Order Some Italian Bread at Bill's Bakery (Don't Ask for Bill): The Last Word

I'm at Bill's Bakery on West 26th Street in Erie. This place makes delicious Italian bread. The Italian bread is not the only thing that makes Bill's Bakery really interesting. I find it fascinating that the owner is not named Bill and he is not even Italian.

I met the owner, Chris Misevski, while he was hard at work rolling out the dough that eventually will be beautiful loaves of Italian bread. Chris was born in Yugoslavia and came to Erie with his family in 1971 after spending a couple of years in Australia. He says his father bought the bakery from the Gentile family in 1977. The bakery was named after the grandson of the original owner. There never was an owner of Bill's Bakery named Bill.

"Never an owner. Just the name,” says Chris. “We bought it. My parents bought it. We didn't want to change the name. We kept it Bill's."

Chris has worked full-time at the bakery since he graduated from Tech High School in 1979. His dream was not to be a baker. He wanted to be a kicker. He was a star kicker for Tech. He then tried out with the Colts, the Browns, and the Steelers while a member of the semi-pro Erie Express.

"I kept going to the stadium. Practice and practice. Finally, my wife says, 'Give it up Chris."

Chris has been the sole owner of Bill's Bakery since his father died in 1999. He sells winning Italian bread by doing things the old fashioned way. His dough is fermented in drawers made of wood.

"It's nice and warn. The wood is warm. Better than metal,” he says.

Chris places a personal touch on his bread. He personally forms the points on each end of the dough after it is rolled and floured. He personally places a cut on top of the fermented dough before it is placed in the oven. Those things make a big difference in the appearance and texture of the bread. Each loaf is given the proper time to be perfect.

"Patience,” says Chris. “Don't rush it. I've rushed it. I know what happens when I rush it.">

Wonderful Italian bread continues to be made at Bill's Bakery on West 26th Street, by a native of Yugoslavia not named Bill.

"They ask for Bill. They call me Bill,” says Chris. “Sometimes I let it go. Sometimes I say, 'You've been coming here a long time. Why do you still got to call me Bill?"

Talk about dedication. Chris worked seven days a week at the bakery during his first 20 years on the job with his father. These days, he works five days a week from 10 at night to two in the afternoon. Many customers of Bill's Bakery are restaurants and taverns in the Erie area who use the bread, rolls, and pizza dough in their kitchens.