Flour Power

For some, baking is a family tradition, while others get into it for the creativity and to fill a niche in the community. Katia Anaya Braga’s family has a long history in the bakery business, dating back to Mexico in 1912. Their company, Pancho Anaya Bakery, expanded to Tulsa about 25 years ago. 

“We were welcomed in Tulsa from the very beginning,” says Braga, now the bakery’s human resources manager. That support “allowed us to grow to where we are now,” she says.

Pancho Anaya Bakery has three locations in Tulsa and has expanded into manufacturing, working with state wholesalers and national distributors.

Deniece Blasko’s Bluebird Bakery marked a homecoming for the southeastern Oklahoma native. Blasko served in the Navy and worked in the aerospace industry before moving back to Oklahoma and opening the Mill Creek storefront in 2021. She enjoyed baking as a hobby and felt like she was being nudged into creating the business; after hosting a soft opening for the bakery, the positive community response helped further convince her about committing to the business. 

The dream of opening the Harvey Bakery & Kitchen in Oklahoma City grew, in part, from the popularity of desserts that were available at Hall’s Pizza Kitchen, also in OKC, says Molly Grenier, CEO of Halls Kitchen Group. Grenier says the appeal of the house-made desserts, along with bringing in pastry chef Alyssa Ulrich, led to a shared dream of starting the bakery in 2021.

“Oklahoma City is so welcoming to local creative places like Harvey,” Grenier says. “This community supports our restaurant and truly has made Harvey its place.”

Experts agree: Long, long hours await anyone who wishes to run a bakery. Pastry chef Jean-Baptiste “JB” Saint Amon starts his day quite early. 

“I bake everything for the store between 3 and 7 a.m,” says Saint Amon, owner of Saint Amon Baking Co., a French bakery in Tulsa opened in 2016. After baking, it’s time to open the shop, work on orders, do inventory, complete payroll and sometimes train interns, he says. During busy periods, Saint Amon mentions that he’ll often stay at work until 9 p.m. The payoff after those long days? Hearing compliments from bakery patrons.

“My favorite part of the job, at this point in my career, is to hear the feedback from customers, when they say things like they just came back from Paris and our pastries taste as good, if not better,” says Saint Amon. “That’s the kind of feedback that makes it worth having 15- to 16-hour days.”

Another reward of this line of work, owners agree, is the chance to be creative, to share their culture and to offer Oklahomans a place to gather.

Braga says one of her favorite aspects of the business is “being able to make these delicious products and then share them with our community.” 

Blasko says she loves channeling her creativity into her baked goods. 

“I’m a perfectionist,” she says. “I want my items to be beautiful and taste amazing at the same time.”

Grenier enjoys seeing the interactions among people who visit the bakery, whether they’re meeting up with old friends or enjoying lunch with coworkers.

But, the biggest question remains: How do those in the business work around the constant cravings?

“I make sure I have a big breakfast before I come to work,” Braga says with a laugh.

One of Oklahoma’s bakeries has garnered national attention: Tulsa’s Country Bird Bakery was named one of the 22 best bakeries in the United States by the New York Times and its owner, Cat Cox, is currently a finalist for Outstanding Pastry Chef or Baker in the distinguished James Beard Awards.