Although burying one’s face in a sloppy heap of sliced meats, condiments, and lettuce still tastes delicious, putting it all between two slices of bread somehow makes the whole thing seem more refined. Explore this mystery bite by fresh-baked bite with today's Groupon. For $5, you get $20 worth of artisan bread at Nashoba Brook Bakery in Concord, which won Boston magazine’s award for Best Bakery, Bread in 2006.

Nashoba’s owners and baker bromantics, Stuart Witt and John Gates, make everything in their breadbasket with a special slow-rise method. Each loaf rises slowly over the course of 24 hours, fueled by a unique starter developed by co-owner Stu that produces a profoundly pillowy texture and a beautiful, glossy, full head of crust. Every day, hundreds of these mesmerizing loaves float out into the world from Nashoba's 32,000-pound French-made bread oven like so many doughy dandelion spores buoyed by a warm, yeasty breeze. And each of Nashoba’s plethora of riseable dough varieties can take you someplace different. Transport yourself to shores lapped by wine-dark Mediterranean waters with an olive loaf ($5.50), or trick nearby turkeys into roasting, basting, and slicing themselves with a too-toothsome-to-resist rosemary garlic breadball ($4.45). Trek to an oasis of thick, chewy dates on the camel’s back of a seven-grain ($5.50), and avenge the pigeons that killed your father with pieces from a sourdough loaf laced with combustively spicy pepper jack ($4.10).

There’s no buy limit on today’s Groupon to Nashoba Brook Bakery, so you can try every permutation of its slow-rising bread. However, you may only use one per transaction, so it’s unlikely that you’ll disprove your long-haired, bearded roommate’s assertion that man does not live on bread alone.

Reviews

Boston magazine voted Nashoba Brook Bakery "Best Bakery, Bread" in 2006. Frommer's "very highly recommends" it, and Yelpers give it four stars. TripAdvisors give it 3.5 owl eyes:

• Bakers here understand that great bread rises from all-natural ingredients. The seven-grain loaf is moist, earthy, and studded with dates, and the baguettes are so light and sweet, it’s almost a shame to top them with anything. – Boston
• Once you find it..it will suprise [sic] you! They have the best bread selection and it is super fresh! You'll never go anywhere else for bread! Each loaf is proudly displayed on wooden shelves and you can peer into little windows to watch the bakers craft bread and goodies. – 2sisterstravel, TripAdvisor