Today we’d like to introduce you to Charles Kaufman.
It all began in January, 1921 with a 15,000 watt radio station in Deluth, Minnesota. Sorry. Wrong business. Bread & Cie was the first dedicated artisan bread bakery in San Diego opening December 16th, 1994. 35 loaves were baked the first day. Today, they make much, much more bread but bake each loaf the same way. “I began Bread & Cie.” says Charles Kaufman, “with my wife, Mrs. Charles Kaufman”. (although she prefers to be called Dori). Before bread making, Charles worked in a related field: producing, directing and writing “B” horror and action films.
The world in general and Charles’ wife, child, (Kira) and the greater San Diego area, in particular are all better off as a result of the profession change.
Bread & Cie Bakery came out of a passion to bake the finest old-world, rustic breads by founders Charles and Dori Kaufman. They have been hand-baking breads, pastries and Viennoiserie on their European imported stone-hearth oven decks in Hillcrest, San Diego since 1994.
Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
Biggest challenge has been to turn out top quality hand-made baked goods on a daily seven days a week, 365 days a year for over two decades.
Alright – so let’s talk business. Tell us about Bread & Cie – what should we know?
Bread & Cie. bakes hand-made, old-world European rustic bread and pastries.
All of our breads are hand shaped, made with all-natural ingredients and baked fresh each and every day. We use “natural starters” rather than commercial yeast to make our dough rise (at least a 2-day procedure); hand shape every loaf; bake our hard-crusted bread in an imported 10,000 ton hearth deck bread oven; add no preservatives and use only organic flour for whole wheat recipes; etc. In other words, if there is a more expensive, time consuming, painful way of making bread…. we don’t know it. (Or…. In other words, Bread & Cie makes bread in the most expensive, time consuming, painful way possible.)
Our pastries include Viennoiserie (croissants, etc.) and sweet baked goods (scones, muffins, fruit tarts and pies, etc.)
Any shoutouts? Who else deserves credit in this story – who has played a meaningful role?
Our bakers. All our employees. And …our loyal customers for their support and their continued appreciation of high quality.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.BreadAndCie.com
- Phone: 619-683-9322
- Email: Charles@BreadAndCie.com
- Instagram: Breadandcie
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BreadAndCie/
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