Clear Flour Bread
178 Thorndike St
Brookline, MA 02446 (617) 739-0060
- Nearest Transit:
Packards Corner (Green)
- Price Range: $$
- Accepts Credit Cards: Yes
- Parking: Street
- Wheelchair Accessible: No
82 Reviews for Clear Flour Bread
Scrumptious! Sourdough that's actually sour! Bread schedules! Ready-made pizza dough! OM NOM NOM NOM NOM NOM
Apologies to my swell boyfriend, but if Clear Flour weren't on the way to his house I'd come around approximately 50% less (proportionately, I'd probably eat 50% less). I have never had a piece of pastry or a bread from here that wasn't the best of its class, in my vast eating experience. They have really elegant things for dinner/brunch gifting, as well as basics like sourdough and dinner rolls. Also, they have copies of an ultra considerate bread schedule for people like me (you?) who build their week around eating.
All time faves:
fire roasted tomato rolls
venetian olive rolls
challah turtle!!
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Any bakery that has 99.5% of it's floor space dedicated to the pastry chef, professional ovens, and cooling racks is serious about their fresh baked products getting into you belly in it's finest form. These guys are so serious about their cakes, pastries, tarts, breads that even the flour (unbromated, whole wheat) and yeast cultures are a proprietary secret. Everything tastes amazing and has a very fresh, natural taste, leaving your palate clean and ready for bit after bite. I used to pop by this place on the way to work and even at 8am there's a line out the door! Their drip coffee is fabulous- organic of course. The berry, pear, apple tarts are so good you'll inhale them in minutes. I've picked up the Rustic Fougasse and Rosemary Focaccia- they were superb! There's also an amazing Scharffen Berger chocolate brownie thingy- HEAVEN!
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In my opinion, the best bakery in the Boston area. My favorites are the German rye (hearty, suitable for all sorts of uses, doesn't go stale for a while), the pain de mie (excellent for French toast), any of the baguettes and épis, and the challah. Their pains au chocolat ("chocolate croissants") are really excellent, but tend to sell out too early in the day.
Whenever I go out to a restaurant that serves Clear Flour bread, I'm thrilled. The best restaurants in the area tend to use Clear Flour, Hi-Rise, or Iggys.
The best bakery in Boston, one of the best anywhere I have tried.
Wonderful bread, baguettes, cinnamon buns.
Weird location, parking variable.
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A general rule of thumb is that a bakery may do patisserie well, or bread well, but it won't do both well. Clear Flour bends this rule, probably breaks it, but I'm not sure I'd say they shatter it. Consider my vote a "don't really know" on the patisserie side, where I have little experience, and "pretty damn good" on the bread side.
They get minus points for opening at 8 am. If you want to promote yourself as the whole euro tuck-your-daily-baguette-under-your-arm-and-stroll -down-the-street experience, that's fine, but people who buy bread daily buy it on the way to work when it's a)fresh and b)still available, and a lot of people have to be at work at 8 (like me, most days).
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I LOVE LOVE LOVE this place. It's tiny and you have to wait, but it is always worth it for the delicious bread. I was wandering around and found it one day and have been addicted ever since. It's a little pricey, but when you want a good baguette, it's worth it. I haven't had a baguette this good since 2007, go! EAT! and remember that if you buy bread from shaw's, instead of clear flour, which is just further down the street, you're insane and have no taste!
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I stopped in here because I was meeting some friends across the street at the playground. I could have watched them make bread all day; I'm a bread lover. But I digress. I got a chocolate chip and a sugar cookie. Both were OUT OF THIS WORLD! That was my lunch for the day. So good. I took home a loaf of the sourdough, which was also outstanding. They are so nice and gave my 1 yr. old a roll to munch. Yes, I'm making him a carb lover at a young age. My only caveat is there is NO room to stand. Forget bringing in a stroller. And while they have some coffee, it could be better. But hey, it's a bakery, not a coffee shop. If I lived in the neighborhood, I'd sell my breadmachine and gain 20 pounds.
I'm a bit of a bakery fan but also a bit of a bakery snob and most of the ones in Boston are a bit below par. I had been lamenting not having a good place to get bread in Allston for a while though I admittedly hadn't searched very hard.
I was out biking one day when I got caught in a horrible downpour. I did an about face and rolled back home through some side streets that I don't normally take and, low and behold, I stumbled upon Clear Flour.
They have a tiny little area for you to stand when you go in but it is reassuring that they have so much space behind the courter for their cooking. Prices seem just a bit high but they have a nuce little selection of breads. Their pastry selection isn't huge but is traditional style without being the supermarket style "yes we have x pastry".
I ended picking up a sourdough loaf and tough good it was obvious that I had shown up just a little bit late in the day.
Don't expect for your socks to be knocked off but if you live in the area I can't think of a better place for you to buy your bread. So stop buying bread ad Shaws NOW.
Also recommended as a dwop in place for a pastry on your way home.
Excellent Bread
I wish they had a few more locations!
I have a deep love of bread. Deep, like whoa. And I'm not kidding when I say, I could happily sit down with a loaf of bread and some butter or olive oil and eat it for dinner. The whole loaf. Baguette, epi, loaf... whatever. If it's crusty and soft and springy and doughy, I'll eat it (er - you know what I mean).
I thought I'd never find such happiness in Boston, but thankfully I found Clear Flour. I love the epi (maximum crust to bread ratio) and if not for the dangerous points that have literally drawn blood from me... I'd love it more than my boyfriend and my mom combined.
The croissants are splendiferous as well, so buttery I'd swear I'd gone died, girl. I also like that the olive bread might contain the pits of the olives, it gives it a sweet sincerity that most grown-ups lack.
Overall, I love this place, but I'd love it more if I didn't have to get squeezed between snooty middle aged women whenever I went. I asked a question last time and the woman next to me looked at me ABOVE her spectacles and snickered. I said, "For someone so old, it's amazing you're such a bitch."
But I digress..
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Thank God for Clear Flour Bakery. I had almost given up hope of good bread in Boston and then I found you - Clear Flour. I'm eating a sandwich made on an Rustic Italian roll as I type. Yummmmmmm. I have since learned that there other decent bread makers in town but I haven't been to them and none are near me. I love the experience of the tiny bakery store front. In the warm weather, I walk over on Sunday mornings, buy an Epi, a couple croissants and a coffee. There are two baby little parks near by you can sit and eat and read and sip (and repeat.) Ahh, warm weather. Where are you? Seriously, if you haven't been here go right now. Leave work, go and get one of everything.
See you there.
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I use to live right next door. It always made my old 'hood smell delicious and on the weekends there was always a line out the door (because its tiny but also because its amazingly scrumptious).
While I love this place for being truly authentic, I only come once every 2-3 months because the baked goods are not as tasty as people rave. The best of the best is definitely great (Sundays there is a roasted tomato focaccia which is unsurpassed; straightforward breads are great), but there are spotty items--onion focaccia is over-onioned with little depth and rosemary focaccia is way too oily. Fruity pastries are a bit too buttery but look beautiful.
The way they do business, though, is inspiring and keeps me coming back.
Hands down: the best bread and patisserie in Boston!
This is the perfect bakery. No pretension, just good food.
I am so sad that it has taken me this long to discover Clear Flour because the olive bread is delicious. Anytime I brink one of their tarts/loafs to brunch it's a huge hit. Definitely give the bread with gruyere and walnuts a try. It's pungent but oh so tasty.
I have to give a special shout out to the owner (?) as he has been nothing but sweet anytime I've been there. He truly knows great customer service and is a delight to shop with.
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wow wow wow
I can't wait to try more treats from this cute little bakery! There was a line out the door on a random Saturday at 4 if that says anything.
I brought 2 tarts to a dinner party- cherry and apple and both were delicious! I also tried the french bread - soooo good! The chocolate shortbread cookies are amazing as well.
They have a large array of breads including onion foccacia, stuffed gorganzola, banana, whole grain, challah and much more. Many of the breads sound healthy and I am excited to try those. There is a menu that tells you which day the different breads are made so you can make sure to get fresh bread baked that day- YUM!
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The debate over bread has smoldered. Several town and cities as well as one key state continues to poke at the bread issue, drawing upon information predating or contradicting the findings of the U.S. society for bread crime committees, which had largely exonerated bread from the charges it had thereby surpassed. I like the white bread!
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Best Bread in Boston?
I don't know if that's true or not, but if you're in the Brookline/Brighton/Allston area - this is the best around. Hands down.
AUTHENTIC European breads are produced here daily. The employees are cheerful and knowledgeable. If you're buying your Shabbat challah here - go early on Friday. The lines are impressive for such a small storefront.
When I moved to the Brighton area, I was on a mission to find a bakery to replace my dear Bova's. Nestled into a corner right off Comm Ave lies Clear Flour. It's so tiny you might just miss it.
The prices are pretty good, and they always have a rotating selection of different breads. You can even pick up a copy of their bread list and it says when they have each particular bread.
Their morning buns, freakin' AWESOME!! Even when they have been out all day, they still taste delicious and moist.
Unfortunately Clear Flour has not been able to replace Bova's. They don't slice the bread, which is kinda annoying, but I'm ok with it. It's a little to far away from me (I used to be able to walk to Bova's) and sometimes I forget it's even there. So as much as I love Clear Flour and give it five stars (well...more to the 4.5 side, but I give them the extra push cuz I like them) it's not enough for me to make the trek out there (I hate the B line being one reason)
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There are so many wonderful things at Clear Flour.
My favorites:
Gruyere roll
Fire-roasted tomato roll (best eaten hot out of the oven at CF while walking down the street)
Chocolate Croissant
Venitian olive roll
Sourdough rolls
The people that work there are always so nice!
Different people like different breads. For me, their specialty breads have way, way to much crust- I have literally had my gums bleed from crust-shrapnel while trying to eat them. Their basic white or whole wheat are tasty and less crusty.
I can understand the rave reviews for the breads; I completely concur, super fresh, great choices ( I luv the golden fruit tea bread which I make french toast with), and lots of texture, but I have a bone to pick! (typed as I brandish my left fist in the air!)
I have been going here since 1997 so I have lots of experience to speak from. They used to make the greatest morning buns (what most people call sticky buns) and everything was baked with perfection. Lately, I think the baker's aren't getting enough sleep or coffee, because someone is asleep at the wheel.
The last 3 morning buns ($3) were dry and hard as a rock. What happened to the sweet caramelized topping that smothered the light flaky exterior with a marshmallow soft interior maze of swirling cinnamon that reaches an orgasmic center? What is more disturbing is eating raw slimy pastry dough. I ordered the pear and raspberry rustic tart ($14 for a 8") it was totally raw in the center. As first I thought is was some new custard they were trying out, but my sister quickly pointed out my ignorance. Abe Faver, if you still own the bakery I think it's time you started some quality control.
Updated 03/22/08
They hear my pleads. Clear Flour you are once again the at the top of my Morning bun passion. From 3 back to 5 stars again. I have visited four times this month and each time I was greeted by a friendly counter gal and amazing sweet flaky crusty and chewy morsel that made my day.
Welcome back...I've missed you
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I live right behind this place and love that I do. The bread is amazing, and you can smell it baking anytime of day from a block away. On the weekends the line stretches out the door and around the corner, but it's truly worth the wait.
Get the Baguettes with Sun Dried Tomatoes baked into them...INCREDIBLE.
I stopped here once when I lived in the neighborhood, but I'll be back more regularly now that we joined the meat farm share that drops off at Clear Flour. It was 20 degrees on our pickup day, so we half-ran there after a yummy lunch at Brown Sugar. The place is tiny, no room for more than 6 or so customers, and there were people lined up out the door freezing their little bunbuns off to get their fresh Sunday bread. We joined these cuckoos to get some carbs to go with our roasts and chops. Everything looked so divine we were lucky we were stuffed with pad thai or we might have fallen victim to hungry shopper syndrome. The wheat loaf and baguette were both like heaven inside, and the $2.25 chocolate chip cookie is worth every cent. Huge, buttery, crisp around the edge and soft inside, and full of dark, rich, bittersweet chocolate. It lasted a surprisingly long time.
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Clear Flour, I've been thinking about you. Remembering the sweet times we had back when I lived just down the block. Waiting in long lines on Saturday *and* Sunday mornings to nibble your pert champignon rolls and fondle your sticky morning buns. The smell of your warm doughy breathe. The quenching delight of your earthy java nectar on a cold winter morning. Whatever happened to us? Where did things go wrong? You're probably with some other guy now. I've moved on too. (Her name is Silver Moon, by the way.) But, I wanted you to know that I still think about us from time to time.
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This is the best bakery in Boston - by far. The baguettes are truly authentic, the pastries are excellent as well. Make sure you go there early because they don't last very long (there can even be a line out the door in the morning on weekends!).
the best part about going to clear flour is the wall of fresh-baked-bread smell that smacks you in the face as soon as you open the door.
the second best part is the fact that everyone at work thought i bought a sandwich i made on one of their loaves because it looked so delectable (and it was).
and the third is that it reminds me of europe, where people buy their bread fresh everyday. wish there were more places like this!
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Really?
Truly?
It's like stepping into a secret hole in the wall, transporting you to some magical place thousands of miles away. Okay, so I'm probably speaking of Europe.
It was a little pricier than I anticipated. $3 for a donut - youch. Amazingly, the donut lacked the distinct I' m-gaining-10-pounds-just-by-eating-this-past ry feeling that you'll inevitably get eating at a donut chain. It wasn't greasy and the fluff of dough was so delicately covered in sugar that stuck to my face. *heavenly choir*
Go in the morning, while there's still "morning buns," and prepare to bake alive as you choose your guilty pleasure, because there is no air conditioning.
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Clear Flour is agreat place to buy the best bread in town...i don't get here often but I love their baguettes, which come as the usual baguette and a few lovely twisted and braided versions too. They have great cookies and brioches...A little out of the way, as it is tucked into a neighborhood.
All I can say is yummmm. My husband and I always have to buy an extra baguette for our walk back home, or else we wouldn't have anything to enjoy at home! They make bread here exactly how I love it, extra crunchy on the outside and wonderfully airy, light, and soft on the inside. I haven't tried some of the heavier breads yet, but hopefully one day I will try. I love their apple tart, the apples are perfectly cooked, and the tart crust is wonderfully flaky. My favorites right now are the rustic olive roll (spicy but good) and the ancienne french.
Everytime I've been there, the staff have been really friendly.
FYI:
My new favorite, the fire roasted tomato rolls come out at 1pm on Sundays. Not sure if it's the same for Thursdays.
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Now I sort of understand why there is a frenzy of people (as opposed to my previously unaware/ignorant sentiment of...crazy people!) in front of this place every morning waiting for their fix. Yum!
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Ohhhh so yummy. This place and Bagel Rising are pretty much the only things I miss about living in Allston.
I have had so many things from here, but the pear and blueberry tart, the rosemary foccaccia, and the challah turtle (a turtle-shaped challah stuff with a hunk of dark chocolate) stand out. Scones are also delish, as are all of their breads. I am a carb junkie, so this place was heaven for me when it was nearby. Now, I have Canto 6, which supposedly gets its bread from Clear Flour and is also yummy.
This place is ridiculously cute, too, which is a plus.
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I ate two sweet chocolate coconut macaroons and a giant (5"?) oatmeal cookie from here all in one sitting today. I don't know if it was that good or I was crazy, but hopefuly not the latter. Hey, did you know that a macaroon is a close cousin of the meringue, and that two nuns, known as the "Macaroon Sisters," baked and sold them during the French Revolution for a living during hide out?
Anyways, useless information aside, I am a carb junkie and Clear Flour is where I go to get my fill. The smell of fresh warm bread baking is amazing, and pairing it with olive oil... What could be better?!!
The service was awesome too, as I was clueless on what to buy and the guy there was friendly and explained the baked goods well. My favorites so far are the paris nights, rustic olive breads, tomato fougasse, apple tarts and morning buns. The flower bread is very cute too, I'll definitely take that over real flowers anyday.
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When a 48-year old Parisian, who is one of the better home cooks I've ever met, tells me that their baguette is wonderful, after four or five other deeply enthusiastic reviews, I go.
Tried so far, each deserving of its own five-star rating:
Baguette - $2.50
Epi (baguette shaped to evoke shape of a sheaf of wheat) - $2.75
canelle' (gotta look up the classic descriptor on this one--small chewy pastry-ish bit) - $.75
bag sugar cookies - $2.50
bag ginger-molasses cookies - $2.50
pumpernickel-ish-raisin-walnut roll $.75 x 7 (got one to munch my first time in while looking around and bought six more to take home. So good) *Update* --this is their Paris Night roll--they make a bread too. Avail. ?Wed and ?Fri.
currant-cranberry scone - $1.75
All beyond delicious and well-priced by reasonable standards; vastly underpriced if you were to judge by the average American bakery's flavor, etc./price index.
This is one of my favorite businesses in Boston.
Addendum: You know in Ratatouille, where whatsername tells whatsisname that you can tell a good baguette by the crust--if it has that crackle? Clear Flour gots the crackle.
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Best bakery in the neighborhood. Mostly bread products, but worth checking out. I often drop by and get a bag of dinner rolls.
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I've only been there once but the Pain de Mie (WHITE BREAD LOVER'S DREAM) and the German Rye (dark, nutty, crusted with sunflower seeds) were dead on. I've decided to stop buying bread from the grocery store.
I'm going back for the Brioche this weekend, very excited! Hoping to make it five stars soon!
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There's nothing better than waking up on a weekend and walking to your neighborhood bakery to pick up a loaf of bread and a pastry to eat on your walk back. This place is packed on the weekends and it was pretty good. Nothing exceptional about it, but I do enjoy that it's a neighborhood bakery. btw, bring a scarf and a jacket in the winter. Lines go out of the small store, and be prepared to stand outside.
Finally, a bakery that rivals all the wonderful ones that I encountered when I lived in the Bay Area of California.
My friend Priya introduced me to this place and I am so happy that there exists a place in the Boston area to get really good bread, pastries and sweet treats that is authentic and has charm.
I live in Cambridge but I will make special weekly trips over to Brookline just to get a loaf of bread for the week. For example:
Sesame sticks with herbed butter - heaven in your mouth, savory, garlicky, fun to eat sour dough bread with crunchy seeds
Whole wheat loaf - excellent texture, slightly sweet but not overpowering
buckwheat walnut - dense, earthy texture that makes you feel good and wonderful for sandwiches
brioche - wonderfully eggy, not too sweet, just the right amount of glaze, rivals those at the Cheeseboard in Berkeley
I want to try everything from Clear Flour and intend to by the time I leave Boston!
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Gee what hasn't been said about Clear Flour already?
Whenever I'm with friends on the weekend I try to trick them into going. Sometimes its a simple as "man I could go for a coissant... HMMMM"
or a more adavanced move: I will insist on driving and take that shortcut behind Harvard Ave "oh hey did you know clear flour is on this street... have you ever been?"
Sure it's dishonest but I really really don't care. They win too.
The last time I got a coissant I ate it so messily I should have been ashamed.
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