Sarah Bakhash
In the Lab - Bakhash works hard in the kitchen, carrying hot trays of freshly baked croissants and other pastries. these pastries often took a two-to-three day process, but the final product was always worth it.
For some baking is just a hobby, and for others it’s a passion. Palo Alto High School Junior Jonathan Bakhash took his fervor for baking to the next level when he took two venoisserie (french pastry) classes at the San Francisco Baking institute last summer. Chomp sat down with Bakhash last month to talk about his experience and his baking aspirations going forward. This is what he had to say:
What was the everyday process of the class like?
I woke up every day at 6 a.m. because it was in San Francisco. The class was mostly for people who wanted to pursue their baking career, so I was with a bunch of adults from all over the country. I was the only one in my age group and it was a little daunting, but then you kind of realize that you’re all learning something. We baked basically all day from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. Each day we’d do probably five or six different pastries that take a two- or three-day process. I also have a notebook of 20 or 30 pages of notes that we took on understanding the science behind all of the baking because if you understand it, it’s easier to make the product better.
What was your favorite thing you made?
We made panettone (an Italian sweetbread). We did the real way of making it, putting it upside down and everything. A lot of grocery stores don’t do it right. When you do it the traditional way, it takes a lot of time. Also croissants, that’s something where it’s a lot easier if you do it with all of the fancy equipment. It’s hard to replicate what you do there at your house because obviously you need all that equipment. But we did get to learn how to use all of [the equipment] and so one day if we have access to it we can use it.
What were the major takeaways from the class?
I just use a lot of the techniques that we used in the class. Like when I bake bread they told me to pay attention to the temperature throughout the process. I didn’t really know that before, but now I’ve started constantly looking at that aspect. I also learned that if you’re passionate about something, start taking action on doing that thing. When I showed people what I’ve made before they were like ‘Oh this is just cookies you made at home,’ but after taking it to the next level, people have started to see that I actually care about what I do.
What inspired you to start taking baking more seriously?
When I was younger, me and my siblings would just do it for fun. I got serious about baking this summer when I took the class because I wanted to develop my skills in a more professional way, but I’ve been baking just casually for around five years. I used to cook a lot more, but I’ve started baking because it’s a lot more science based and I find that more interesting than ‘add a bit of salt or whatever.’ And after seeing the look on someone’s face when you give them really good food, it just kind of hits you deep.
Where do you want to take your baking going forward?
Right now I kind of give my food away. I’ve been trying to sell, and a lot of people have told me to. I was going to initially sell croissants, but that’s a three day process which is a lot to do every weekend. A lot of baking is just a lot of waiting, and you always have to be in the kitchen because the intervals of rest are 30 minutes or an hour. So I’ve been thinking of doing something less intense but still up to the standard, like cookies or cream puffs. I also like posting on Instagram because I like showing what I do to other people, and I hope it can inspire them to bake too.
Closing/conclusion:
Follow Jonathan on instagram @kash_kuisine to follow his baking journey and see what he’s making next!