Italian Breads & Cookies By The Thousands At Rosemarie Bakery On Staten Island

STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. — Unassuming and seemingly quiet from its facade, Rosemarie Bakery might surprise bread and cookie consumers of the borough. This bustling behind-closed-doors Port Richmond operation turns out Kaiser rolls, artisan Italian loaves, three-footers, heroes and cookies — by the thousands.

To grasp the scale here, 50,000 pounds of flour is pumped from a tractor trailer into the bakery each week. Joe Silvestro, the baker himself, walks a visitor through the process. (Check out the video above to follow the impressive step-by-step process.)

At the start of the early morning bake, the staff mixes the ingredients for Kaiser rolls. A machine Silvestro dubs "The Sottoriva" sorts the dough into balls. From there, it is scored to yield those crowns that give Kaisers their signature shape after baking. To ensure the fluffy finish, the dough is proofed in a steamy hot box which allows it to ferment.

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