The Pastry Case Is a Neighborhood Document

Nadia Brandt

Pastry Chef & Bakery Owner

Portland, OR

I opened Fold Bakehouse in 2019 with one deck oven and a sourdough starter I have kept alive since culinary school. We are known for laminated pastry built on Pacific Northwest fruit — marionberry, Italian prune plum, quince from a neighbour's tree. Before Fold I ran the pastry program at a 120-seat restaurant, which taught me how to plate under pressure. Owning a bakery taught me something harder: how to build a schedule people can actually live inside. I speak often about wage structure and daylight hours in bakery work.