((PKG)) MICROBAKERY
((TRT: 04:08))
((Topic Banner: For the Love of Bread))
((Reporter/Camera/Editor: Genia Dulot))
((Adapted by: Philip Alexiou))
((Map: Los Angeles, California))
((Main characters: 1 female))
((Sub characters: 1 female; 1 male))
((MUSIC/NATS))
((Djosefin Maurer-Soto, Baker))
This is one of the reasons I’ve started baking, was because I
couldn't find any bread in the beginning of the quarantine. So, I
was like where am I going to get fresh bread? And I don't like to
buy the pre-packaged toast or anything like that. I like to have
like fresh loaves. So, I was like, you know what? I'm going to try
it out making it myself.
((NATS))
((Djosefin Maurer-Soto, Baker))
Before the pandemic, I was working in production, mainly on, in
the fashion industry. When the lockdown happened, production
shut down completely. So, we were just at home. You know, I
was very scared to go outside. I had suffered cancer a few years
back. So, my immune system is more on the compromised side.
((NATS))
((Djosefin Maurer-Soto, Baker))
So, I added the three types of flours to this, the natural yeast, the
salt and then I combined it. Let it rest for a little while. So now,
I'm going to do the stretch and fold, which is really important to
give strength to the dough. And it gets heavier and heavier the
more you roll it.
((MUSIC/NATS))
((Djosefin Maurer-Soto, Baker))
I guess when I actually taught myself how to make sourdough
bread, I started to feel something. And this might be strange but
like any time I would shape the dough, I was like, I really liked it. I
was like, this is so much fun. I was super like, obsessed with the
dough. And when the sourdough starter would grow, I would get
really excited like, there was this real special connection. This
dough is very high maintenance. Yeah, they're like my little
babies.
((NATS))
((Djosefin Maurer-Soto, Baker))
I was giving it away at first and then people were actually like
texting me, “Do you have a bread? Do you have bread?” And
then, they started to pay for it. So then, I would get actual orders.
Like some people would be like, “I want five loaves”, you know,
and they would give it to their friends.
((NATS))
((Djosefin Maurer-Soto, Baker))
This is my favorite part. I like to cut the middle and see how well
the loaf turned out. All right, let's see the big surprise. Yes. Yes.
I work really hard to make, you know, the outside crispy, the moist
and not too dense.
((MUSIC/NATS))
((Djosefin Maurer-Soto, Baker))
And then recently I started, for some customers, they were asking
about like making just 100 percent rye (bread). And so, you try it.
((NATS/MUSIC))
((Marie Soto, Djosefin’s Wife))
It’s such superfood.
As long as I always get to eat bread, it'll be a family business.
She made a point. She's like bread isn't supposed to, in America
you buy a loaf of bread, it could be a month later and it's still
exactly the same. And why does it have so many ingredients, you
know?
((NATS))
((Marie Soto, Djosefin’s Wife))
Oh, it smells so good.
((Will, Customer))
There's been a war on bread in America for the last couple of
decades, where people blame it for all of their dietary ills. So,
they've been cutting it out or making excuses or, I mean, I know
there are people with gluten intolerances but everybody thinks
they're gluten intolerant now. So, bread pays the price.
((NATS))
((Djosefin Maurer-Soto, Baker))
I want to bring healthy bread to neighborhoods, you know. That's
the big goal here for me. When I discovered I have a passion for
bread-making and a passion for bringing healthy food to people,
like I had so many people message me and say, “How come your
bread is so well digestible like, how come I'm not bloated?” Like,
I'm like well the reason is, I'm using simple ingredients and natural
yeast. It's nutritious. It should be healthy. It's bread.
((NATS))
