Frequently Asked Questions
Are your products safe for those with allergies?
Unfortunately, no. Our bakery environment does contain peanut, tree nut, wheat, sesame, dairy, soy and egg products. Although we do our absolute best at cleaning between batches to avoid cross contamination, we cannot guarantee that a product has not come into contact with allergens. Therefore, our baked goods are not appropriate for those with life-threatening allergies. Our sincere apologies for the inconvenience.
What is the best way to store bread?
Generally larger loaves, and especially sourdough loaves keep better than smaller yeasted loaves.
And a dough that is fermented slowly over 24 hours will further improve the keeping quality of the finished loaf, yeasted or sourdough.
Our larger breads will keep well for 3-5 days stored at room temperature. Ideally, an unglazed ceramic or wooden bread box is best to allow the bread to breathe. Alternatively, you can successfully keep bread stored in a paper bag and then loosely wrap in plastic on your counter.
We would advise against storing bread in your fridge, as it will stale it faster.
You can also freeze our bread successfully wrapped in plastic for up to 3 months. Cut bread will develop freezer burn faster than whole loaves, but you can still freeze sliced bread for a short period of time.
Do you cater?
We do not specialize in catering, but occasionally can accommodate requests depending on the date, volume and requested items. Each request is considered on a case-by-case basis. There’s no harm in asking, so give us a shout! Note however that we do not offer delivery. Orders need to be picked up in store.
We do offer mini croissants and mini pains au chocolat that are perfect for special for events such as baby showers, bridal showers, brunches etc. We require a minimum of 48 hours notice for such orders. Please email us at orders@blackwalnutbakery.ca for inquiries.
Do you make hot dog or hamburger buns?
Yes! We do make hamburger and hot dog buns throughout the summer months. Usually from May to September. There are similar in dough to our egg breads, enriched with eggs and sunflower oil. They are dairy free. Topped with sesame seeds, or left plain. Sold in packs of six.
Do you slice bread?
No, apologies at the moment we do not have an automated bread slicer. We would like to get one in the future though.
Do you have parking available?
Yes, we do have a parking lot large enough to accommodate approximately 10 vehicles. We ask that you please not park on the grass. If overflow parking is needed, you are welcome to park on the street without charge.
If you choose to park across the street at the Mr Gas parking lot, please be forewarned that they only allow a 15 min limit and will tow vehicles after that time.
Parking is for customers only. Overnight and carpool parking is not permitted on our property, and all vehicles parked long-term without permission will be towed at owner’s risk and expense.
What are your hours of operation?
Normal hours of operation:
Monday: CLOSED
Tuesday: CLOSED
Wednesday: 8:00 am to 5:00 pm
Thursday: 8:00 am to 5:00 pm
Friday: 8:00 am to 5:00 pm
Saturday: 8:00 am to 5:00 pm
Sunday: CLOSED
Holiday Closures:
Canada Day: CLOSED
Christmas Day: CLOSED
Boxing Day: CLOSED
New Years Day: CLOSED
Do you offer WIFI?
No, not at this time while our indoor service is closed.
Are you still giving out sourdough culture?
YES we are! From Wednesday – Saturday, you can stop in from 8am – 5pm.
Bring your own container. We will give you approx 1/4 cup worth for free. No order required.
How do I feed it? Approx 50g flour & 50g water. Preferably unbleached flour, any kind will do. Store in fridge when not in use, and feed once a week. When you plan to use it, bring to room temperature 2 days prior and feed it to wake it up!
Need help? Check out www.happyheartedkitchen.com/sourdough/sourdough-resources for awesome tips and videos!
When are you going to reopen indoors?
We are planning a renovation over 2023/2024. As with all construction plans throughout Covid, our plans have been greatly delayed, but we are still moving forward and extremely excited to be able to invite you indoors once again when it’s completed. We will have indoor service, seating and bathroom access once the renovation is completed. Estimated completion date is spring 2024.
Do you have seating?
At the moment, we do not have indoor seating, but we do have a large outdoor picnic tent set up across the street where guests can enjoy their goods. The tent is always left open, so you are welcome to use it when we are closed as well. We just ask that you clean up after yourself so it’s tidy for our next guests. Compost, recycling and garbage disposal is available. Sanitization bottles and towels are available on a self serve basis.
Do you have gluten free options?
We bake a few items that are gluten sensitive. Meaning they are baked without gluten, but still in a gluten environment, therefore we don’t consider them safe for those with severe allergies. We bake:
- Orange date squares: made with uncertified gluten free oats and oat flour
- Pecan brownies: made with cocoa and cornstarch
- Power bars: made with oats, dried fruits, nuts, dark chocolate
Do you make cakes or cupcakes?
No we do not make cakes or cupcakes, but we recommend: Flour Arrangements by Sara (Dunrobin), Valentina Sweets (Nepean), and Hastag Bake (Altavista). Hastag Bake also specializes in gluten free desserts.
Do your products freeze well?
- Bread: Yes, you can freeze our breads successfully. Some choose to cut their loaves in half, and take out half at a time. Others prefer to pre-slice their bread, and take out slices as needed. If thawing the entire loaf, let thaw at room temperature, and then crisp the loaf at 400F for 5 – 10 min to restore the crust (well worth the effort!) For a single slice of bread, simply pop in the toaster.
- Pastries: Most of our croissants and sweets freeze quite successfully. It makes a big difference if you can restore the crust by crisping them in the oven at 400F for 5 min or so. Muffins and cookies generally do not need to be re-crisped.
Thawed pies can be reheated in the oven at 350F for 10-20 min until warm, well worth the extra effort to serve warm pie! - Products that do NOT freeze well include our custard cream pies, and any product topped with whip cream or meringue.
Still Have Questions?
We’re happy to answer them! Please complete the form below and we’ll get back to you as soon as possible.