“If they cannot have bread, let them eat cake!” Each time that I read this admittedly cliched misquote that the last French queen, Marie Antoinette, apparently never actually said, I think to myself, “Wouldn’t I just love to have them both?!” Greedy? Not so much! Just that there is something so life-affirming about the sight and smell of bread, that a fresh, fragrant loaf will make your spirits rise as surely as the yeast makes the dough rise to a sunny, earthy, golden hue. And as for cake…do I need to say anything more? Soft, gooey, crunchy, melty, pillowy, in all its various forms, cake, well, is just cake. Scrumptious, celebratory and guaranteed to ignite a state of happiness.
Well, the good news is that our country that has thrived on traditional sweets (always welcome) and industrial bread now has a batch of young bakers who travelled abroad or to newly popular local cooking and baking schools (our list here has one who is self-taught) so that we could have a diverse choice of Western-style breads and cakes on offer as well. (Not to say that the locally baked crusty gutli and soft paos delivered by the cycle-pedalling breadwallah, are not as delicious; but a change in palate is always welcome, no?)
These bakers, with their keen eye for design, extend their own aesthetics, so apparent in their sense of dress and style, to the care and detail of their sweet creations. Their well-fashioned pies and tarts showcase their inherent flair. And to visually “accentuate” the tools of their trade, these hands-on bakers readily exchanged oven mitts for fashion gloves that speak to their individual style. A far cry perhaps from the comfort clothing and footwear that make life easier and safer in the kitchen, but then, who’s complaining?
Simply visit their Instagram pages to view a Willy Wonka-esque repertoire of goodies jostling each other for attention. Mallika Tandon’s rustic fig and cheese galette features “super-flaky shortcrust pastry, goat cheese mascarpone, and a drizzle of honey”. Noor Mubarak’s dark chocolate babka loaf and Homer Simpson D’oh-nuts would be hard to resist at any age. Flavia Lewis’ oranges and lemons is a “seven-layered rainbow cake of citrus sponge, sandwiched with lemon curd and whipped, white-chocolate frosting”. Zainab Motiwala’s sourdough cinnamon and organic orange buns are a “no-waste dessert that uses the whole citrus fruit; orange and lemon peels are rubbed into the sugar along with organic Ceylon cinnamon. Glazed with our signature whole orange juice marmalade”. Mitali Sahani’s experiments with sourdough, which she calls “a way of life”, have resulted in the SoDo – sourdough doughnuts – as well as sourdough focaccia. While self-taught baker Smita Sharan who is focused on “all-natural baking” offers her sourdough bread just a little bit over-browned. “We bake because we love to share our passion for baking. Fortunately or unfortunately that means we are also a little bullheaded about how we bake. Luckily, we have found folks who see that as a positive (may we keep finding such people)”, she states on Instagram.
Beignets, kouign-amann (a cross between a croissant and a palmier), cinnabombs, cronuts…. Do not call this a cultural shift, (Diwali pedas and ladus, deeply sunk into the Indian celebration psyche, will always continue to do the rounds) but rather an extension for the palate. And while Queen Marie Antoinette probably indulged in only the purest versions of delicate French confections, our bakers have tapped into the “hybrids” trend. A tasty blend for the senses, an experiment with flavours in baking. So much more than vanilla…. An inclusion of cultures, flavours and techniques that seems ever so right at this time.
They speak to Verve of their baking passion and dreams for a delicious future….
At the links below read our interviews with the five Indian bakers.
Flavia Lewis, Salt by Flavia, Mumbai
Mallika Tandon, Big Bobo’s Delivery Kitchen, Delhi
Noor Mubarak, The Notting Hill Bakery, Mumbai
Zainab Motiwala, Mizah Bakery, Mumbai
Smita Sharan, The Good Butter, Pune