We’re celebrating our 30th Anniversary by sharing some of our staff’s favorite recipes using Macrina Bakery products.
Corrina Steffens-Highley, the Assistant manager at our Kent café, oversees the staff and operations at the café. When asked about the best compliment she has ever received, Corrina doesn’t hesitate: “Someone told me I have a glowing personality.” As the morning rush begins, that glow fills the café as she greets many regular customers by name. “It’s not just work to me,” she explains. “It’s like a second family.”
At the end of the workday, Corrina returns home to her first family. Hailing from a large Italian-American family, she has always found meals to be central to family life and takes pleasure in hosting meals at her home and sharing food with her extended family.
“I love to find creative uses for Macrina products,” she says. One of her recent favorites is a spin on the classic cream cheese and lox on bagels. “Our Savory Pinwheel is a lot lighter than a bagel and the flavors go really well together. Simply cut it in half horizontally, wam it gently, spread one side with cream cheese and top it with the salmon. It’s so good.”Another favorite is using the Mini Casera loaf as a soup bowl. “I cut the top off the loaf, hollow it out, and fill it with clam chowder or tomato bisque,” she says. This works well with both fresh and day-old loaves.
Corrina excels at transforming Macrina’s leftover breads into tasty appetizers. “Butter boards are an excellent starter. Basically, you soften butter and add whatever you like. Roasted garlic is great, as is lemon dill,” says Corrina. She creates crostini with old bread by slicing it, brushing both sides with olive oil, and baking them at 350°F for 10–15 minutes. The crostini are perfect for dipping into flavored butters.
Crostini (or Sardinian flatbread) also work well on charcuterie boards. Corrina uses a large cutting board as a canvas. “I think of it as a big picture,” she says. “You fill in the picture with sliced meats, cheeses, olives, and crostini. In the end, it looks beautiful. It’s my art.”
“It was one of the best bread puddings I’ve ever made,” she says. “Columba Pasquale has a great texture for bread pudding, and the sliced almonds, candied orange peel, and brandy in the bread were great with the tart cherries.”
Having lived in the North End of Boston for three years, I had the pleasure of frequenting some of the best Italian bakeries — the inspiration behind this tart. This rendition is adapted from a beloved recipe in our first cookbook. The Italian pasta frolla dough is versatile and straightforward to make. You’ll find yourself dreaming up other rustic tarts that it would serve well. My favorite filling combines rich ricotta cheese, dried cranberries, hazelnuts and bittersweet chocolate chips. However, feel free to swap out the dried fruit and nuts as whimsy or inspiration strikes. Fresh berries and a glass of Vin Santo make the perfect accompaniments to this lovely Italian tart.
Sergio, our Production Manager at Macrina Bakery and a part of the Leadership Team, began his journey as a driver in 2002. His unwavering dedication and passion for the business led him to climb the ranks, ultimately assuming responsibility for overseeing an extensive team of drivers and packers. With a strong background in food, including experience as a pastry chef, Sergio possesses a wide range of expertise, from dough mixing and baking to customer service. An effective leader, Sergio actively contributes to Macrina’s success by diligently working to enhance his team’s performance and fostering a positive, inclusive work environment.
The 
Sergio explains, “It is a very simple recipe. What makes it special is the way the light sweetness of the bread, the slight nuttiness of the Gouda, and the creamy mozzarella come together.” He slices the Vollkorn loaf at an angle to increase the surface area, then layers Gouda and fresh mozzarella cheese on the bread. After buttering the exterior sides, he grills the sandwich on a panini press. “In just a few minutes, you have crisp, caramelized bread filled with gooey cheese.”
Find recipes like BBQ Chicken Sliders and Summer Panzanella Salad that use Macrina breads and more in our 
As president and part-owner of Macrina, Scott is dedicated to providing the finest artisan breads and pastries to the Puget Sound region. With over 250 employees and a reputation as one of the country’s best bakeries, the challenge invigorates him. “Our mission is to enrich our communities through the joy of artisan baking,” he says, and with the new 
Casera and Sour White were the first two loaves Leslie created 30 years ago when she first opened Macrina’s doors in Belltown. Casera, inspired by the famed Poilâne bakery in Paris, took nearly a year of experimentation with a natural bread starter made from champagne grapes. The result: a coarse-textured loaf with a thick, caramelized crust that is perfect for the grill. The Sour White, on the other hand, boasts a tangy, open crumb and a sturdy crust, with its nutty, sour flavor derived from a wild starter Leslie created in 1993.
As evening deepens, the warm glow of camaraderie fills the air. Plates piled high with grilled meat, bread, and vegetables circulate. “There’s definitely beer involved, too,” says Scott. Specifically, growlers from Georgetown Brewery. The worries of the day pass as the world narrows to this communion of friends savoring the moment and the pleasure of togetherness. Tomorrow will come, but for now, the simple joy of a shared meal lingers long into the summer night.
Late summer in the PNW is peak peach and berry season. It’s a joy to harness these seasonal gems in a simple yet delightful tart. The rough puff pastry creates a light, flaky crust that’s an excellent match for the vanilla pastry cream and, of course, the ripe, succulent fruit. Though I often turn to peaches and blackberries for this recipe, feel free to adapt it to the ripest stone fruit and berries you can find — be it plums, nectarines, blueberries or raspberries.
