BREADS OF THE WORLD

At Al Rayyan (785 Central Park Ave, Yonkers, 914.200.5666), you’ll find all manner of pita bread, a date-baked bread, and kaak (a sesame stone bread). According to Naseem Abuali, a partner at the Middle Eastern market, the most popular bread is the manakish — a flatbread either plain or topped with thyme. He says it’s usually enjoyed with a cup of tea and eaten for breakfast, with cheese, hummus, or fava beans.

You can satisfy your sweet tooth by eating the pan dulces (sweet breads) at La Flor de Jalisco (217 Westchester Ave, Port Chester 914.937.5305). There are conchas, cuernos, and piedras — all different shapes and colors — and if you can get to the bakery for such holidays as Dia de los Muertos (“Day of the Dead”), owner Lilia Rojas can explain the significance of breads in Mexican culture. 

At L’Anjou Patisserie Francaise (130 N Bedford Rd, Mount Kisco, 914.242.4929), owner Patrice Yvon notes that in France, “We have fresh bread every day.” The bakery carries the traditional baguette, whole-wheat bread, rolls, and, by special order, the buttery delight of brioche bread, which pairs well with jam and makes great French toast.

Customers come to Ossining Bakery (50 N Highland Ave, Ossining, 914.941.2654) for its Portuguese old-fashioned casero bread and rustic rolls. There’s also bread stuffed with chorizo and a delicious Portuguese cornbread, broa, which pairs well with salted cured meat. Some of the breads are only sold on certain days so check availability. 

Yaranush Mediterranean Foods (322 Central Ave, White Plains, 914.682.8449) sells breads from Armenia and Greece, including handmade frozen lavash, and a phenomenal homemade sweet bread, chorea, made by the co-owner’s mother.