The bread man cometh to Pembroke Pines
Albert Bensadoun’s face is a familiar one to those who shop at Stiles Farmers Market and know him as the bread man.
Every Friday through Sunday, he’s at the Pembroke Pines market, which specializes in fruits, vegetables and ethnic specialty products. Bensadoun, who is stationed inside the store’s entrance with his breads, offers customers samples they can dip in his “Secret Vinaigrette.” His offerings include olive loaf, walnut raisin, focaccia, Spanish and Belgian ciabatta, multi-grain — eight flavors in 14 different shapes including mini dinner rolls, 6-inch paninis and half baguettes for those who like big sandwiches. Many drop into Stiles just for the bread, and a few order it by the case.
The secret to his bread, Bensadoun insists, is the ice-cold water of Montreal, Canada, where his Adar Bakery is located.
“When we came to Florida, it was very hard to find good bread that was kosher and also very European artisan bread,” he says. “So we decided to import it from Canada and have had great success. For seven years, he’s been shipping bread from his Montreal bakery, where loaves are made by high-end upscale machines, to his Dania Beach warehouse. From there, he ships it to other states and distributes it locally to hotels and country clubs.
On weekends, Bensadoun hits Stiles with loaves to sell before they thaw, advising customers to freeze it, since the bread contains no preservatives, and bake only what they they’ll eat. “When you put it in the oven for 7-8 minutes, it comes back like it came right out a of a brick oven,” Bensadoun said says. “This is the beauty of this bread. There’s no waste.”
The bread, he said, is for everyone.
“It’s not specifically for one type of community,” he said. “It relates to all nations, from Jamaican, Haitian, Greek, Italian, French — everybody. The palette makes the decision on this bread.”
Last year, he approached Stiles Farmers Market owner Joe Stiles about carrying his bread.
“He told me, ‘Albert, I’m not in the business of selling bread, but if you want, I’ll give you a space here and you can set up and you’ll sell it the old-fashioned way,’” Bensadoun recalls. “So that’s what I do.”
Customers line up for the secret vinaigrette-dipped bread. The dip contains olive oil, balsamic vinaigrette, orange, lemon, basil, garlic, rosemary and one secret ingredient. Bensadoun considers a container of it, along with his bread, a “starter kit.”
When the Secret Vinaigrette is half finished, he reveals, it can be replenished by adding olive oil, balsamic vinaigrette and squeezing half an orange into it.
“So they keep it going, keep it going and it becomes an adventure, buying the bread, buying the dip,” he said. “And after a month or two, they come back and buy more dip, but bread they buy on a weekly basis.”
Bensadoun began making the dip at El Morocco, a Panama City Beach restaurant he owned.
“I’m more specialized in the restaurant business where I would provide great bread at a table,” he explained. “My specialty was the kosher bread bar.”
He’s planning to open small bread bars in South Florida. They’ll be like wine bars, he says.
“But you’ll walk in and there will be cheeses, breads and specialty breads,” he says.
Meanwhile, people can sample and buy his loaves at Stiles, but don’t be one of those incessant dippers who hold up the line rather than buy their own loaf and a container of the vinaigrette.
“You should see them,” Bensadoun said. “If I would let them, they’d just stand there and finish my tray and finish my dipping oil.”
Stiles Farmers Market is at 209 N. Hiatus Road in Pembroke Pines. Call 954-437-4852.
