Why did you decide to open a bakery?

I started The Laughing Place Bakery under a different name out of my garage! Remember about 6 years ago that Chrysler commercial “great american things start in american garages”? I had had a dream to open a bakery, but didn’t have the finances to jump right in to a storefront. I was inspired by that sentiment to just start with what I had on hand and the rest is history! I thought I’d move into a storefront in five or so years, but God had different plans, and two years later we were opening our first storefront bakery. It has been a dream come true!

What is your favorite item to make and why?

hmmmmmm….right now that would have to be anything related to croissant or danish. My favorite part of my job is the recipe development side of things, and I am currently developing gluten free versions of those two.

Any advice to new bakers?

Keep on trying! Be willing to make mistakes, but also be willing to examine the failures so you can figure out what went wrong and do better next time. Also, be ok with turning over a great product to your customer or family, but always be hungry to make it even better. That is how innovation happens!

Any funny stories/anecdotes?

When we first opened I served un-baked scones to my customers for two weeks before I realized it! We were very new to the business and figuring out the method of prepping ahead that worked best for us. Most items we would prepare and freeze un-baked, then bake and serve, but this particular scone is granola-esque, and could be baked and then frozen. One of my staff and I got our wires crossed and I didn’t know she’d been putting them away unbaked! Luckily for me, every ingredient in that scone could be safely consumed in a raw foods manner, and my customers never knew. Whew!!

Why did you decide to open a bakery or how did you get started in this industry? i.e. What’s your story?

I grew up baking bread with my Italian grandparents, so bread was always a huge part of my childhood. I didn’t realize I was going to pursue baking as a career, but when I was working as a line cook at a hotel in NYC, I realized that baking might be for me. One evening, I stayed behind with the baker at the hotel and baked with her throughout the night. It was magical. The baker ended up deciding to move back home to Italy, so I convinced the pastry chef at the hotel to take me on as a baker! Then I worked at a couple other bakeries in the city before deciding to make the leap and own my own business. It’s been a strange but rewarding first year of owning a business!

What is your favorite item to make and why?

I love making baguettes. They are fun to shape, bake, and eat! They are one of those items that when the stars align and everything goes perfectly, there’s nothing better.

Any advice to new bakers?

Take your time learning. Spend a good amount of time mixing before you move onto shaping and then before you move onto baking. Baking is repetitious, so consistency is key in a good baker. That only happens with time.