San Diego describes herself as “a semi-retired restaurant owner and F&B consultant,” but more than that, she is one of the pioneers of the Makati night scene, operating some of the most memorable restaurants and bars in the business district since the 1990s such as Absinthe, Bistro 110, Flute Wine Bar, and Damiana’s Kitchen. She got into baking her own “real crusty style bread reminiscent of those found in local boulangeries around Paris” when she craved them during the pandemic. San Diego admits, “[although] cooking has always been a passion, baking was not—[but] through ‘YouTube University’ and lots of research, I learned how to make sourdough bread.”

It was only a matter of time until the complex nature of the bread sunk its teeth into the then-budding baking enthusiast who has now made a home-based business out of it through her brand The Penthouse Kitchen and Bakery (@thepenthousekitchenandbakery on Instagram). “The whole natural process of making bread with just flour water and salt intrigued me. It’s both simple and complicated at the same time. Taking care of a starter (natural yeast) is like taking care of a pet. Scheduled regular feedings and storing it in the right environment were crucial to keep it strong and alive. It was time for me to learn something new. It was quite a challenging task, but where else would I go given that we cannot get out of the house anyway (during the pandemic). I had all the time. Now I am literally obsessed about it and found myself always wanting to learn and experiment more.”

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As if sourdough bread is not a complicated venture on its own, trying to produce it in our tropical climate poses its own special set of challenges. San Diego invested in air conditioning to keep the temperature in her kitchen consistent while also adjusting hydration in her recipes. Vasquez explains it further: “It gets very warm and humid in Manila, and when it’s warmer or humid, or both, fermentation activity accelerates. For the baker, it means everything downstream in the workflow has to take place sooner. It’s the opposite when the weather is cooler. You are sitting there waiting for it, like you are waiting for your kid to finish eating.”

There is also the matter of having access to quality ingredients in a country that is not known for growing wheat. “Sometimes, too, the quality of the flour is just off,” Vasquez says. “It is rare, to be sure, but I once had about 75 kilos of flour—that’s three sacks—dramatically misbehave on me. That’s a lot of bread that went to waste.” San Diego swears that sometimes one must spend a bit more to be ensured of a better product. “It was a bit frustrating because ingredients, especially good flour were hard to come by. I experimented with local flours but I just didn’t like the taste. So I found a supplier of imported flours, [which] although expensive, had a better outcome which was close to what I wanted.”

For now, their clientele consists mostly of ex-pats, those with dietary restrictions (no dairy, no sugar, etc.), or those who have enjoyed sourdough in other places and (as San Diego describes) its “crusty burnt ends that would sometimes scrape the inside of your mouth.” San Diego has expanded her repertoire to offer bread dotted with dried berries, herbs, garlic, and cheese to be more inclusive, even adding enriched bread to cater to those who prefer softer bread. “By the way,” she points out, “pandesal can also be made with sourdough, since sourdough is not just a kind of bread but also a natural yeast or leaven.”

When asked what their plans are for the future, both admit to currently enjoying the artisanal nature of their endeavour. “Right now, I’m happy with selling online since it has kept me in my comfort zone—my house and pajamas,” San Diego admits. “At the moment I’m putting out a few dozen loaves a week. Like 60 to 70 loaves,” Vasquez calculates. “I can probably push that a little more, but anything beyond, say, 90 or a hundred loaves a week—I don’t know, man. That means I’m paying someone else to make my bread.” So expanding your business is not one of your goals? “Not sure that interests me, to be honest. It is a personal thing for me, bread making, you know? So much of it is in the many micro-decisions you make when you’re elbow deep in that dough. So it begs the question: if someone else is making my bread, is it still mine? I don’t know the answer to that.” 

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