If you head to Babette’s in the Prospect neighborhood, be prepared to manage some fallout. No matter how careful you are, flakes will drop from the expertly laminated croissants and patisserie and magnetically find their way onto your clothes, car floors and anywhere else you happen to enjoy your purchase.
As the establishment’s diehard fans will tell you, it’s worth it. In fact, some of them are willing to drive from across the Front Range to visit on the weekends. They view it as a road trip-worthy culinary destination.
“We come early because things here sell out. Nine in the morning is even a little late to be here,” said one customer who identified herself as Katie. “I love all of the danishes, all of the bread. The cruffins are amazing if you can ever get them.”
A selection of the baked goods to be found at Babette's — if you get there before they sell out. By Deborah CameronCustomers now have options for main dish items they can reheat at home. A newly purchased display refrigerator holds chicken pot pies, pasta, eggplant Parmesan and braised pork. Not all items are available on any given day, but each is made with a focus on serving food of a quality to rival any area restaurant.
Other pastry cases extend the selection with desserts, sodas, natural wines and locally sourced craft beer, cider and gelato. There also are a handful of kitchen items available such as cookbooks, kitchen scales, and specialty breadboxes that keep Babette’s sourdough as fresh as possible on your counter.
The Scotts aren’t necessarily sorry they’ve had to change up what they’re doing. In fact, they seem fairly pleased by it. “We wanted to do this, and we thought maybe it was something we could do in five years. Instead, we did it this year, overnight, because we had to,” Catherine Scott said.
“It’s been super fantastic and liberating to do something we set out to do,” echoed Steve Scott.
The pair is not averse to the idea that Babette’s Pizza and Pane could become Babette’s Market. That makes sense, considering their new approach is working so working well their revenue has increased over the year prior “by quite a bit,” Catherine Scott said.
That’s not something every business can say, but Steve Scott shared it’s been a trend among smaller, independent bakeries during the pandemic.
Babette’s Pizza and Pane is relatively new to the area, arriving after a 2018 relocation from Denver’s River North neighborhood. Coming to Longmont made sense for several reasons, including the fact that the Scotts live in town.
Babette's Pizza and Pane moved from Denver to Longmont in 2018. By Deborah Cameron”Denver was a good start, but this was the perfect spot for us to be. There’s a good community here. They’ve embraced what we do,” Steve Scott said.
It appears customers are more than happy to have them there as well. Erik Carlson, who was waiting outside in line on a Saturday morning, said, “I’ve traveled to France before, and what you find in bakeries there is what’s here. We love it.”
Three tips for making sourdough
Since the pandemic, many home bakers have begun experimenting with sourdough. Steve Scott shared his tips to make the most of the experience:
- Create your own levain: According to Scott, making your own starter is easier than people think. He likes to remind customers that “it’s just flour and water left to ferment. Learn how to feed it. Learn how to tend it and care for it. Once you do that, you’re going to make a great loaf of bread every time.”
- Keep working at it: “Just bake bread, get in there and do it,” he said. “Take notes. Track what you do. Document if it was cold on a day or warm, for example. That will help you hone in on what works.”
- Don’t focus on specialty flours: While specialty fours have their place, Scott doesn’t see them as essential, explaining that “We use King Arthur exclusively and some organic heirloom wheat from Kansas, but for first-time bakers, don’t go the heirloom route. Stick to flours that are readily available.”
