Food Studio: How come you started working with old methods and sourdough?

André: I started my career in a semi-industrial bakery, and soon found out that being a baker wasn`t at all what I had expected it to be. The profession is communicated to the outside world as a handicraft, but often reminds more of the job of an industrial worker.

Tired of operating machines, I quit and went to music school for a couple of years. During the summer, I worked in a bakery, and the old baker I worked for told me to don`t give up on the trade just yet. “Go to Oslo! There`s a couple of crazy guys doing something really exiting there. I don’t really know what it is, but you have to go and check it out.” And so I went.

The place was Åpent Bakeri, and that’s where I learned the artisanal way of working with long-time fermentation and sourdough. I regained the spark, and stayed there for eleven years. Now I am working at Lantmännen Ceralia mill in Oslo, giving customer support and working on finding the perfect flour blend.

Jesper: Yes, for me as well, Åpent Bakeri had a major impact on my career. I had worked as a baker for many years in Denmark, was a bit tired of it, and came to Norway to work as a carpenter. Coincidence, and luck, brought me to Åpent Bakeri, and I ended up working in Norway’s, if not Scandinavia`s best bakery. I had worked a bit with sourdough in Denmark, but now my eyes were opened for softer doughs and old techniques. I really got my inspiration back.

Five years ago I opened up my own business, Brødbakerne, and we now have three shops located at Jar, Gjelleråsen and Skøyen. We also deliver bread for restaurants and cafés all over Oslo.

Fanny: My background is a bit different. After high school I did a lot of different things, and wasn`t sure what I wanted to do in the future. Cooking and baking has always been a part of my life, and little by little I understood that I wanted to work with food.

I soon discovered that there`s a lot of cheating going on in the business. The quality of the ingredients are terrible, there`s often lack of knowledge and the main focus is on making money.

This brought me to the conclusion that I wanted to start my own place, and from the beginning it`s been clear to me that I wanted to work with organic ingredients, and not compromise with the quality. Three years ago I opened up my own bakery, Alvar&Ivar surdegsbageri in Gothenburg, where we bake almost exclusively on sourdough, using only organic flour, most of it produced locally.

Ivan: I, on the other hand, was actually used to working with sourdough from France, where I started my career. The challenge for me, when I came to Norway, was the wholemeal sourdough and bread. In Scandinavia the bread is often heavier, made with coarse flour, whole grains and seeds. In France, we usually make different kinds of white bread, and the focus is on having a good development of gluten in the bread, so that it can endure the raising process. In Kolonihagen bakery, where I am production manager and co-owner, we work with Scandinavian ingredients and ancient grains like emmer and spelt, all 100% organic, but using French baking methods.