Hoehn's Hot Cross Buns
A few things are important here for sure. The folks at Hoehn’s Bakery are nice, and so are their pastries and other baked goods. That’s a tradition that has been in place since 1927, according to their website.
The place, a family-owned and operated neighborhood institution located at 400 S. Conkling Street (on the corner of Bank and Conkling), uses an original brick hearth oven. It also turns out, well, amazing baked goods.
In the morning, the locals mob it for the doughnuts, buns and pastries; around lunchtime, the focus shifts to blueberry cake, tarts, fresh-baked breads and pizza rolls.
Who are we kidding? Any time is good to pick up blueberry cake, especially when it’s from Hoehn’s. And when peaches come into season and the peach cake is available, you’ll be wanting to get in line extra early. And yes, there is a line in the morning, and yes, it’s worth the wait.
A carry-out breakfast for the office yielded two dozen assorted doughnuts, buns and pastries, as well as coffee. There were Danish, cinnamon rolls, sticky buns, coconut custard pastries, and doughnuts that were chocolate covered, iced, cake, marshmallow creme and more.
The price for all this? $13.90, and we still had leftovers (which several office members generously volunteered to find a home for). Find another breakfast establishment where that happens these days.
One of our tasters found a lot to love in the chocolate iced doughnut, pronouncing it “rich and creamy” as well as “fresh and fluffy.”
The consistency of the dough in all offerings was remarked upon time and again. The freshness of the fruit used in the Danish was also a source of compliments, with one of our numbers remarking that “even the coconut tastes fresh, and coconut never tastes fresh.”
The marshmallow creme doughnuts amount to a mouthful of nirvana, and the cake doughnuts had just the right consistency, begging for a good cup of coffee to wash it down.
Need more feedback? Here it is. “I am an enthusiastic home baker and Hoehn’s treats are about as close to home-baked as you can get. Their Danish is flaky and most are topped with fresh fruit. The rye bread is outstanding—I don’t bother to try to make rye bread at home anymore. The service is quick and friendly, and Hoehns doughnuts are incomparable. The crullers are substantial enough to be dunkable, light enough for three of them to go down easy, and they have just a whisper of cinnamon. Mmmmmmmm. And I live for the day that the “FRESH PEACH CAKE” sign goes up in the window.”
If the trademark of a good doughnut or Danish is the fact that you’ll need to wipe your face and hands, break out the handi-wipes when you open your white bakery box from Hoehn’s. It’s worth it.
Be warned that Hoehn’s doesn’t accept credit cards, but then again, with breakfast goodies priced at $6.95 a dozen, there isn’t much need to whip out the plastic. Be additionally warned that one visit in the morning will leave visions of raisin bread and more dancing in your head, and that you’ll find a reason to revisit the place.
Oh, and if you’re looking for a sit-down, wi-fi-infused coffee shop, there are plenty of places to hit, but Hoehn’s isn’t one of them. This is an old-fashioned corner bakery where you stand in line with your neighbors and chat while you’re waiting for the friendly helpers to fill your box and tie it closed with red and white string. After that? Head back to your home or office armed with your goodies, your coffee (sold by the cup) and your appetite.
Seasonally, Hoehn’s is ready to satisfy local cravings as well as religious and cultural traditions. During the Lenten season, there are hot cross buns. At the holidays, there are Christmas cookies, stollen and other favorites.
Hours of operation are 7:30 a.m.-6 p.m. on Wednesday, Thursday and Friday; 7:30 a.m.-4 p.m. on Saturdays. Hoehn’s is closed on Sunday, Monday and Tuesday. The phone number is 410-675-2884, and the web site is http://hoehnsbakery.net.
—by Mary Helen Sprecher
newsroom@baltimoreguide.com
