Let us begin with the conclusion: Wild Bread is not just another trendy bakery with good coffee. It is one of the most exciting and complete brunch and baking destinations currently operating outside Tel Aviv. The story behind it is charming. A couple of bakers who trained abroad opened a small, modest shop in Tel Aviv’s Yad Harutzim complex. Several years ago, they made a bold move, relocating the operation to a spacious venue in Kfar Daniel, among the fields midway between Ben Shemen and Modi’in.
There, in the quiet of the moshav, they have refined their craft: phenomenal sourdough loaves, outstanding pastries and, more recently, a full restaurant serving elaborate brunches and breakfasts five days a week.
Breakfast at Wild Bread
(Photo: Afek Ben Zikri, Shirel Abecassis)
We arrived on a Friday morning, when the place resembled a buzzing hive. Several pleasant outdoor tables sit in the shade, with a large indoor space beyond them. But on Fridays, every corner is packed.
Describing the design is easy because there is barely any. The tables and chairs are generic, while the white walls are bare and undecorated. The apparent message behind the visual austerity is simple: We know how to make bread, pastries and food. Everything else matters less.
One warning is essential to prevent disappointment: Do not come on a Friday without booking in advance. The wait without a reservation can feel endless, and watching diners at the surrounding tables will only deepen the frustration.
Alongside the sit-down experience, the bakery’s sales counter is an inseparable part of the attraction. People come specifically to load up on loaves to take home. Those who do not live nearby can order through the website, with deliveries available in central Israel. But those outside the delivery area should seriously consider making a dedicated trip.
The two best-known and most sought-after loaves demonstrate exactly what Wild Bread does so well. The first is “Wild Bread,” the bakery’s signature rustic loaf. Dark, deep and intensely flavorful, it is a sourdough with an ideal texture and a powerful, crunchy crust.
The second is the Jerusalem focaccia, which has become remarkably popular and fashionable. It is an enormous sesame-covered creation, soft inside and almost extravagantly coated outside. The loaf is large enough to feed an entire family at Friday dinner. To fit it into a home freezer, it must be cut into at least four pieces. It is a magnificent loaf, nothing less.
As the bakery gained confidence and customers, the menu gradually expanded. Alongside its many creative pastries, Wild Bread now offers 11 dishes, including salads, eggs, toast and other light options that can form a perfect brunch or almost any meal you might want.
One bite and you understand
Now, to the food. After ordering, the hot and cold drinks arrive fairly quickly. The coffee is good, with an espresso priced at 11 shekels and an iced Americano at 14 shekels. The food takes a little longer.
The crowd and congestion are noticeable, but the service remains friendly and calm. The waitresses are smiling, knowledgeable and relaxed. Then the food lands on the table, and after one bite, any reasonable person immediately thinks: This was worth the wait.
Yes, it is crowded and chaotic, but the bread is excellent and the pastries with which we began were outstanding. We tried a classic butter croissant for 18 shekels, a chocolate croissant for 21 shekels and a pain suisse for 26 shekels, with beautiful lamination and a generous filling of pastry cream and chocolate chips. They were exemplary, but the savory food was even better.
Worth the wait
(Photo: Afek Ben Zikri, Shirel Abecassis)
Take the Caprese salad, priced at 62 shekels. A huge plate arrived covered with ripe red Magi tomatoes, carefully peeled, an effort worthy of respect for whoever was assigned the task. Two torn balls of buffalo mozzarella sat alongside them, with an excellent pumpkin-seed pesto separating the tomatoes from the cheese. The Caesar salad, at 56 shekels, was also large, rich and generous, with dressing thoroughly coating every leaf.
We also tried the smoked trout, priced at 34 shekels for a small plate. It arrived thinly sliced, pink and attractive, with a salty, smoky and deeply satisfying flavor.
In my view, a restaurant’s confidence in its abilities and ingredients is often best expressed through minimalism. That is exactly what happens here, particularly in two dishes that are simple but exceptional. The first is the Emmental omelet, priced at 52 shekels.
Between two slices of Wild Bread sits an enormous omelet, puffed, airy and delicious, with melted Emmental cheese stretching gloriously from its center. For one more bite of this dish, I would join you for the drive right now, without hesitation or advance notice.
More than a sandwich
(Photo: Afek Ben Zikri, Shirel Abecassis)
The second dish that floored us was the roasted mushroom toast, priced at 58 shekels. Between attractive triangles of Wild Bread sit Emmental and Gruyère cheeses, along with lightly roasted fresh mushrooms. A refreshing cucumber salad is served alongside.
After spending a considerable period in the United States, I have encountered many versions of what Americans call grilled cheese. This breakfast sandwich in Kfar Daniel defeats them all.
Much of the credit belongs to the bread and the way it is toasted, but the quality of the ingredients and the winning combination among them matter just as much. That may sound overly enthusiastic, but I stand behind every word. It is simply exceptionally good.
To complete the meal, we sampled two desserts. The first was the gelato, priced at 52 shekels for three scoops and a large cookie. It continued the bakery’s impressive standard. The ice cream is made in-house and demonstrated how thoroughly the Wild Bread team commits to mastering a craft. What they do with bread, they also do with ice cream.
The second dessert, the bread pudding, priced at 53 shekels, was less successful. Expectations were high, but the result on the plate fell short. We received a dense cube with muted flavors. Still, the bakery’s record and the quality of the other dishes suggest that the next time we give it a chance, the execution will probably be far more precise. A minor disappointment.
(Photo: Afek Ben Zikri, Shirel Abecassis)
So, for anyone looking for a reason to venture slightly farther afield, among the fields of Kfar Daniel, Wild Bread is an ideal answer.
There is something inspiring about a place that does not try to be clever, but instead pushes the art of baking and culinary simplicity to their limits.
Enter it into Waze, reserve a table in advance and bring patience. What arrives on the plate is worth every minute.