New Austrian Bakery in NYC Highlights $60 Loaf of Rye Sourdough
An Austrian bakery, Martin Auer, has opened its first location in the United States, right in New York City, and it’s making waves with its $60 rye sourdough bread.
Located on Lafayette Street, the bakery has a single focus: bread. Its 100% rye sourdough is crafted using organic Austrian rye flour, water, salt, and lots of time. Co-owner Tim Auer noted that creating the bread is a lengthy process.
According to Auer, the sourdough culture used in the bakery has been a cherished family recipe for over 50 years, originally brought from Austria to New York. The preparation takes approximately a day, followed by mixing, resting, shaping, and fermenting the dough before it bakes for about 70 minutes. Once baked, the finished loaf must rest for at least eight hours before being sliced.
These loaves weigh about 3.3 pounds and are priced at $60. Auer explained that the high price reflects not just the quality of the ingredients and the intricacies of the baking process, but also the high operational costs inherent in New York City. “It’s handmade on Lafayette Street, one of the world’s most expensive areas,” he stated, emphasizing that only the finest ingredients are used, including the imported rye flour. He believes the craftsmanship of the bread warrants its price.
If $60 feels too steep, customers can opt for a half loaf at $30 or a quarter loaf for $15. There’s also the option to buy individual slices. However, the price tag has sparked some backlash online.
“I simply would never pay that much for a loaf,” one Instagram user commented, while another expressed that bread should be simple and shared, rather than a luxury item.
Ricky Volpe, a professor of agribusiness at California Polytechnic State University, acknowledged that while $60 is a significant price for a loaf of bread, various factors including production methods and transport can inflate food prices. He noted that had the bread been imported from overseas, a price like that wouldn’t be surprising given the costs associated with air transit for high-end food items.
Interestingly, Rye’s bread is baked locally, yet still carries this high price due to the quality of ingredients and traditional baking methods.
