Crumbs apart
Pain au levain, challah or puccia - a bakery in Mumbai is doling out handcrafted European breads
The slight woman scrambling about in a small bakery in Prabhadevi turns into a radical when she talks about her ambition. "I want to revolutionise the way we treat bread in the country," says Aditi Handa, a former HR professional. Her love affair with bread began a little over a year ago while scouting for a business idea. After a culinary crash course in New York, a couple of months later, the Parel resident launched The Baker's Dozen, a chain of shops selling rare artisan breads in upscale neighbourhoods, along with her husband, Sneh Jain, and brother, Siddharth.
The company, which added stores in Kemps Corner and recently in Bandra, plans to open in Oshiwara later this month. It operates from a kitchen in Wadala and retails in condensed spaces of about 150 to 300 square feet. Unless searching for it, one might miss the Prabhadevi outlet, with its minimalistic signboard. Inside, the decor is boulangerie-style and spotless jars and baskets are filled with rolls and loaves dusted with flour and embedded with nuts and grains.
As Indian buyers get familiar with breads other than white and brown, companies that specialise in German, Italian and French-style handmade breads are slowly setting up shop. Danz Bread, a one-year-old Mumbai start-up, which offers multigrain loaves on subscription basis, delivers to clients such as Anjali Tendulkar, the Birlas and the Jindals. Like The Baker's Dozen, Danz too avoids using chemicals and artificial preservatives.
Setting up was not easy, says Handa. "While the bread came out of the oven tasting decent, it looked just terrible." After frantic calls and e-mails to professors, she realised that rather than replicating recipes, she should be taking into account traits of local ingredients. "Indian flour is weaker, which means the protein content is lower. So it doesn't rise in the same way as in the US or Europe." One month of experiments - first developing bread in maida and then wheat - led to the 19 recipes they use today for 26 items on the menu. With the exception of French butter, most ingredients are sourced locally.
Still, the bakery attempts to stay true to the bread's region of origin, sticking to traditional tastes and even names such as pain au levain, challah, puccia or ciabatta. This is sometimes problematic for local customers and household helps sent to pick up the bread, who instead ask for the '7 slice ka packet' or the 'Rs 40 wala bread.' The products are priced between Rs 25 and Rs 200, affordable, though not as cheap as mass-market bread. The clientele mainly comprises well-travelled HNIs and health-conscious residents of nearby buildings.
The taste is one that people like banking professional Somas Iyer, who longed for the fresh bread available at London bakeries, appreciate. But to the unaccustomed, the denser artisan loaves is an acquired taste. Uninitiated customers often ask Handa about the ideal pairing. "I tell them to go with their instinct. One customer even likes to dip sourdoughs in chai." Instead, Handa instructs them on how to store the bread - air-tight and wrapped in butter paper. Low shelf life is a major challenge with such breads and they are meant to be consumed within a day or two, after which they become tough and chewy.
Even if it is a premium handmade bread, it remains a low-margin product. But Handa refuses to hike the prices. "Bread cannot be expensive. It is a daily necessity."
The company, which added stores in Kemps Corner and recently in Bandra, plans to open in Oshiwara later this month. It operates from a kitchen in Wadala and retails in condensed spaces of about 150 to 300 square feet. Unless searching for it, one might miss the Prabhadevi outlet, with its minimalistic signboard. Inside, the decor is boulangerie-style and spotless jars and baskets are filled with rolls and loaves dusted with flour and embedded with nuts and grains.
As Indian buyers get familiar with breads other than white and brown, companies that specialise in German, Italian and French-style handmade breads are slowly setting up shop. Danz Bread, a one-year-old Mumbai start-up, which offers multigrain loaves on subscription basis, delivers to clients such as Anjali Tendulkar, the Birlas and the Jindals. Like The Baker's Dozen, Danz too avoids using chemicals and artificial preservatives.
Setting up was not easy, says Handa. "While the bread came out of the oven tasting decent, it looked just terrible." After frantic calls and e-mails to professors, she realised that rather than replicating recipes, she should be taking into account traits of local ingredients. "Indian flour is weaker, which means the protein content is lower. So it doesn't rise in the same way as in the US or Europe." One month of experiments - first developing bread in maida and then wheat - led to the 19 recipes they use today for 26 items on the menu. With the exception of French butter, most ingredients are sourced locally.
Still, the bakery attempts to stay true to the bread's region of origin, sticking to traditional tastes and even names such as pain au levain, challah, puccia or ciabatta. This is sometimes problematic for local customers and household helps sent to pick up the bread, who instead ask for the '7 slice ka packet' or the 'Rs 40 wala bread.' The products are priced between Rs 25 and Rs 200, affordable, though not as cheap as mass-market bread. The clientele mainly comprises well-travelled HNIs and health-conscious residents of nearby buildings.
The taste is one that people like banking professional Somas Iyer, who longed for the fresh bread available at London bakeries, appreciate. But to the unaccustomed, the denser artisan loaves is an acquired taste. Uninitiated customers often ask Handa about the ideal pairing. "I tell them to go with their instinct. One customer even likes to dip sourdoughs in chai." Instead, Handa instructs them on how to store the bread - air-tight and wrapped in butter paper. Low shelf life is a major challenge with such breads and they are meant to be consumed within a day or two, after which they become tough and chewy.
Even if it is a premium handmade bread, it remains a low-margin product. But Handa refuses to hike the prices. "Bread cannot be expensive. It is a daily necessity."
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First Published: Mar 15 2014 | 8:18 PM IST