JK Bakery Cafe in Banff & Canmore, Alberta

To bring the community together with wholesome homemade products at affordable prices.

JK Bakery has been providing unique and custom quality products to some of the best restaurants and hotels in the Canadian Rocky Mountains since we first began in 1994. We are proud to include The Fairmont Banff Springs Hotel and The Rimrock Resort amongst our many commercial clients.

JK Core Values

JK Bakery has three local owners and operators who have built up the bakery based on the following core values: family, wholesome food, made from scratch, and community. They feel that this encompasses the reason that the bakery exists and why they come to work everyday.

What’s in the name?

Against popular belief our name does not stand for Just Kidding Bakery. The bakery was founded in 1994 by a German man named John Kirchpfennig, hence the name JK Bakery. John still frequents the bakery every now and then but it was bought by new owners in 2010 who liked the name and saw no reason to change it.

Why JK Bakery?

Because unlike most commercial bakeries, at JK we do not use any preservatives in any of our breads. Our breads are all made by hand right here in the Bow Valley with the best ingredients.

The JK Artisan Baking Process

Preparing the dough 

We use only deluxe bread flour milled from the best grain southern Alberta has to offer, pure rocky mountain water, salt and fresh yeast. Some of our doughs need to rest for a full day before it is divided and shaped.

Proofing

Once shaped, our dough needs to proof. Proofing with steam allows the yeast to ferment and cause the dough to rise. Proofing is very important to achieve the proper shape and texture of the bread.  Our traditional basket bread is proofed in a wicker basket that gives a higher rise and a unique appearance.

Baking

Before baking, the loaves are scored with a razor blade to control their expansion in the oven. We then bake the bread on our slate deck oven at high heat. Most of our artisan breads are baked directly on the slate while others like the family and sandwich loaves are baked in our large rotational oven.

Storing JK Breads

• JK Breads don’t have the additives and preservatives used by most commercial bakeries to extend their shelf life.
• Consequently, fresh JK breads may have a shorter shelf life than what you might get from the supermarkets. We suggest the following to store your JK breads;
• If the bread is crusty, store it in a paper bag, a towel or a bread box at room temperature. This will allow it to breathe and retain its crust.
• If your bread is soft, store it in a plastic bag or container at room temperature to keep it soft. You can always freeze your fresh bread for use at a later date.