A club for bread lovers
Local bread maker planning new shop by Coffee Apothecary
The Taos Farmers Market will come to a close by the end of October, and many farmers are selling the last of their late summer harvests. Meanwhile, another vendor, whose edible journey is slightly different, plans to continue the success the market has brought her newfound business: Bread Club Taos.
The “club” — so to speak — is owner Pam Mussett’s way of bringing people into her world of bread, introducing them to the bread she has learned to bake and perfect over her years spent working in fine restaurants and cafes.
While her breads typically sell out within the first few hours of the market, Mussett has big plans to expand, opening up an official bakery along Paseo del Pueblo Sur next to the Coffee Apothecary. Food and science
“My interest in cooking started when I lived in Minneapolis, and I worked at a restaurant there and they had the most incredible cauliflower soup — it was amazing,” Mussett said. “It was the first incredible food dish that I had ever had. I thought Olive Garden was good, you know? That kind of started me down that path of wanting to know how to do that.”
From Minneapolis, Mussett made her way to Philadelphia, quickly working her way up to a line cook position. “I’ve done pretty much every job you could do in the kitchen,” she said.
Musset starting baking in a cafe, and immediately fell in love with the craft. “There’s so much science that goes into baking that’s just amazing,” she said. “Usually nothing looks delicious until you bake it — it’s like this whole metamorphosis of this thing that you’ve made with gloop. I just love it. It’s super nerdy, and once you get the hang of each ingredient and what its effect is, then you can really go to town and make some really cool stuff.”
She said after a visit to California, she fell in love with bread. “I went to the West Coast and I had this crazy good bread, and I was like ‘Oh my God’ — it reawakened my love for bread.”
Baking bread in Taos Mussett moved to Taos nine years ago from Philadelphia. She was looking for a change of pace. “It’s very different from here,” she said. “I wanted to have a little more space and a little more nature to check out.”
By April 2020, Mussett said she had begun to connect with other fellow bakers in Taos and so she decided to start Bread Club Taos. “It’s been really, really good,” she said of business. “The first week that I did the market, I didn’t make much bread at all, just because I didn’t want to have leftovers … And then the second week it doubled, and every week, I’ve been making a little bit more.”
Mussett has a “bread club membership” that regular customers can sign up for. “It’s like a CSA,” she explained. “Every week they get a different type of bread that isn’t available to the general public. With that part, I can really put my creativity into it. So we’ve had some really cool bread so far. And it’s really fun for people to come by and pick it up.”
Mussett said she started with the basics. “I wanted to kind of get a plain sourdough in there for the people who just want the straight-up sourdough. Then I made a more grain-like one with buckwheat and quinoa, you know, for the people who wanted healthy bread. Then we’re in New Mexico, so I had to have a green chile cheddar,” she said.
Mussett’s personal new favorite, milk bread, has been another hit with the public. “It’s Japanese-style bread,” she explained, adding that
it has a distinctive texture. “The cool thing I think about the bread that I’m making is that it’s soft. It’ll get a little crispy on the outside when you toast it, but the inside is still soft. I’m going for ultimate and awesome flavors.”
So far, “people have just been loving it,” Musset added. “I have tons of regulars that come by.” A soon-to-be-bakery
As the market comes to a close for the season, Mussett is looking toward a larger business venture: her own bakery. She has already secured a lease for the space next to the Coffee Apothecary and Mary Jane’s Home Cooking, in the space of the former bike shop, Gearing Up Taos.
“It’s going to be a nice spot where people can get their coffee from the Coffee Apothecary, then scoot over to my place. And I’ll have like freshly baked sweet treats, gallettes, scones — all sorts of those little small bites — and then I’ll just have an awesome selection of breads,” Mussett said.
There will also be tables inside where customers can sit and enjoy their breads and pastries. “I definitely intend to keep it fresh and interesting,” she said.
“With my products, I am going for quality and flavor. And, you know, as locally-sourced as possible,” she added. “I’m not looking for the cheapest flower, or the cheapest ingredients.”
Mussett hopes her approach to baking will bring all who choose to seek good bread and pastries into her “club” — “It’s a club where everyone is welcome,” she said.
Overall, Musset said she has gathered a large following of bread club members.
“It makes people smile, so I’m sticking with it,” she said.