CHICAGO (WBBM NEWSRADIO) — This week’s Made in Chicago features pHlour Bakery and Cafe, a family-run bakery in Edgewater that was battle-tested by the pandemic and came out stronger.
Loaves of bread in ovens stacked four high were hit with a burst of steam to give them a glossy shine.
Paul Wongkamalasi is head baker at pHflour, which has been serving up sourdough, quiche and laminated pastries for eight years.
“Everybody can open a bakery, the key is consistency,” Wongkamalasi said.
That consistency is obvious in the perfectly uniform croissants that line trays in the kitchen on Bryn Mawr. Wongkamalasi knows quality rarely comes quickly.
“Not just business or in the baking world; you cannot cheat time,” Wongkamalasi said. “You’ve got to allow time to do the process, time to do the fermentation … everything has to follow the time.”
To make pHlour’s signature sourdough, he uses a starter that’s at least 15 years old.
“In Belgium, they have a sourdough library,” he said. “They have sourdough starters from all over the world, and they maintain it in a controlled environment.”
The start of the pandemic meant the family worked 12-hour days baking and delivering to wholesale customers.
“It was a test of the family’s togetherness because everybody pitched in,” he said. “Nobody was like ‘Oh, I’m tired, I want to get away.’ COVID helped us, made us stronger.”
Made in Chicago is regular weekly feature that highlights businesses started in Chicago.
Listen to our new podcast Looped In: Chicago
Listen to WBBM Newsradio now on Audacy!
Sign up and follow WBBM Newsradio
Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | TikTok