Erin Justus Lampel
Erin Justus Lampel, co-owner and baker at Companion Bakers, spoke to us about her breadmaking secrets:
Bread baking seems a little bit like magic and a little bit like child's play. What do you find most intriguing about the act of making bread?
Most intriguing is the fact that bread making requires the skill of paying attention to detail, and relaxing into the repetition of the process. I marvel at how old a tradition it is for many cultures to bake bread for their communities.
Famously, bakers rise before dawn—is that still true? What are the most important steps in making bread?
Yes, still true! The most important step is patience and precise measurements when scaling out ingredients. I suppose every step is important from scaling ingredients to mixing to shaping to fermentation and lastly baking of the loaves!
What makes your round seeded sourdough loaves so incredible?
The seeds! They are super tasty, especially when toasted!
How do you juggle having a family with the commitment to an artisanal business?
Committing to an artisanal business for my family means to make our business part of our family, from our employees to the daily tasks. It's completely a way of life, and you have to embrace it that way! We are about to bring our own little baker into the world very soon in November, so we will see how family life fits into the bakeshop. I’m expecting a great fit!
