Woodman’s Artisan Bakery. Foodie review of a special Nashua NH bakery-startup-gem.
Quietly, long before InkLinkNews began its coverage of all things Nashua, Manchester native Bill Woodman began making bread. In 2018 he gained a loyal following at farmers markets in Salem and Concord. On April 30, 2022, he held a grand opening of his own retail location, Woodman’s Artisan Bakery, on the corner of Amherst and Sunapee streets in Nashua.
In 2024, I discovered his products at the Concord farmer’s market where I met his greatest cheerleader – his mom. Through summer and winter markets, she has been there on Saturday mornings along with his dad extolling the quality, variety, and love that goes into every offering from Woodman’s Artisan Bakery. As I am not a “plastic bag of bread” kind of guy, I inquired as to the source location and asked for the opportunity to see the bakers in action.
Woodman went to SNHU to study culinary arts and came away with a passion for soft wheat flour similar to what is found in France rather than the hard wheat so often used here. The difference in texture and taste are immediately apparent. Less so, the proper handling of bread fresh from the oven. Sourdough and other loaves need time to cool before they can be sliced or even packaged. Hannah made sure I knew not to fully close the paper bag and allow an hour or two before trying to slice the loaves we brought home.
My initial introduction to his sourdough bread was “Dave’s” – it is named for a sourdough starter that has its origin in Alaska in the 1960s and was gifted by a customer. Today there is also “Jeffrey,” a mere 8-year-old sourdough starter from Vermont. The specific attributes of these two sourdough starters yield different tastes and Bill and his team will gladly explore your taste preferences and sourdough experience before recommending one over the other.
It wasn’t long before we would leave with a fresh baguette, a country levian rye and some pastries. Rarely did the baguette make it home intact. So we opted for two.
Woodman Pastries – Patisserie
The pastries will transport you to the world of French Patisserie delights.
The croissants are buttery flaky layers of delectable treats. I prefer the chocolate version with the dark chocolate filling.
Scones and Danish abound as do traditionally made German pretzels. However, the most amazing pastry is the Kouign-Amann – better to ask for the ‘queen’ – it’s as close to the correct pronunciation as I can manage but they will know immediately that which you seek. This is a traditional flaky croissant from Brittany, France, with extra sugar and a caramelized buttery effect. If you can find them when you arrive, be sure to buy two so as not to be disappointed when they melt in your mouth and vanish before you realize what you’ve done.
Giving back to the community
Woodman’s uses locally sourced New England ingredients as much as possible and they pay attention to helping the local community. They are proud to be based in Nashua.
Just this past month they participated in American Culinary Federation-Professional Chefs of New Hampshire annual Epicurean Dinner at the Nashua Country Club in Nashua and The Front Door Agency hosted fundraiser filled with amazing food as well as a live and an online auction in support of their mission to end homelessness in the Greater Nashua Community.
Bill Woodman removing freshly baked breads from the oven. Photo | Keith Spiro
Find Woodman’s Artisan Bakery
The shop is located at 4 Sunapee Street in Nashua. Open Tuesday through Sunday starting at 7:30 a.m. Go early to get the best selection fresh out of the oven, but not so early that it’s too hot to eat. They also sell coffee and sandwiches and have a table filled with a variety of items for sale from local artists.
At Farmer’s Markets in Bedford, Concord, and Salem, New Hampshire.
4 Sunapee Street
Nashua, NH 03063
603-718-1694