Bread, seemingly so simple, has a way of capturing our imagination. Just four ingredients — flour, water, salt and yeast — perform differently in the hands of each baker. For Arturo Enciso, it was a wood-fired cob oven that sparked his interest and launched him on the journey to Gusto Bread. His story may have begun with a loaf of sourdough, but these days the racks at Gusto are lined with conchas, and the smell of masa lingers in the air. Together with his partner Ana Salatino, Enciso shares his story from backyard cottage bakery to Long Beach panaderia in this week’s “In the Weeds.”
Arturo Enciso takes a spin on traditional Breton kouign amann by adding masa, something he calls a “Nixtamal Queen.” Photo courtesy of Gusto Bread.
Enciso hoped to perfect his concha to the versions his father grew up eating as a child. Photo courtesy of Gusto Bread.
