Baro is an artisanal sourdough bakery in Pererenan. Time slows down when you walk through the doors—it is a sourdough pace. We have had the pleasure of supplying Baro products in our stores for a while and decided it was time for a longer catch-up with Baro founder Emerson. I wanted to know what led him to focus on sourdough and about the challenges of baking in Bali.
Emerson tells me he started baking on the night shift at a Michelin-starred restaurant in New York, building skills in discipline and speed whilst looking for inspiration and a calling. The fine dining environment was intense, with long hours and repetitive tasks that did not allow for much learning or innovation. Emerson moved to California where he went to culinary school, learned to do pastry and then joined Tartine in the Bay Area. Here, at this renowned bakery, and under the guidance of a master baker, he started to develop his creativity and passion for baking.
Emerson recalls: I started to slow it down and appreciate the product and the craft. The environment was laid-back, and I could focus on technique. Partly, it’s because sourdough is your boss. As one of my mentors told me, you can’t force it, you have to be patient and the process is not predictable.
Happenstances and family first brought Emerson to Bali in 2016, where he started Starter Lab with his then partner. Starter Lab was named after sourdough starter; a fermentation mixture that captures wild yeast and bacteria from the environment. Unlike baking yeast, which provides a quick rise, a sourdough starter requires a longer fermentation process, resulting in a more complex and tangy taste, rendering the gluten protein digestible and unlocking the nutrients in the grain.
In 2016 sourdough was still rare in Bali and Starter Lab relied mainly on wholesale orders from restaurants and direct sales at a local market. Ingredients were also challenging as the flour available in Indonesia was white and overbleached. Starter Lab experimented with bran, sorghum, oats, molasses and porridge to enrich the white flour. If any of you remember Starter Lab, they did a really fine job of this too! Emerson recounts that unpredictable supplies stimulated his creative juices and made him a better baker.
Emerson has poured Michelin-star discipline, Tartine expertise and coal-face experience of Bali realities into the opening of Baro bakery in December 2021. In the meantime, ancient grains and quality wheat from Australia, Canada, Russia and Ukraine are much more accessible in Indonesia. These ancient grains, such as sorghum, rye, spelt, and khorasan, have a higher nutrient and fibre content and are the base of many Baro creations.
I tell Emerson I observed him once during a sourdough pizza party at Baro. The bakery was packed, the pizza was incredible, and the demand was endless. Emerson stood amid the happy chaos, feeding pizza into the oven with total calm and focus. Emerson reflected that he found his zone baking sourdough and the heat of the oven contributes to a trance, doing what he loves.
It’s a feeling we can relate to, sitting in the calm of Baro. Ancient grain sourdough is an old story, one of patience, nurture and the delicate balance between earth and air. That day, while I love Baro’s delicate pastries and laminates, I ate two slices of ancient grain sourdough with butter, savoring the tangy aroma of the fermentation, the chewy texture of the gluten and the contrast of the crisp exterior.
We recommend a visit to Baro. If you are not in the area, some Baro products are available in Bali Direct Stores in Pererenan, Batu Bolong and Umalas. We stock a larger selection of Baro products online and these are available for delivery anywhere in Bali. 
