Our Daily Bread

Much has been spoken about sugary-sweet desserts from my pastry kitchen.

How about breads? Does it invoke the same delight?

When I was learning making breads my perseverance didn't last for long. Handling stiff doughs is a totally different story. When we had an order for 300pcs of Ensaymadas I had to knead the dough manually. We didn't have the powerful Kitchen Aid then. All we had was the Sunbeam mixer with its tiny dough implements. It took me more than 12 hours to finish the order and after that I swore I will never do breads again.

However, after several years, a new interest ignited. I was working as a consultant for a medium-scale bakery operation in Cagayan de Oro. And the owners also hired the services of a retired baker who came all the way from Canada. His name was George Van Dyk. Yes, he was Dutch.

Working alongside George was really fun and it was through him that I have learned to love this craft. In this profession, not many a pastry chefs would want to delve in the bakery section. I believe it is because it takes so much lifting, handling, rolling and messing up with flour that there is not much glamour doing it.

However, I have seen the glitzy side of it.

From then on, my passion for breads took off.

There are many interesting creations from my pastry kitchen. I have turned french sticks into beetroot baguettes and bread rolls into sushi rolls. In Dubai, we have even made black french sticks using squid ink. I also remember the use of tea to flavor breads. I realized there are so many fun things that can be done with the humble bread.

All it takes is a spark of creativity.