What I Do: Timothy Nordmann, proprietor of Mr. Meowski’s bakery
The story of Mr. Meowski’s bakery is a narrative of 1 man’s willpower to provide the right loaf. Proprietor Timothy Nordmann started baking sourdough bread in his dwelling kitchen round 2014 as a pastime following a return to highschool and the choice to make a mid-life profession change. What began as a pastime become a full-time job as Nordmann’s output exceeded his dwelling kitchen. He began taking wholesale and retail orders, expanded his choices to croissants and different pastries, and now occupies a storefront on St. Charles’ Primary Road. Right here, Nordmann discusses how he found the key to good breadmaking, how rising commodities prices have impacted his enterprise, and what’s subsequent for Mr. Meowski’s.
“For the primary a number of months [of breadmaking], it was simply mistake after mistake after mistake, and I used to be doing all the things unsuitable. It was simply this thriller behind what flour does once you put water in it. So, I sort of obtained obsessive about it, and I used to be simply decided to determine methods to make it work.”
assorted pastries at mr. meowski’s // picture by virginia harold
“Sooner or later I used to be mixing my dough like I at all times did, however this specific day, I forgot all about it and left it on my countertop for a full day to ferment. I assumed I ruined the dough, however I made a decision to bake it anyway. The flavors from the ensuing bread have been so wealthy and intense. It was like I discovered the lacking piece to the puzzle.”
“Time was the key ingredient for good breadmaking, and I used to be at all times attempting to hurry issues alongside, so after I lastly discovered to work on the dough’s schedule and what it needed, not what I needed, my bread instantly began tasting higher.”
bread at mr. meowski’s // picture by virginia harold
“In breadmaking, sourdough is sort of like the basic constructing block of all breads… I positively needed to return to how bread has at all times been made and perceive that course of first. And it was for taste, like I stated, however then after doing it, I got here to search out out that there are additionally lots of well being advantages, and the flavour is extra of the nice aspect impact to the method.”
“We had begun the pastry program two years earlier than shifting to Primary Road. So, by then we had been doing all of our croissants and all the things. In order that was one of many mainstays to our enterprise additionally.”
timothy nordmann, proprietor of mr. meowski’s // picture by virginia harold
“[With] the croissants and all the things, I used to be considering, ‘What’s the bakery merchandise that somebody at dwelling could be least prone to do?’ And in the event that they did it, they’d in all probability do it as soon as and be like, ‘By no means once more.’ There are some issues which might be higher to have another person do.”
“After I first began, you might get a 50-pound bag of flour for $15.25. Now they’re $28. After I began out, I used to get a really, very high-quality butter for $2.75. And now we’re at $6.75 for that butter. I used to take eggs with no consideration; now it’s round 40 cents per egg … Sugar is one other one which’s simply doubled: A 50-pound bag of sugar began out at $15, and now I wish to say my final bill was $54.”
avocado toast at mr. meowski’s // picture by virginia harold
“You’ll be able to solely increase your costs a lot earlier than it does not make sense… It is only a fixed balancing act. And we did a modest value enhance at the start of final yr, however that was earlier than the inflation had actually taken its toll. And, fairly frankly, I do not know what to do. It is painful, you realize. I do not know what the reply is.”
“What we’re trying ahead to is rising that dine-in alternative, to offer extra hospitality to our clients. As a result of I really feel like we’re a vacation spot; for those who go 20 to 25 minutes to the bakery, the least we will do is make you are feeling at dwelling and supply a little bit bit extra of an expertise.”
assorted pastries at mr. meowski’s // picture by virginia harold
“So, we’ll be specializing in our toasts menu. We’re doing smoked salmon with cream cheese. We’re making our personal peanut butter and jelly, so we’re going to do a peanut butter and jelly toast. After which goat cheese and housemade berry jam. And everyone loves avocado toast. So, we’re going to do contemporary avocado with bacon, eggs and scorching honey.”
“Everyone asks, ‘How do you eat your bread?’ As a substitute of simply telling them about it, we’re going to get the chance to really cook dinner extra for our clients, and so they can strive it in our bakery after which go on and take a look at it at dwelling too.”
107 N. Primary St., St. Charles, 314.922.9234, mrmeowski.com
Tags : Individuals, Locations, Eating places
