't miss a week, it is the highlight of The week to get the Hugh email or text that it is ready. Keep baking it's fantastic Thank you to Hugh. read more

Giving Hugh a shout out for his latest chocolate chili brioche. The height and texture of the loaf was awesome. But that combination of chocolate and chili with a very slight afterburn is addictive. Try toasting it slightly, then layering with sweet ripe banana slices. Also have found that his Volkenbrot, that densely seeded rye loaf, sliced thin and well-toasted, pairs very nicely with a slice of truffled chicken liver mousse on top. read more

Just had a bread baking class with Hugh at Crust Baking. Excellent class. Lots of hand on experience. Very informative. Made bread, baked it in a cool outdoor oven and then took it home. I would highly recommend the class to any one interested in bread baking. We even roasted coffee bean. He has bread subscription that are also great. thanks Hugh. Fun and informative, jon , alameda read more

My family has enjoyed devouring the bread from Crust Baking. Each loaf has been a fun, foodie discovery and my kids fight to come with me to pick up the bread. (It's generally half finished by the time we make it home!) Thanks again, Hugh, for the delicious, lovingly made treat. We always look forward to the pick up day. During the pandemic, Hugh wears non-latex gloves and a face mask when handling the loaves. read more

Get the Sourdough Vollkornbrot with fresh ground rye, sprouted rye, and seeds. Wow, what a bread! dense but buttery and moist, awesome when toasted and the seeds fully develop their fragrance. I bet it keeps fresh for long (if I would not have eaten it already within a day). Great with butter, or put some Grafschafter Goldsaft or Aachener Pflümli on. Make sure your kids don't see you, or you'll not get a slice. read more

Hugh makes incredible bread! He even roasts varieties of coffee from all over the world. My favorite are the chocolate brioche breads that he makes. read more

We are so happy to have found Hugh when we moved to Alameda! We used to live a block away from SF's infamous Tartine bakery, so we have a high bar. Hugh's bread not only measures up, but it's also just fun to have a bread "subscription" and be surprised with whatever Hugh's baking this week. Our house is always full of family and friends, and we love the weekends when we have his fresh bread to share. What a neighborhood gem! read more

What a fabulous subscription. It is such a treat to get a fresh baked loaf of bread almost every Saturday. Hugh bakes some of the best bread we have tried. The first loaf we got was Walnut Raisin and it was incredible. The crusty part on the bottom of the bread from the awesome outdoor oven was delicious. He is one hell of a communicator too. He emails early in the week to get you excited about the loaf to come. He emails the night before too and then texts when it is ready. You go over to his house and grab the loaf off his patio, all bagged up with your name on it. One of my favorite parts is the small local vibe of the whole thing. A local Alamedaen baking bread because it is his passion and his neighbors come over to reap the reward. Signed up for the modest subscription and we are ready to sign up for another 3 months. Thought I would update my review. I have continued to be part of the bread subscription over the years and have seen the quality and baking continue to improve. Just picked up another loaf and it is delicious. Fresh, crusty on the outside and soft and chewy on the inside. Totally recommend people join. I am hoping to take a baking class at some point. read more

I have been subscribing to Crust Baking since it began back in 2016, which makes me very lucky indeed. Absolutely delicious European-style bread baked in an oven in Hugh Morgan's backyard and available every other week on his front porch, and at a decent price. How wonderful is that?! My favorites are the sinfully delicious chocolate-chili brioche, which I treat like dessert and eat barely heated from my toaster, and the German rye, which demands a trip to the fish market for smoked salmon. And of course Hugh's basic sourdough loaf which cries out to be toasted and buttered and consumed! What a treat to have this amazing bakery just down the street here in Alameda. read more

This is what bread should be like - hearty, grainy, nutty with an underlying sourdough tanginess. And freshly baked by a creative local baker. Wow. read more

Crust Baking - Volkornbrot with Einkorn & Emmer wheat flour. - Bakeries Near Me - Alameda, California

I look forward to my loaf of freshly baked bread! If you can pick it up when it's still hot, BONUS!

If you're looking for fresh bread, Crust Baking is as good as it gets! Hugh Morgan has spent years perfecting his sourdough skills and it shows. We did the half-day baking class he offers and it was both informative and totally interactive -- if you're interested in the bread baking process (or just like eating fresh bread straight from the oven), I can't recommend it enough. Thanks, Hugh! read more

Woah, just blown into the weeds by Crust Baking's Vokornbrot 100% rye. Dense, seedy, nuanced, balanced subtle sweetness with currants, and mind-blowing -- it stayed moist for 6 days and we weren't even compelled to toast this loaf. Crazy good with wild smoked salmon, yogurt & dill but EVOO & sea salt is all it needs, if that. Hugh Morgan is at the top of his game, and how amazing to see those loaves on the porch Saturday morning with your name on one of the bags :) read more

Dostoevsky said: "There is not a thing that is more positive than bread." That's especially true if your bread is artisanal sourdough by Crust Baking! Each week brings a tasty delight depending on Hugh's inspiration, and his accompanying blog is filled with fascinating facts related to the bread: the grains used to create it, the history of that type of bread, the baking process used, etc. Truly a treasured experience! read more

Crust Baking is absolutely the place to get Great Homemade Bread! Every loaf comes out with great taste and texture. You won't want to buy your bread from anywhere else!!! read more

Crust Baking is like having a neighbor who bakes bread and shares it with you every other week. Unlike your neighbor, Hugh is killing it with every bake. To make it worth the super reasonable prices he charges, Hugh includes an educational email that really expresses how much excitement and love he has for bread. To top it off, there is the occasional free test loaf. Sign up to support your hyperlocal artisanal baker. You don't want to get caught supporting Big Bread. read more

I recently moved into the area and found Crust after looking around for sources of tasty bread, and I've been more than pleased by the variety and quality of loaves Hugh has made during my subscription. Whether it's a traditional but perfect Edison sourdough loaf or something more exotic, like this weeks brioche with chocolate, cinnamon and chili pepper, it's always delicious. read more

Run, don't walk .....warm, organic, home-made bread hot out of Hugh Morgan's sealed, backyard oven. Each week he crafts something delectable and extra-ordinary. My personal favorite is his hearty whole grain, nut and raisin bread. I love going to bed knowing I have that to wake up to for breakfast. And what's more, Hugh is just a really great guy...friendly, conscientious, helpful, innovative and kind-hearted. Someone you just love to do business with. The whole "Crust" experience is a joy. read more

Crust Baking may change your life; certainly it will spoil you for other breads. If you are able to tear off a piece of Hugh Morgan's bread fresh out of his hand-built oven, bring a friend. Otherwise, you will eat the entire loaf on the spot. (Best to bring someone you're not crazy about, since there may be slap fights.) I still dream about a walnut raisin loaf he made last year. I might prefer his plain sour dough, though, because he absolutely nails the classic. Although that whole wheat/multi-grain - - never mind. read more

I don't usually eat bread because I have gluten intolerance. Hugh's sourdough bread was delicious and I had no issues. I just signed up for a subscription. read more

I have nothing but high praise for the heavenly chocolate chili brioche. The lightly salted taste along with the smooth texture brings out the chocolate flavor (which is divine). I am embarrassed to say half a loaf was polished off late afternoon paired with an oatmeal stout. I would go to the ends of the earth to consume any loaf made by Hugh. read more

I've been a subscriber to crust baking for almost 2 years. I love looking forward to the surprise loaf every other Saturday. Hugh varies the type bread he bakes so that it's always something new and delicious. I love them all! He uses artisanal flours and its very interesting to hear about where they come from and how he acquires them. He's inspired me to seek out the heritage flours and now I use them in my own baking. Best bread in the hood for sure. read more

There is nothing like a slice of homemade, freshly baked bread still warm from the oven!! I enjoy the fabulous white sourdough with the perfect crust, delicious wheat-sourdough bread with seeds, scrumptious sourdough raisin walnut and a great variety of other breads from Crust Baking - I can't recommend it enough. I bought a subscription about two years ago after I heard neighbors raving about it. Basically, you receive one or two loaves of homemade bread straight from the oven every other Friday afternoon (or Saturday morning). If you live in Alameda, it's especially fulfilling to know you are also supporting your neighbor's business. I also slice it and freeze it so that my family can eat it over the whole two weeks. Yum! read more

Been a follower of Crust from the beginning. The breads are delicious. My favorite is the Sour Dough - it's what a SD should be, crunchy crust - chewy crumb. But the new brioches - esp the Rosemary are great too - makes a killer BLAT! read more

This bread journey started for me years ago. I was trying to make that delicious sourdough bread that my family and I crave. Living in the SF Bay Area I thought collecting natural yeast would be easy. I soon found out how hard this really was... Hugh Morgan from Crust Baking enlightened me on his "Christmas light method". Keeping proper humidity & temperature for yeast and proofing is key. Soon after I tasted his bread I thought it best to leave it to the professionals. I happily helped him weld his oven together, and soon was enjoying the sweet rewards. Supporting artist/small business like this is the way we can get our country proudly back on track. It takes a village to raise a loaf! Keep up the good work. Patrick Bell read more

Yummm! I've had variety of Crust Baking's sourdoughs, and they've all be good - fresh, chewy, and with great crusts. The variations are fun, interesting, and tasty, without being weird. Add a little wine and cheese and you have a very nice light meal. If there's any left in the morning, they make great toast as well. read more