Clasen's European Bakery

In a word: What they do well, they do awesome.

The specs: #0088
Address, hours & details via Isthmus; review at Middleton Times-Tribune, Clasen's at SavorWisconsin.com;

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JM ate a cinnamon roll and a morning bun.
Nichole ate a Brötchen.
The bill was $5ish for 6 items.
JM gave Clasen's a B; Nichole gave Clasen's an A- (see our grading rubric).

Nichole made the sortie to the far west side alone, and her careless reading of the store's hours had her arrive half an hour too early. So she walked around the neighborhood for a while.

Then she went back and lay down in the car and kept awake by taking dull pictures.

There was quite a crowd lined up outside Clasen's by 7:30. When the doors finally opened, we flooded in to the fluorescent-lit sales floor in search of our pastries, our cookies and our croissants. The lack of bakery smells was striking. Folding tables - despite being stocked with enticing German chocolates and other delights - made the place look rather like an outlet store. Clasen's breads are widely distributed in the Madison area, so perhaps the storefront isn't their focus.

Nichole headed right to the complimentary coffee in the back. After tasting it, she wasn't entirely sure it hadn't been brewed the night before. No matter. Next she made a beeline for the bins, in search of the perfect Semmel.

Finding mouthwatering Brötchen instead, she got a few and proceeded to the sweets to find JM "something glazed" as per his request.

The pastry area boasted a wide selection of fancy treats, all $1.59 each. Nichole noticed that this stumped some customers who seemed intent on getting a box of regular donuts. At checkout, a line had formed three deep before a checker noticed and moseyed over.

While the retail experience left something to be desired, the proof is in the eating. There are few pleasures greater than a well-made German roll and a cup of strong coffee for breakfast.

The first crack of the crust held great promise. But spreading the (softened) butter revealed that the crumb was not quite springy enough, instead tending to ball up. By the end of the roll, even the crust texture had become monotonous  and the flavor somewhat thin.

As for JM's breakfast, Nichole had brought him a choice of cinnamon roll, a frosted morning bun, and a fruit danish. He consumed the bun and the roll with great relish.  Unfortunately, they were somewhat dry and JM found them not superior or even comparable to other confections from other local bakeries.

Finally, bread lovers should not miss Clasen's sourdough wheat. Toasted it would make an angel weep with joy.

Comments

[Jane Durgom-Powers]

I love your pumpkin seed bread. Can you tell me the nutritional value per slice? ie- calories, fiber, fat, carbohydrates, and protein?

[lynn fitzsimmons]

what is the nutrition information for your kaiser rolls? I need the calories count.
150??? How many?

[Kyle]

Where does the cinnamon come from? Is it real cinnamon, or cassia???

(PS, these reviews are not written by employees of the eateries being reviewed. That would be kind of silly, no? Contact the business! I'm sure they'd love to hear from you.)