OUR STORY

My name is Dorothy, and Bread & Bake is where my roots, my hands, and my journey finally found a shared rhythm. 

​

I was born in Bogotá, but some of the most defining moments of my life happened in a small Colombian town where my grandmother lived. Surrounded by mountains, trees, animals, and a vibrant ecosystem, I first touched dough as a child. That moment taught me something essential: to respect ingredients and stay conscious of what we eat. 

​

My professional career took me far from that farm kitchen. For years, I worked as an International Accounting Director for manufacturing, construction, and pharmaceutical companies, leading teams across the United States, Latin America, Europe, and Asia. My strengths were clear — compliance, operations, financial reporting, leadership, and developing people. But the pace was relentless, and eventually burnout turned into illness. Months passed without rest or time for my family. In that difficult season, I returned to something familiar. 

Bread. 

​

Baking became my way to breathe — a grounding ritual in the midst of pressure and noise. The more stressed I felt, the more I baked. Soon, my neighborhood smelled like fresh bread, and people began asking where it came from. When they discovered it was me, everything shifted. 

​

Later, after participating in the Festival of Nations, I realized something important: St. Louis was longing for real, intentional, artisan bread. 

That’s when Bread & Bake came to life — a return to my origins, a celebration of craft, and a commitment to whole grains and slow fermentation. 

Today, I bake with the same values my grandmother taught me and that guided my global career: care, precision, integrity, and intention. 

​

Today, Bread & Bake is an artisan whole-grain sourdough bakery in St. Louis, rooted in tradition, slow fermentation, and intentional craft.

 

– Dorothy