Independent Baking
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.
