Beyond Recipes: What Consulting Bakeries Has Taught Me
It’s only July, and this year has already taken Luigi and me to quite a few places. I’ve been baking abroad in London and Greece, and I’ve also had nine consulting sessions in six cities across Slovakia. Considering that Slovakia is a rather small country, that makes me particularly happy.
Being part of Slovakia’s sourdough movement at this stage of its development is something I could never have dreamed about. Traveling with my sourdough starter Luigi and sharing my knowledge, technologies, and recipes with different people in completely different environments is an adventure. Seeing the same results, no matter how different the conditions are, is a rewarding challenge, and it keeps my technologist’s mind sharp.
Over time, I realised that achieving consistent results in completely different bakeries has much less to do with recipes than I once thought. It’s about people, observation, flexibility, and respect. Here are a few principles that have helped me along the way.
1. Be respectful.
Of course, I can tell you a lot about how different the water is in different regions of Slovakia and how it influences bread and pastries, but the most important variable in every bakery is the team of bakers. Every case is unique.
I always try to understand how to work with them better because they will be using my starter and my recipes long after I leave. To a certain degree, they will define the consistency of the results and, therefore, the overall impression of my consulting.
My approach is very simple, and so far it has worked in 100% of cases: I treat bakers with respect. No matter how big the gap in our knowledge is, there is always something I can learn from them too, and I’m never afraid to admit it. It always helps.
2. I don’t believe in one sourdough solution for everyone.
Some of my clients already had my starter. Some were introduced to it and everything that comes with maintaining it. Others were not interested in “wild” fermentation and preferred another option that I also provide: building a sourdough production around ready-made sourdough cultures.
It’s a very convenient solution for bakeries that want to save time on refreshing a starter while still achieving excellent consistency. Most importantly, it is still a full-scale fermentation with all of its benefits.
3. The “you only have one shot” rule doesn’t always apply.
That’s why I usually plan my visits for two or three days, giving us enough time to run several test bakes.
Every bakery is different. The tasks, goals, skill levels of the bakers, and the equipment all vary. Even though my recipes have been tested tens of thousands of times, the results can still differ for all the reasons I mentioned above.
And that’s perfectly fine. Sometimes I simply need another bake or two to notice the details that were hidden during the first trial. I never stress about it because the final result is what really matters.
4. The real results of my work begin to show after I leave the bakery.
Will the team be able to refresh the starter and bake on their own? Will they achieve the same results we had during the test bakes?
Most of the time, everything goes smoothly. Still, I stay in touch with the head baker or production manager so I can provide support whenever it’s needed.
5. And maybe the last one.
My photographer took this picture of me while I was kneading focaccia dough in Greece. Looking at it now, I realise I had exactly the same expression during every test bake in every bakery I visited this year.
I’m truly living my best sourdough life. What a privilege it is to meet so many wonderful people, share my knowledge and my starter, and help them build successful bakeries for their communities.
I’m incredibly grateful that this is what I get to do.
