Expanded Neighborhood Bakery Offers Old-World Charm

Hurried but all smiles, Abby Franke walks in with the subdued confidence of a man who knows what he’s doing. The master baker and owner of Stone Ground Bakery has every reason to be smiling these days.

The bakery moved into its new 5,000-square foot location off of Canwood Street in August, and Franke’s vision of a full-line European-style Kosher bakery finally coming to fruition.

“This is what I’ve always wanted,” said Franke, gesturing towards the spacious dining area and multiple glass cases filled with freshly-baked delicacies. “I’ve always had this vivid snapshot of a bakery in mind.”

Between closing the doors in the old site off of Kanan Road and opening this new one, there was a four-week hiatus.

Four weeks without the neighborhood bakery affected some more than others, much to Franke’s surprise. “People really got very impatient, because they couldn’t get their favorite bread,” he said. “I would get stopped at unexpected places and pressed for the exact opening date.”

Good things are worth waiting for, so they say. Pristine and airy, the neighborhood bakery successfully combines the old and the new. They still bake challah, Stone Ground’s signature bread, by the thousands on a daily basis.

Franke and his staff of over 40 employees still churn out those well-loved pies, fruit tarts, cookies, biscotti and other Jewish-German baked goods at a rapid pace.

They also supply hamburger buns, pizza dough and other whole-wheat products to Oak Park, Moorpark and other nearby school districts.

“We are on the same page as the local schools in promoting healthy eating,” said Franke, whose son is a freshman at .

What's new are the wood-fired pizzas, which Franke hopes will attract a lunch crowd in the larger seating area. “It’s all made-to-order, and we can fit in about five at a time,” said Franke, peeking into the brick oven flanked by wooden paddles.

The ice cream, supplied by a local vendor, is also a recent addition, along with the coffee bar.

Franke pointed out the couches, cushy chairs and a dining table for six in a secluded corner by the coffee bar. He is hoping that more people will hold their business meetings here because it’s quieter and more private, he said.

“You could say I’m old school because I’ve insisted on using traditional ways of baking bread,” he said, referring to bread-making techniques he learned from Paul Sherman, his deceased partner.

At the mention of Sherman’s name, Franke’s eyes well up. “He’s the reason why we still braid challah by hand,” he said.

Franke’s refusal to succumb to modern baking equipment is partly out of deference to his former partner’s legacy, as well as a nod to his German roots.

“Where I grew up, we grind our own flour and we make a lot of things by hand,” said the first-generation American who hails from Hagen, Germany.

In terms of product selection, however, Franke insists he is very modern. “I do a lot of listening, gut feel and experimentation,” he said. “I ask my staff what customers have been asking for and requesting the most.”

To illustrate, Franke said the lollipops have been flying off the shelves so production has been increased and more varieties are slowly being introduced, according to Franke.

Cinnamon challah will be on the shelves soon, giving in to requests for more varieties of the top-selling Jewish egg bread.

Coconut macaroons now have a chocolate-dipped version. He picks up a package to stress a point and share his aversion of cutting corners.

“See we only have coconut flakes, sugar and egg whites in ours,” said Franke, pointing to the ingredient list on the package. “The other bakeries use extenders like flour.”

“But we are not like the other bakeries,” he said. “I don’t really think we have competitors nearby because what we have is so distinct.”