Zainab Motiwala
Mizah Bakery, Mumbai
Did Mizah Bakery start as a passion project, or had it always been planned as a full-blown business? Do you bake at home, or do you have a separate kitchen?
We opened in September 2019 with plans to become a full-blown business. We work out of a separate professional kitchen.
Where did you study baking? What or who inspired you to be a baker? How did this influence your baking style?
I have wanted to bake since I was about eight. I just love the process; I am particularly interested in the science behind food. Most of my food idols, except for Joanne Chang, aren’t even in the baking field, such as David Zilber, Harold McGee and Sandor Katz. I like to deconstruct the recipe and create the dessert from the bottom up. Flavour is governed by the seasonal availability of produce.
How would you describe your style of baking? Are there any new techniques that you learnt or are the European and American baking styles still relevant today?
I don’t work with any particular style. Both have their merits; I prefer using both in combination. I like to create my own method through numerous trials and errors.
How does your baking style connect with your fashion sense?
I prefer really minimal and clean forms. I don’t believe in perfection, just simplicity. It’s cake after all; you shouldn’t feel guilty about cutting into it.
What are the clothes and shoes you prefer to wear when you’re baking?
My girls and I work in denims because we prefer comfortable clothing. All our clothing is washed, boiled and sanitised every day. I detest wasteful disposable wear. Shoes are Birkenstocks all day, every day.
What are some of the misconceptions people have about baking and bread making in particular? Since it’s more scientific and tedious than cooking.
One of the biggest misconceptions around bread is that it’s a mix-and-bake formula, which it isn’t. It’s a long process, as well as time and temperature sensitive. By the way, did you know that bread freezes well but doesn’t refrigerate quite as well? So it’s better to plop leftover fresh bread into the freezer.
Tell us something about the ingredients that you use. Do you use local, imported, or a mix? What is the most important ingredient in your kitchen?
We only use organic ingredients sourced from different parts of India. Our desserts and breads are seasonal; even our flour changes with the seasons. We make everything from scratch. We prefer everything to be fresh and not frozen. We hate waste, so we produce only in small batches on order. We use reusable piping bags and avoid cling film at all costs.
What are some of your specialties? Which has been your most popular baked item?
Definitely our sourdough breads, twice baked chocolate cake, miso sesame chocolate chip cookies and our seasonal fruit tarts.
Have you experimented or reinvented any Indian sweets? Do you think western-style pastries and desserts will ever be as popular as desi mithais in India?
I prefer using Indian fruits like raw mango, amar phal, sitaphal and chikoo and working up the flavours from there. I am more fascinated with the techniques of Indian sweet making, and I would like to apply more of that to my form of baking. I believe Indian sweets are irreplaceable and an integral part of our culture. Western desserts can co-exist but can never take over. And I prefer it that way.
What unusual flavours, ingredients or pairings have you experimented with? Any strange cake or pastry requests that you might have custom made? Which flavours are you experimenting with right now?
Oh gosh! We experiment with numerous flavours every week. I am currently experimenting with new heritage flours, gluten-free sourdoughs and winter fruits.
What new pastry are you working on that you are most excited about? Is there any pastry that you loved but the customers did not appreciate?
I love adding spices to my baking. I have been experimenting with German-style Christmas desserts lately – my favourite being lebkuchen (spiced gingerbread cookie). Did you know that it needs to be made a whole two months in advance to fully develop its flavour and the full potential of the traditionally used potassium bi-carbonate? I am grateful to have customers willing to try out my “wonky” desserts.
Which are the pastries and desserts that are trending?
I only follow my gut and avoid trends as much as possible; for me it is the season that is in trend.
Are people looking for healthy dessert and pastry options or do they indulge when it comes to sweet things?
People are definitely looking for healthier desserts. I believe everything needs to be consumed in moderation. We only use the best locally sourced organic ingredients. We do make a nutritious, heritage whole grain, long-fermentation sourdough. Our double chocolate cake is gluten-free, refined sugar-free, and completely organic.
Is the day of the elaborately decorated cake done? Are people looking for great taste but visual simplicity?
As a designer as well as a pastry chef, I feel that aesthetics definitely have a place in cake making, but it should be thought out and meaningful. I believe we should work towards creating our own aesthetic and avoid imitation as much as possible. But, alas, it is always flavour that reigns supreme.
What do you think of the current craze for sourdough? Is it just a trend?
Long fermentation has been the norm in bread baking for thousands of years, and sourdough is here to stay. This is thanks to a new crop of artisanal bakers taking the power back from corporations to create local healthy foods that not only enrich the consumer but also ensure better pay to farmers.
Did you bake through the lockdown? What was the demand like? Were people ordering more since they were at home?
There is no denying that the lockdown has helped small-scale, home-based food businesses. We worked through the lockdown with the utmost precautions. At one point, I was making all the breads and desserts and physically delivering them to my regular clients in Bandra, Khar and Santacruz.
What are your plans for the future?
To expand Mizah by opening a larger kitchen and to complete my master’s in Food Design. I have already kick-started the research for my first cookbook…maybe start teaching.
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