When you grow up with bread and pastries all around you, it is easy to see why you might want to return to those warm and delectable tastes and aromas.
Growing up in Switzerland with two bakeries within walking distance, Nicolas Thommen of the Northern Bread Haus admits there was always bread on the table.
But he never expected to wake in the wee hours of the morning to make it for a living when he was playing hockey.
At age 19, Thommen immigrated to Canada to play hockey for Laurentian University while majoring in Motion Picture Arts and Minoring in Theatre Arts and Indigenous Studies.
Upon finishing school, he dabbled in the industry and painted homes until the pandemic hit and he had time on his hands.
“My girlfriend bought me a Kitchen Aid mixer for Christmas,” he said. “I started to pick up on baking a lot more. One or two loaves at a time. When all those people were making sourdough bread to find purpose during the lockdowns, I was one of them.”
He bakes on site at his duplex in the Flour Mill with a commercial kitchen inspected by Public Health Sudbury and Districts.
Thommen swears by the longer fermentation time, as he believes the product is easier to digest and has a delicious taste that many say is crustier and not available anywhere else in the city. He adds that the bread also has a very good shelf life.
Thommen is four months into selling his breads at the Sudbury Market. Already he has a string of regular customers who come weekly for everything from sourdough pizza dough, focaccia, chocolate chip cookies and loaves of bread.
“There were only two days I took two loaves of bread home with me. Both were due to bad weather, so I will consider that a success,” he says.
He adds that many European customers have habitually visited the market or the Nickel Refillery (where he also sells his products) on the weekly to get their sourdough fix.
Thommen’s favourite is the multi seeded loaf, while customers enjoy the classic loaf.
Papaya Pops in Chelmsford has even developed an ice pop with his sourdough chocolate chip cookies called “milk and cookies.”
Thommen says the future is wide open for the Northern Bread Haus.
With the market being available year round, he will continue there and look for new ways to adapt and grow his business starting with some new equipment and a possible storefront so people can get fresh sourdough products any day of the week.
Thommen can be found at his website.
Northern Bread Haus is also on Instagram at northernbreadhaus.
Thommen sells his bread Thursdays 2-6 p.m. and Saturday 9 a.m. - 2 p.m. at the Sudbury Market.
The Nickel Refillery also sells his bread on Fridays.
Anastasia Rioux is a writer in Greater Sudbury. Let’s Eat! is made possible by our Community Leaders Program.
