At Parisi Bakery Astoria, Every Loaf and Pastry Is Kneaded and Rolled by Hand

This month, we're proud to present the Bread & Grains issue—dedicated to all manner of doughs, dosas and baked desserts made in Queens. To coincide with the print issue (you'll be able to pick up a print copy very soon!), every weekday throughout the month of February, we're featuring a different bakery in the borough. Some are old standbys, and some are new and on the rise, but each one reflects the diverse and independent spirit of Queens.

Fortifying New York City’s melting pot since 1969, Parisi’s bread selection is a celebration of multiculturalism, counting baguettes, sourdough, Greek pastries, lard bread, Irish soda bread, rye bread and challah amongst the 2,000 daily loaves. Needless to say, that’s a whole lot of flour to get through—around 1,200 pounds a week to be exact. And production hasn’t remotely slowed over the past half century, thanks to time-honored customs like preparing dough in Parisi’s original mixer, kneading and rolling it by hand, letting it proof for 45–65 minutes and repeating the process again and again and again. What with committed retail customers and a thriving citywide wholesale business (local restaurants aplenty carry their focaccia, heroes, burger rolls, club rolls and slider buns) it’s rare for loaves to go unsold. But whatever isn’t is either ground into breadcrumbs or donated to charity. No wonder New York City loves Parisi, because Parisi’s always looking out for New York City.

Parisi Bakery | @parisibakeryastoria