SAMYRA EGLI IN THE INTERVIEW

Can you briefly introduce yourself?
I am Samyra, 42 years old, I live with my partner and our seven-year-old son in the city of St. Gallen. I've been self-employed with my own little sourdough bakery for almost a year now, I had the idea in the back of my mind for a while, and then everything suddenly happened quickly. That pretty much turned my life upside down, in the best possible way.

The Sauer Bar has been in St. Gallen for a year now. Why exactly sourdough bread?
I got to know and love sourdough in San Francisco in 2015. Since then I've been baking bread at home more or less every week, and it just hasn't let me go. What fascinates me about the craft of sourdough is this sense that you have to develop: you have to be able to read the dough, feel what it needs at the moment. This is a very unique, beautiful work; you don't work on the dough, but with it.

What does a normal working day look like at Sauer Bar? 
Wednesday and Friday are more relaxed: on Wednesdays only dough, on Fridays only baking. Thursday is the only day with both and the only day where the alarm goes off at 5am. On Thursday and Friday I first deliver bread to an organic food store, then off to the store. Sales from 12 p.m. to 6 p.m., then it's closing time. What I actually enjoy most is the whole process: the dough, the feeling that you need to feel what the dough wants. And then the thrill that is still there when the first loaves of bread come out of the oven. Plus the conversations with customers in the store. If someone spontaneously comes over for an aperitif, they'll also be treated to something - I love exactly these moments.

What is the biggest challenge? when baking sourdough bread? 
The biggest challenge is probably that the sourdough reacts to temperature, humidity and the season. You can't just work according to a pattern, you have to get involved with it every day. And because the fermentation and resting times are long, you can't speed things up when things get tight, so you need patience, even if everyday life sometimes works differently.

You often talk about honest bread, no frills. What does this honesty mean to you?
For me, honesty means first and foremost: good products. But it's just as honest not to deceive yourself - when things get tight in the everyday kitchen, I sometimes reach for the ready-made product or order something. For me, this is just as much a part of honesty as the demand for good ingredients.

How do you cook privately as Samyra? And do you have fresh bread every day? 
In my private life, my kitchen usually looks pretty simple: a curry, cheese pancakes, a salad, plus bread, cheese and cold cuts. If visitors come or I have time, I also like to cook a menu. We actually have bread every day, luckily I have a freezer so there is always fresh bread.

Where do you get inspiration and creativity for new things, where do your ideas come from?
My ideas come from my colorful life, from encounters with people, conversations, small moments in everyday life. For me, inspiration is less of a conscious search, but rather occurs incidentally when I am out and about with my eyes open.

What is your son's favorite meal at home?
Fish fingers with creamed spinach and fried potatoes.

You are an entrepreneur, a mother and do a lot of sports. What's your secret to balancing everything? 
There's actually no secret, it's a decision to live my passion. And here I consciously decided to get by with less.

You cooked your favorite recipes with us and why did you choose these 3 dishes?
The whipped butter because it's such a simple thing and I think there's nothing better with fresh sourdough bread. I like to make panzanella when I have leftover bread, a nice way to not waste anything. And I've been baking cinnamon rolls for many years, I just love them, just like my friends and family.

What things are particularly important to you when baking and cooking? 
Good products and time, although the latter is unfortunately not always available in everyday life. But when I have them, that's exactly what makes the difference.

You also have a lot of our dishes in your private life. What appeals to you about enamel and what do you like to use it for?
What convinces me about enamel and Émaé: It is robust, looks beautiful and can go straight from the oven to the table, ideal for me. I prefer to use it for cinnamon rolls, but of course also for breakfast, picnics or snacks with my son and his friends or for serving various dishes.

Which piece and color combination is your favorite and why?
I love the RIM plates and bowls Onyx/Mokka , it also fits our everyday tableware.

Sauer Bar and ÉMAÉ STUDIO share values ​​such as craftsmanship, honesty and community. Where do you see this connection most clearly? 
I see it most clearly in the craftsmanship and honesty. But actually especially Nadia and Ramon, they put just as much love and passion into ÉMAÉ STUDIO as I do into the Sauer Bar. We are also all in similar life situations, with children and business at the same time - that makes the exchange with them particularly exciting. That's what connects us, I would say.

Here are the recipes from Samyra Egli.