Continental Bakery, Birmingham, Alabama

Posted by Brandon Shook on March 01, 2010 0 Comments

“If you don’t know where you’re going, any road will take you there.” – George Harrison

Have you ever planned out your life and somewhere down the road it all changed? I’m sure that’s happened to all of us in one way or another…I wanted to be a superhero, but I never got my super powers, and my hopes for jumping over tall buildings in a single bound were, of course, destroyed by reality. Carole Griffin, the owner of the Continental Bakery in Birmingham Alabama, also had a wrench thrown into her life’s plan, but thanks to that wrench, we can all enjoy her deliciously handcrafted baked goods.

Swearing she would never return home to Alabama, Carole left for Austin, Texas to study law at Rice University. Carole enjoyed putting her analytical mind to work, but her law career was unexpectedly derailed when she took a semester to study abroad in France. And in one brief semester, Carole fell in love with France’s charismatic people, the foreign customs, and of course, the delectable breads. Perhaps, then, it’s no surprise that upon her return to Austin, practicing law didn’t seem have the same appeal it once did. After graduating from college, Carole decided to forgo law altogether, enter nursing school and instead pursued a career as a midwife. It might be a radical change, but Carole always had a desire to be more hands on with with the people in her life. I mean what’s more hands on then working with babies?

So how does a law student turned nursing student, then transform herself into a baker? Glad you asked. While working to put herself through nursing school, Carole worked part-time at a local bakery where she discovered something amazing. Baking allowed her to use her sharp analytical mind to master the science of baking while working with the dough fulfilled her desire to be hands-on. She began seeing food – specifically bread – in a completely new way. It wasn’t just about the taste anymore, it was different now … now it became a game of recreating the food she loved. So with this new experience serving as inspiration, Carole started to explore the idea of opening a European style bakery inspired by her travels. She was a little shaky on the “how,” though, and while working on the logistics of owning a business, a good friend convinced her that the best place to start her new bakery was back home … in Alabama.

Reluctantly, advice in-hand, Carole returned to the city she thought she’d never see again. But unlike when she was growing up and looking to venture away from her roots, Carole was returning a different person. And this time around, she was on a mission to share her appreciation of all-things-French, with the people of Birmingham.

But even Carole wondered: A European bakery….in Alabama? It was unheard of at the time, and extremely risky to boot since there was no way to know if Birmingham would accept such a radically different bakery. Yet, Carole seemed to have a good idea on her hands, and in the spirit of the often miss-quoted Field of Dreams film line: “If you build it, they will come,” that’s exactly what happened. Carole and a handful of her friends built the Continental Bakery and the customers came. And they came in droves. It wasn’t easy at first, and while trying to perfect her all-natural recipes, Carole worked 22 hour shifts slaving over stoves and nursing dough in her arms while she juggled customers, deliveries, and working on new menu items.

Her hard work and passion eventually paid off, and today, the Continental Bakery is a huge success. Carole loves the new home she made of her old one, and takes advantage of all the great resources nearby. Carole buys most of her ingredients like milk, grits, and figs from local farmers, and she is incredibly excited to be using a local brewery’s spent grain to make her killer pizza dough and famous crackers. Along with their hand-sculpted breads, the Continental Bakery makes delicious scones, muffins, and old-fashioned cinnamon rolls. The success of the bakery also lead Carole to build a cafe called Chez Lu Lu, but that’s another story in itself. If you’re ever in Birmingham, Alabama stop by the Continental Bakery to try a little taste of France in the deep South.

For a taste of Continental Bakery in your own kitchen, try out their Cherry Almond Scones recipe, and let us know how things turn out!
(Recipe generously provided by Carole Griffin of Continental Bakery in Birmingham, AL)

Continental Bakery’s Cherry Almond Scones

Makes 12 scones

Cold Butter 8 ounces
Flour 4 cups
Sugar 1/2 cup
Baking Powder 2 teaspoons
Baking Soda 1/2 teaspoon
Salt 1/4 teaspoon
Cream 2 cups + 2 Tablespoons
Almond Extract 2 Tablespoons
Dried Cherries 1 cup

Sift together flour, sugar, salt, baking powder, and baking soda.

Cut cold butter into small pieces and cut into flour mixture, using a pastry cutter, or working very quickly with your hands. Final mixture should resemble coarse meal.

Stir in dried cherries.

Form a well in the middle of dry mix and pour in cream and extract.

Shake bowl in a circular motion to avoid over stirring. Scrap down sides of bowl with a rubber spatula. DO NOT OVER MIX.

When mixture is moist, turn dough onto floured table and depending on the recipe, divide into 2 rounds (for 12 scone recipe); 3 rounds (for 18 scone recipe) and 4 rounds (for 24 scone recipe). and pat into flat circle. Indent the center of each circle. Cut each circle into 6 pieces.

Bake for 25 to 30 minutes at 350 in large convection oven. Turn every 5 to 10 minutes.

Contact or visit Continental Bakery / Chez Lulu at:
1909 Cahaba Road
Mountain Brook
Birmingham, AL 35223-1015
(205) 870-5584‎