Couple opens home bakery in Hartford, specializing in Spanish breads. Local response has been overwhelming!
Emma Bryan and Sergio Molina del Fresno own it. They are a couple from Hartford, with cooking experience. Sergio is from Madrid and specializes in bread.
They lived in Manchester before moving to Hartford. They moved to care for Emma’s dad. They liked Hartford and decided to stay.
Sergio commuted to Manchester. He baked bread for a tapas place. The commute became too hard, so they saw a chance to start their business. They turned a room into a fully equipped bakery.
Sergio’s rolling pin is on their sign. They bake Spanish breads and croissants, three times each week. They bake overnight and sell in the morning.
Emma and Sergio were shocked by the local response. Emma said people were thrilled with their pop-up sale. Williamson’s closure also helped them get customers.
People shared about them on social media. This brought in even more people, explained Emma. They started by baking for loved ones.
Sergio bakes Wednesdays and Fridays for pickup. The pop-up shop is Sundays at their driveway. Emma said finding market stalls was hard, so they chose a Sunday pop-up. They just wanted to meet the neighbors. The response was bigger than expected.
They now bake Tuesday for Wednesday pickups. They bake Thursday for Friday sales. Saturday baking is for Sunday’s pop-up. They will keep the Sunday shop open, weather permitting. Everything is baked the traditional way using fresh yeast. Sergio has a breadmaking degree.
Emma said everything sells out quickly and it is hard to pick a favorite. The croissants are amazing, she says, as Sergio perfected the recipe. They are very fresh.
The jalapeño and cheese bread sells well. Sourdough and espiga bread are also popular choices. Espiga is shared tearing bread that comes plain or with garlic and herbs. Emma says both are lovely and Espiga pairs well with soups and stews. It is a different type of baguette.