How have you been spending your downtime during this wild pandemic year? Have you tried to make sourdough bread like so many during the first half of the pandemic? Have you started a new project? Start a new business? Well, by happenstance, I came across a home baker who made her first sourdough bread during the pandemic. And then in a matter of a few months started a home bakery business, that as of this writing is barely 8 weeks old. This is the story of Bad Oven in the Triangle.
As with a lot of things in my life, the discovery of the new and humble business named Bad Oven happened first on social media. And coincidentally, Bad Oven’s origin can also be traced to social media. But more on that later!
One of my best friends in North Carolina, Arturo, kept posting about these ube pandesals, on his Instagram. If you don’t know, pandesal or pan de sal are bread rolls common in the Philippines. Only mildly curious, I commented on a recent post of his asking how the pickups of these treats were handled. I knew Bad Oven didn’t have a storefront yet. Arturo’s generous heart responded to my inquiry by driving his last two ube pandesals to me and left it at my door. They came with printed instructions to toast them in the oven for 5 minutes at 375 degrees. And. They. Were. Delicious!
Have you had ube before? It’s a mildly sweet yam that is often used for desserts in Asia. You might have noticed a surge in popularity in White America when Trader Joes started carrying Ube Mochi Pancakes. (I did a tasting of these on Youtube with Sugarface.)
These ube pandesals had an ube filling that was creamy and complemented the fluffy bread so well. What I love about a lot of Asian bread is the sweetness is understated enough to tantalize you to take another bite. And another bite. To chase the elusive sweetness. Consuming one bun (I shared the other with Sugarface), was enough to convince me that I’d love to champion this small business too.
So I reached out to the owner, a Filipina-American woman named Peanut Dela Cruz.
The more I sample, the more I want to tell you about Bad Oven. I’ve since also had her coffee buns, peppermint mocha coffee buns, and her ube white chocolate cookies. ALL were so good.
But who is the baker behind Bad Oven?! And why is her business called Bad Oven?
If you go to her website to order buns and sweets. Hardly two months old, you’ll only see an ordering option. No backstory to be sussed out. Well, I’m here to shed some light on the mystery. Peanut Dela Cruz is the giggly, humble, new business owner behind Bad Oven. She made her first sourdough during the pandemic after being seduced by the Instagram algorithm serving her countless photos of homemade sourdough. She shared her creations and frustrations on Instagram. She said when her creations were not up to par, she blamed her oven. Hence, Bad Oven.
Aren’t you charmed yet?
Enter my amazing friend, Arturo. He happens upon her creations online. And really wants to eat pandesals. So he became her first customer. He kept posting the fluffy buns on his social media and her clientele started to grow. And now here I am, spreading the word too!
How do you get your own fluffy buns?
You can order online and Peanut has weekend pickups are currently at:
- Parkside in Cary
- Brier Creek in Raleigh
- Downtown/Central Park area in Durham.
When you order, please note the pickup date notated on the menu item! It’ll be listed in the item description. Make sure you’re able to pick up in the afternoon of your date selection and viola! You are supporting a small business and soon feeding yourself delicious breakfasts or snacks.
Bad Oven
https://order.badoven.com/
For more content about the Triangle, check out my Ultimate Guide to the Triangle.
Follow my eating adventures and happenings on Instagram. You can also see what is catching my attention in the food world on Twitter and Facebook. If you’re inclined, you can support me and see some behind-the-scenes through Patreon. Oh, and I just launched a Youtube channel!
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