Petaluma's Della Fattoria Named Semi-Finalist for 2015 James Beard Award

The 2015 James Beard Awards has released its list of semifinalists, and on the list for Best Baker: Edmund and Kathleen Weber, Della Fattoria, Petaluma, CA!

If you love bread, chances are you’ve visited Della Fattoria. Here’s what they do that’s so special, ”Our Method... We bake in brick ovens heated with wood fires that are started the day before the bake and allowed to burn for around twelve hours. The ovens are swept out and sealed up allowing the heat to disperse evenly throughout the oven for another six to eight hours. The hand-shaped loaves are baked directly on the hearth, using the heat that has been stored in the bricks. This is called “retained heat” since once we start baking there is no opportunity to add more heat to the oven.”

The 2015 James Beard Awards gala will be held at the Lyric Opera of Chicago on Monday, May 4.