Up at the Bake of Dawn

It's 4:30 am on a Sunday, a time when most people are hours away from starting their day. But, if you're a baker you have batters to make, dough to proof and bread to load into the oven, there's no time to snooze the alarm. Michelle Vernier does it all with no recipes, timers, or assistants.

Vernier hasn't always been a baker, it wasn't until 15 years ago when she traded in late nights on the line too early, quiet mornings covered in flour. She said her early bedtime can be difficult for her night-owl son, she takes the weekend baking shifts when he is at his dad's house to ensure she can get the sleep she needs, and during the week they can spend time together.

Vernier started Bella's Italian Bakery in 2015, her goal with opening the brick and mortar store was to create a space similar to the Italian bakeries and markets she loved during her time on the East Coast. Along with that came creating recipes the way her Italian grandmother did. Vernier adds tomato sauce to the focaccia dough to make pizzas.

Vernier thinks Sfogliatella is the most unique pastry they bake, "I think we're the only ones in Portland that do these," she said. The classic Italian pastry combines light and crispy dough with semolina and ricotta filling in the shape of lobster tails. Before giving them to the customer they are dusted with a sprinkling of powdered sugar for the finishing touch.

Even with the 4:30 arrival to the bakery, a lot of prep has to be completed ahead of time. Nearly all of Vernier's doughs need to ferment or proof overnight. For her Sourdough, the dough is prepped the evening before, rolled in oats and left to rest in covered bamboo baskets. Vernier places the loaves on floured boards before putting them in the oven.

While some may think that the perk of owning a bakery would be eating the leftovers, Vernier said she often does not want to eat what she makes. Instead, most nights she just wants a bowl of soup. But, if she is going to eat one of her pastries it is going to be a fruit tart. This season they are filled with pears but in the summers they are full of local berries.