Rye was chosen as the bakery’s sole bread partly because of its importance in Austrian baking, according to the report.
The grain has long played a central role in the country’s bread culture, and the Auer family’s recipe is said to have been passed down through generations.
The report also states that customers who do not want to commit to an entire $60 loaf can buy smaller portions or slices topped with ingredients such as butter, chocolate spread or caviar. At roughly $40 per kilogram, the Soho loaf sits far above ordinary bread prices in both New York and Europe. Traditional sourdough in New York can already command $10 to $20 per loaf, while specialty bakeries regularly charge more for labor-intensive products. Even so, $60 places Rye in an entirely different category, explains the news report.
Rye was chosen as the bakery’s sole bread partly because of its importance in Austrian baking, according to the report.
The grain has long played a central role in the country’s bread culture, and the Auer family’s recipe is said to have been passed down through generations. The method reportedly traces back to a farmer on an Alpine pasture who taught the technique to an older generation of the Auer family. It was later brought back to Graz and developed into the loaf now being sold in New York, states the online report. There is little mystery about why the price has attracted attention. The price reflects more than ingredients. The bakery operates in one of Manhattan’s most expensive neighborhoods, while its production involves imported equipment, specialty ingredients and a slow fermentation process. To date, critics have questioned whether bread should become a luxury product, particularly when the basic ingredients are so simple. Others see the loaf differently, pointing to the quality of the ingredients, the traditional recipe and the labor involved in producing a naturally fermented bread. In Soho, where premium food experiences are hardly unusual, Rye appears to be betting that there is an audience willing to pay for exactly that.