Giuseppe Bruno, who owns the restaurants Sistina and Caravaggio on the Upper East Side, wanted breads for his restaurants fresher than most and made with high-quality traditional and ancient grains. His search led to Eli Zabar and his company Eli’s Bread, which has adapted some of its breads, baked in the afternoon, to Mr. Bruno’s specifications. There’s a hefty, round version of Mr. Zabar’s rich whole-wheat health loaf and a sourdough oval with a moist, tender crumb that Mr. Zabar has made larger for Mr. Bruno. It’s called Jerusalem loaf because at one time it was baked at a kosher bakery. Mr. Bruno serves the breads with olive oil and a compound butter and says that now the customers who used to refuse bread do not turn these down.
Jerusalem loaf, $8 a pound; health loaf, $15 each in the store, or $30 for two online; Eli’s Market, 1415 Third Avenue (80th Street), 212-717-8100, elizabar.com.
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