Journeying into the holiday season - the menu, the care, the preparation, the nerves
Exactly one year before opening Bread by Us, I made Panettone for the first time–and it was terrible.
I had recently graduated from baking school, and I wanted to impress my friends and family. I saw a cool idea on the internet, to bake the loaves in old coffee tins, and I wanted to give it a shot.
The result was inedible. The loaves were under-fermented and under-baked. It was a gummy brick–exactly the opposite of what a Panettone is supposed to be. It was a humbling experience, the first of many.
That was 12 years ago, and every year since then, I have worked alongside my brilliant colleagues to painstakingly try and make each years’ batch a bit better than the last. You’ve been with us almost since that humble beginning, and we’ve come a long way.
The holiday season is the Superbowl for bakers and service workers.
We spend all year building our capacity and sharpening our skills to reach this final, Herculean push. And in the midst of this push, we continue to take on the task of baking the World’s most finicky bread–the Panettone. It is a nerve-wrecking task, one that has to be executed with immense precision and also seems to require a sprinkle of luck.
So why do we do it?
One of the most precious parts of our job as craftspeople is that each time we try something and fail, we internalize lessons that help us improve on our next attempt. Over the years, we have learned so much about bread by trying things that are just beyond our reach, sometimes failing, sometimes achieving excellence, but most importantly–constantly learning. I find that pursuit is endlessly gratifying.
Pam, a longtime Bread by Us employee recently described the holiday season at Bread by Us as a challenging time that also fills her with pride. I thought that was the perfect encapsulation of the mix of emotions we experience during this time of year.
Our economic system does not tend to reward this kind of idealistic pursuit of knowledge.
The system we live under rewards growth and efficiency, which often means taking the human element out of processes as much as possible. The technological revolutions of the last 200 years have led to the erosion of core human knowledge, including important culinary traditions and other artisanal forms of creating. While not everyone feels the same way, this thought brings me a lot of grief. In my role as a baker and bakery owner, I feel a deep sense of responsibility to preserve and pass on the bread knowledge that I have acquired.
There are so many ways to build a business and a workplace, but one of my core beliefs that guides me at Bread by Us is that deepening our knowledge of our craft and continuously sharpening our skills leads to real empowerment. In turn, we deepen our sense of purpose in the world and resist the forces that take people out of the equation. The skills that we learn working in foodservice and as bakers are endless, and they grow exponentially when we challenge ourselves during the holidays.
This holiday season, I hope you can feel the dedication and intentionality behind everything you taste. We take so much pride in being a small part of your Holidays and celebrations.
I am endlessly grateful that you keep supporting our work, year after year.
******
Here are some practical things that I want to share with you as we look ahead to the next few weeks
Starting in December, BBU’s hours will be changing. Our new hours will be as follows:
Tuesday Friday 8am-5pm
Saturday 9am-4pm
Sunday Closed
Monday Closed
This change is kind of a big deal for us, given that a lot of you shop with us on Sundays. I sincerely hope it is not too inconvenient for you to adapt to these changes.
As we grow and age as a team, our priorities in life are evolving as well. Working in foodservice can be quite a sacrifice, especially when it comes to the quality time we are able to spend with loved ones. I’ve heard colleague after colleague express a desire to have more time to spend with friends and family on the weekend, and it feels like the right time make that happen. So, starting in December, we will be closing our doors on Sunday & Monday to help us all strike a better and more sustainable work-life balance.
While I’m slightly nervous about this change, it nevertheless feels extremely important. Finding a way to do our work long-term and sustainably is such a puzzle. Thank you in advance for your understanding and for your continued support.
******
Our Panettone baking schedule will be as follows:
Tues. Nov. 19 - No pre-orders
Tues. Nov. 26
Tues. Dec. 3
Tues. Dec. 10
Tues. Dec. 17
Tues. Dec. 24
Panettone will be baked fresh in the morning, and packed & ready for pickup by 12pm.
We will be exclusively making chocolate panettone this season.
******
Our Stollen baking schedule will be as follows:
Thurs. Nov. 14 - No pre-orders
Thurs. Nov. 21
Thurs. Nov. 28
Thurs. Dec. 5
Thurs. Dec. 12
Thurs. Dec.19
Tues. Dec. 31st
Stollen will be baked fresh in the morning, and packed & ready for pickup by 12pm.
Contains candied citrus, dried cranberry, and homemade marzipan.
******
I'll leave it there for now :)
As always, if you have any questions or feedback, don't hesitate to reach out.
Sincerely,
Jess Carpinone