About the Authors of the Project “Mama Ciabatta”
My name is Yuliya. The Mama Ciabatta bakery was my joint creation with my husband, a skilled amateur cook who does not like the word “recipe.” Ideas and inspiration reign in his kitchen. In the realm of bread, recipes are very important, although creativity and inspiration are always welcome. Likewise, I enjoy being creative around cooking as well. I let my husband be a chef in our house, but baking is my territory.
The History of Our Homemade Bread
I was not born a baker. One day, I got the idea of baking homemade bread. I did not have any professional knowledge of baking. I made my first bread with commercial yeast in a bread pan. That loaf looked like bread, but the taste was very plain. I stopped experimenting with commercial yeast. My intuition told me I had to learn more about baking. So, sat down to books on artisan baking. I was looking for information on traditional types of bread in human history. Little by little, I collected my little library of wonderful books on artisan baking. Those books were a great inspiration for me. I tested recipes and techniques I liked. Eventually, I started creating my own recipes. A few years later, my friends suggested I might start my bread business.
The business idea
After some consideration, I started studying the situation with professional bread ovens and other equipment for a small bakery. I did not have any start-up capital, but still opened a small business right in my house. I started selling my bread at the local market on Saturdays. My bread was very popular and often sold out before the market closed for the day. Soon after, I started supplying my bread to the local health food store. Subsequently, the local microbrewery started ordering my bread. The business was on the rise.
Moving to a New Place
However, life constantly changes our plans, and we have to adapt. My husband got a new job in another city, and my family had to move there. I did not want to open a new business in a new place. I got a job and forgot about baking for several years. I would occasionally bake pizza for my family, but I settled for organic, artisan, and sourdough bread from local stores.
My Response to the Coronavirus Crisis
Like many other people, I suddenly had more free time because of quarantine. So, I started baking bread again.
These are unusual times. At the very beginning of summer, anyone could buy a variety of bread in stores. But with flour and yeast, things were not so good. Baking aisles in grocery stores looked empty. Yeast was only available online in 1-pound or 2-pound packs. Home bakers do not need that much yeast. Naturally, I made a sourdough starter from scratch and started baking again. I already had experience with sourdough, so it was not much of a challenge. I bought a 50-pound bag of organic bread flour and a 25-pound bag of organic rye grain. This is how my new bread adventure started.
I invite you to join my new online venture. I will share my inspiration, knowledge, and experience with you.
Stay tuned!