It wasn't that long ago that Grateful Bread was about the only place in town to get fresh-baked bread other than at grocery stores.

That's not the case anymore.

Grateful Bread eventually changed its emphasis from breads to vegetarian soups. But as it did so, several other bakeries specializing in breads emerged.

They include such places as the Grain Bin, Le Quartier, Sweeter Side, Wise Oven and corporate powerhouse Panera.

The Great Harvest Bread Co. is the latest to enter Lincoln's baking fray. Kevin and Julie Horne opened a franchise on March 7 at 48th Street and Old Cheney Road, a hop, skip and a jump from the Grain Bin.

Great Harvest originated in Great Falls, Mont., in 1976 and today has more than 200 stores across the country. The bakery specializes in made-from-scratch breads and sweet treats such as bars, cookies, muffins and scones.

What sets Great Harvest apart from the other bakeries and grocery stores in town is that it mills its own wheat … if that matters to you as the consumer.

Me, I want a fresh-baked bread I can enjoy with dinner or a tasty muffin or scone to go with my morning coffee. Great Harvest succeeds on both counts.

The bakery currently prepares seven different kinds of breads daily, with its honey whole wheat and farmhouse white available every day. Other varieties range from a sweet pumpkin chocolate chip (Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays) to an onion dill rye (Wednesdays and Fridays).

Julie Horne said early favorites have been cinnamon chip and Dakota, a 100 percent whole-grain bread with pumpkin, sunflower and sesame seeds and millet on top and throughout the loaf.

Great Harvest breads have dense crumbs unlike Le Quartier, which is known for its airy crumb breads. Breads and treats with dense crumbs are great for sopping up gravy or dunking in milk or coffee.

The best time to get the bread is between 9 a.m. and noon. Can't make it then? Call ahead and the Hornes will set aside a loaf for you to pick up later in the afternoon.

Prices range from $4.75 for the wheat and white breads to $6.40 for asiago pesto swirl. The cost is a dollar or two more than what you find at grocery stores.

Muffins, bars and scones cost $2.50 each, while saucer-size cookies are $1.50 each.

I highly recommend the Savannah bars, which are oatmeal/coconut-based with fruit (peaches, blueberries, strawberries, etc.) baked into them.

The muffins and scones also are a must-try. My co-workers raved about the moist, dense pumpkin chocolate chip muffins. The cookies - a white chocolate cranberry and chocolate chip - also went over well.

Great Harvest's products are very good. The store also has name recognition, thanks to its many locations elsewhere. I expect the bakery will be in Lincoln for a long, long time.

Reach Jeff Korbelik at 473-7213 or jkorbelik@journalstar.com.