2024-07-19 01:18:28
“Our friends laugh at us for going to bed at eight in the evening,” say the bakers who opened an experience bakery in Ostrava’s Poruba district at the end of last year. Kristýna Lysková and Andrea Urbišová bet on their “deliciousness” and teach Ostrava residents that baked goods can also be an experience.
Hlavní trída, where the Blaho bakery is located, is one of the backbone streets of the Ostrava part of Poruba. The locals nickname it “Champs-Élysées” for a reason. In the 1950s, the Parisian boulevard of the same name was the inspiration for the construction of Poruba, which was to become a showcase of socialist realism.
“During my studies, I moved to different places around Ostrava, but Poruba fell in love with me. It’s quiet here and there’s a lot of greenery,” says Kristýna Lysková, adding that if there’s anything missing in Poruba, it’s new gastro concepts. On Hlavní třída you will find different looking businesses. The experiential bakery stands out among them with its minimalist appearance. In the gray window there are only black and white bags of flour that bakers use in their products.
Blaho opened in December last year. “That month was more like a test. We were figuring out how much to bake, and the opener,” says Andrea Urbišová. But even before that, they locked themselves in the bakery and tried which ingredients were the best. In the end, the combination of stone-ground Italian flour and French butter won out.
“We do everything together”
The young women, who already had a lot of experience in gastronomic businesses, threw themselves into the business with vigor and determination. “We finance everything ourselves. We invested the most in the equipment of the bakery. We would like to fine-tune the store, but progress can be seen. Regular customers report when they notice that we have added something here,” Kristýna smiles.
“We do everything together. We get up at three, because the most work is in the morning. Before everything is baked, decorated, and then delivered. We take turns at the store and later we prepare the dough for the next day,” adds colleague and friend Andrea.
“We try to change the flavors depending on the season. For example, a summer cube with peach and jasmine,” says Andrea. | Photo: Jiří Zerzoň
At first impression, it’s a fragrant job, at the second it’s a nice routine – and not just because of getting up early. Young women haul twenty-five-kilogram bags of flour and make the dough. Fortunately, machines already help them with the whole process – a professional mixer, a kneader and a dough roller. Even so, there is more than enough work for four hands.
For inspiration in Copenhagen
What is the biggest hit in the bakery is said to be difficult to determine. “New products always sell the most. We try to change the flavors depending on the season. For example, a summer cube with peach and jasmine,” says Andrea. “We personally like cakes very much. The one with currants is the best for me,” adds Kristýna, adding that she still has one eaten since breakfast. However, snails are especially popular. They can be filled and decorated in many ways. It is creativity and aesthetics that attract customers at first glance.
They look for inspiration abroad and at home. Before she and Blah started, they took a trip to Copenhagen, where they planned to go around and try 20 cafes and bakeries. In the end, however, it was said that it was not in their power to visit all of them. “We are always looking at some recipes and videos. Inspiration is everywhere. We like, for example, how Josef Maršálek plays beautifully with herbs,” says Andrea.
Those who want to find out what Blaho tastes like don’t have to go all the way to Poruba. The bakers collaborate with various cafes in the center and also appear at local farmers’ markets.
“Even during the Colors of Ostrava festival, we will be delivering to the cafe U Černého stromu, the Essko espresso bar and the newly opened espresso bar Lajka žieve. On Saturday, we will also be at Havlíčková nábřeží, where the Trhy, what is wanted is held. They have a beautiful atmosphere and she recommended I would go there as soon as possible, they are really very popular,” says Kristýna. They also live in the markets near the Futurum shopping center.
During the music festival, coffee from Essko will also be offered in Blah. “It’s our first summer overall, so we don’t know how it’s going to be,” adds Andrea with a smile. But those who look, and also those who hurry, because it is sold out quickly, will find Blaho in Ostrava.