Littleton’s Market Bakery Debuts Inside North Market Downtown

by admin August 29, 2024

written by admin August 29, 2024

Less than a year after it opened in Upper Arlington, Littleton’s Market is expanding by taking over the long-time Omega Artisan Baking space on the southwest corner of the North Market downtown!

Littleton’s Market Bakery occupies the large corner where Omega baked up breads, cinnamon rolls, and scones for more than 20 years. The space has been transformed to reflect Littleton’s branding.

Now the displays are filled with gorgeous pastries and breads!

The Market Bakery is run by Executive Pastry Chef Aaron Clouse on the pastry side and Executive Head Baker Desi Vasquez. Aaron will be familiar to Columbus diners from his time at local restaurants, his kick-starting of the pastry program at Parable Coffee, and now as the pastry chef for Littleton’s.

Aaron said he’ll keep 25 different pastries lining the cases, from croissants to scones to these cookie/tart hybrids.

He’s become known for his entries in the trend of circular croissants, also known as supreme croissants. He’ll typically have three large and two small varieties, with flavors rotating seasonally.

He’s also mixing it up between sweet and savory bites. Our our latest visit we saw ham and cheese croissants, a sweet corn croissant, asparagus and cheese tarts.

Desi brings years of experience working for Whole Foods, the Rocky Mountain Regional Bread Program, San Francisco Baking Institute, and Breadman Baking Company in Houston.

She’s featuring sourdough-based breads for their program.

And she’s using a new Polin oven that allows her to bake 100 loaves at a time.

On our visit, she talked about how ovens used to form the center of communities thousands of years ago, with locals bringing their own dough to a communal oven to bake them off. She appreciates how the Market Bakery’s oven is visible to guests. “I want to bring the oven back to the center of the community,” she said.

And indeed she’s already pumping out a variety of gorgeous loaves, many using ancient grains.

Between the expert pastries and breads, I think Littleton’s Market Bakery is set to become a hit with the community. I love how both residents and visitors get to experience Aaron’s and Desi’s work at the North Market.