East Bay pop-ups have found a consistent place to land at a few bodegas, boutiques and markets. Of All Places, Honey Bird Market, Island Savoy Market and Morningtide are just a few of the many local hosts. Morningtide recently hit a bump in the road with them and subsequently posted about a county permit issue. Responding to its need for financial assistance, the community contributed to a small fund to offset the unexpected fee.<\/p>\n
Online, people in support of Morningtide\u2019s pop-ups responded with Instagram comments like these: \u201cThe endless hoops small business owners have to jump through to build community and third spaces in our neighborhoods is beyond frustrating!\u201d And, \u201cYou are not a huge corporation, but a small local business. What is the possible reason for such a steep cost for a one-time permit?!\u201d<\/p>\n
At Ayda Algazzali\u2019s Honey Bird Market, the owner also addresses the needs of her community. Algazzali hosts Quiet Earth Coffee on Friday mornings because that part of Alameda\u2019s High Street isn\u2019t packed with caf\u00e9s. But before she started bringing in pop-ups, Algazzali checked in with Celia and Joe Catalino, who own Of All Places, to find out how they operate them out of their location on Solano Avenue. I didn\u2019t ask her if a secret society of bodega owners exists, but there might just be a hotline for those in the know.<\/p>\n
Weiwei Xie\u2019s Haochi Bakery popped up at Honey Bird on a recent Friday. I count both coffee and pastries as neighborhood essentials. I dropped by to try one of Xie\u2019s roti salt breads, which was coated in a coffee crust. Texturally, it\u2019s wonderfully soft and light. Flavor-wise, the bread dexterously manages to balance sweetness and saltiness together. A pleasing, eggy taste is prominent in the dough. And the taste of coffee is subtle and, dare I say it, provides the bread with a kick of umami\u2014that marvelous x-factor\u2014in every bite.<\/p>\n
Xie makes the soft roll in the shape of a puffy croissant, stuffing it with salted butter, but it\u2019s not a laminated pastry. When we spoke on the phone, Xie cited a Malaysian Mexican bun as the source of her inspiration for it. In turn, that bun, according to the internet, was inspired by conchas. But sourdough bread was the real starting point for Haochi Bakery\u2014h\u01ceo ch\u012b \u00a0means \u201cdelicious\u201d in Chinese.<\/p>\n
During both of her pregnancies, Xie experienced gestational diabetes and tested her blood sugar after every meal. After the birth of her first child, she began to really enjoy eating and baking her own sourdough bread. After our interview, Xie followed up with more details. She wrote, \u201cI found that a sourdough bread made with 50% whole wheat flour and 50% bread flour worked really well for me.\u201d This combination didn\u2019t cause her blood sugar to spike as quickly. Xie also became friends with Vivian Mao, a writer and baker. Mao gave Xie a copy of one of her books about baking sourdough bread, which helped her to further develop her own baking skills.<\/p>\n
Xie holds a doctorate in mathematics, runs an export business and is a full-time mother. Opening a cottage bakery, her side hobby, works because Xie can balance the demands of both her family and the bakery. \u201cBetween the drop-off, the pickup and all the activities after school, I can be home working on the dough,\u201d she said. \u201cAnd, at the same time, I can do laundry and plan the day.\u201d<\/p>\n
Since April, Haochi Bakery has held a weekly Hotplate drop, along with occasional pop-ups. Xie\u2019s home bakery is in Hayward and her baked goods can be picked up there when she\u2019s not popping up. At the end of May Xie made four different kinds of sourdough loaves: plain, country, jalape\u00f1o cheddar cheese and ube.<\/p>\n
\u201cFrom my Asian background, I love adding new things to sourdough,\u201d she said. \u201cBread is a very Western thing, right? But I love to add Asian flavors and ingredients, which makes it feel a little different.\u201d Xie added that Chinese bakeries tend to make soft bread with fillings such as red bean paste or custards, saying, \u201cI want to combine the healthy benefits of sourdough and combine them with Asian flavors.\u201d<\/p>\n
Haochi Bakery, check Xie\u2019s Instagram for weekly updates about pop-ups and drops: @haochi_bakery_<\/a>.<\/p>\n