SOMERVILLE - In a cubbyhole of a space, two doors down from Kickass Cupcakes, the new When Pigs Fly Bread Co. is making carb lovers feel like they have died and gone to heaven. The warm, yeasty scent of fresh bread is welcoming on a frigid day, comforting the senses with the sweet smells of brown sugar, dried fruits, and toasted nuts and grains. Just as alluring is the vision of browned, crusty loaves - in rounds, ovals, and rectangles - stacked five shelves high on rolling racks.
The wholesome sight suggests a row of busy bakers in the back of the store mixing, kneading, and baking dough before sunrise. Instead, the breads, warm from the oven, are trucked in every morning. When Pigs Fly is a 15-year-old Maine-based company with devout followers. Most supermarket chains in New England carry the breads, and now the lucky folks who live or work in Davis Square - and anyone else who snags a parking meter - can savor the sourdough white, Tuscan wheat, six-grain and pumpkin seed, the immensely popular low-carb whole wheat, or some of the many specialty loaves. The staff slices loaves on request, making it easier (or harder) to decide between blueberry-peach or banana-pecan-maple
When Pigs Fly was a far-fetched dream of Ron Siegel's when, after 15 years as a chef and restaurant owner, he decided that what he really wanted to do was bake bread. He started small, experimenting at home and renting an oven at a wine and cheese shop in Wells, Maine. Friends and family were skeptical, but he baked about 80 loaves a day and sold them to local restaurants and specialty markets. Then he launched When Pigs Fly, the name a nod to the shaky beginnings. A pig with wings is part of the company's logo and when you visit the website (sendbread.com), you can find pigs flying across it with the message: "When pigs fly, anything is possible."
Today, with about 50 employees and five huge ovens operating around the clock in a 25,000-square-foot facility, the business produces 12,000 preservative-free, all natural loaves a day. In addition to the new Somerville location, there are outlets in Portsmouth, N.H., and in Kittery, Freeport, and York, Maine.
What makes When Pigs Fly unique is the number of different loaves the company is willing to produce. Not many bakeries mix and bake more than 25 varieties, explains Siegel. "The flavors change all the time, but some we can't get rid of anymore," he says, referring to perennial favorites such as orange-cranberry bread, six-grain, low-carb, and a harvest loaf with oats, apples, raisins, and sunflower seeds.
Siegel, 49, explains that he often dreams up ingredient combos on daily walks. That's how, he says, the Mexican bread (with black bean, cilantro, and jalapeno) and a sweet-potato and date loaf evolved.
Siegel's brother Andrew, 45, came on board in 1994, leaving behind an accounting job in California. The younger Siegel manages the business details, including sales and marketing, handles store openings, and even makes deliveries when necessary.
Though their breads have been sold in supermarket chains for years, the Siegel brothers are excited about getting specialty loaves to more customers. They saw the popularity of the breads when they had a stand last summer at the Dewey Square farmers' market, which convinced them to open a retail store in this area. The Davis Square site is small, but the brothers aren't worried. "We probably sell the greatest number of breads in the smallest space," says Andrew.
If you ask Ron and Andrew Siegel about selling bread, they'll likely tell you anything's possible.
When Pigs Fly, 378 Highland Ave., Somerville, 617-776-0021, sendbread.com; some breads available at Shaw's, Stop & Shop, Roche Bros., Donelan's, Market Basket, and Whole Foods. To freeze bread for up to two months, wrap the loaf securely in plastic wrap. Remove the plastic (do not thaw), wrap the bread in foil, and heat in a 400-degree oven for 20 minutes. For a crustier loaf, open the foil for the last few minutes.
