Meet the Bread Sommelière Who Can Make Your Bread (Sell) Better
Lara Schütz, a Romanian-Austrian master baker, is one of the first specialists who helps artisanal and industrial bakers explain to the consumers how their bread products fit in their meals and what they should be paired with. Just as one would with wine.
Lara Schütz was born and raised in Romania and she trained to be an English language teacher. Eleven years ago, while working in Canada, she started becoming interested in sourdough bakery so, when she moved to Austria a little later, she decided to completely change her career. She took the traditional craft route established in Austria for centuries: she went to school, worked as an apprentice, learned the trade and eventually became a master baker – a highly specialized professional in a very conservative guild. That opened the door to becoming a bread sommelière, a qualification only available to master bakers. She had to take a year-long course in Germany at the famed Weinheimer Academy and ace very strict exams in order to become a qualified expert in the taste and textures of baked goods.
Now she helps bakeries across Europe – from Croatia to Romania, from Bosnia to Hungary, as well as in Germany and Austria – to become attuned to the new tastes of today’s customers, to explain better what they do and to present their products in a way that does justice to the efforts involved in creating them. As an ambassador for bread, she also translated the Weinheimer Academy’s Bread Language Guide into Romanian, to help the bustling artisanal bakery scene in her home country up its game.
We asked Lara how does a bread sommelière work with bakers and what should a bakery expect from her when she enters their doors.
EBB:
Lara, your journey from a career in another field to becoming a Master Baker and then a Bread Sommelière is quite unique. Could you tell us how this all started for you?
Lara Schütz:
My adventure with baking began about 11 years ago. I had a career change and decided to dive into the world of bread. I went through all the stages required to become a baker in Austria. I started as an apprentice, continued with more advanced education, and finally became a Master Baker. Before obtaining this title it was a year of intense preparation, but the ultimate goal was always to become a Bread Sommelière.
EBB:
A Bread Sommelière—it sounds fascinating! Most people associate sommeliers with wine. What does being a Bread Sommelière entail? What skills do you need?
Lara Schütz:
There are indeed many parallels between the wine and the bread sommelier. Fun fact, I’m also a Beer Sommelière, and it’s fascinating to observe the deep connections between bread and beer, due to the fact that they share a common history. And I think this is what the Bread Sommelier program teaches us, not only about flavors and fermentation, but also about the history of bread and the greater socio-economic context that fostered its evolution. We learn to appreciate bread’s cultural significance and its journey as a product through the hands of bakers and into the public sphere. In terms of skills, you need to know your trade, and that means that the more experience you have as a baker, the easier it is to go smoothly through this really challenging education program. Beyond that, you need to train your senses in order to be able to feel and describe all the fine nuances bread can offer. Let´s note that you start describing the bread from outside to the inside. The sommelier needs to be able to describe the crust of the bread, not only its appearance, but also its smell. Then, you cut the bread and analyze the sound the crust makes, before continuing with the crumb, which has to be described as well. How does the crumb look like, how does it feel when you touch it, what color is it, how does it smell, how does it feel when you bite and chew it, what flavors do you feel in your mouth and how do they evolve? All these elements are part of the sensory evaluation of bread, whether you do this in order to improve a recipe, or during a bread tasting event where you carefully guide your public through this labyrinth of aromas and textures.
EBB:
So, you don’t just focus on the bread as it exists today but also on its history and how it evolves within a bakery. That must involve a lot of discussion with bakers about tradition and innovation.
Lara Schütz:
Absolutely! When I consult with bakeries, I focus on both the flavor and the story behind the bread. Furthermore, these discussions keep being of importance when we do bread tastings, similar to wine tastings, where we present different types of bread to the public. For sure, this is more of a hedonistic approach, trying to bring the bread closer to the customer by explaining the flavors and the ingredients, the fermentation process, the flour used, or even spices. But also the story and the history of those breads need to be told and are an important part of any such event. In order for the sommelier to tell them,the first step is to talk to the baker. In a way, this whole process is a full circle that starts with the baker, is mediated by the sommelier, and closes with the customer.
EBB:
I imagine you must encounter a wide range of challenges in your consultancy work. What kind of problems do bakeries typically come to you with?
Lara Schütz:
It really depends on the bakery. Many of my clients have inherited their businesses from their parents, so they want to modernize the portfolio without losing their heritage. These days, customers are more health-conscious, looking for more fiber or lighter, artisanal products. Younger generations are also very influenced by social media, so they’re interested in trying new styles they see online. Some of my clients may want to appeal to these newer trends, while others are focused on preserving traditional methods.
EBB:
That balance between tradition and modernization must be tricky. Do bakers ever resist your suggestions for change?
Lara Schütz:
Oh, absolutely! It’s human nature to resist change. But in the end, it’s all about finding the right balance. I bring my ideas, but it’s always up to the baker to decide what’s best for their business. It’s not about being right—it’s about doing what’s right for the customer and for the baker. Through constant discussions, fine-tuning, and respect for their philosophy, we usually come up with the best results.
EBB:
You’ve worked in so many different countries, from Austria to Romania to Bosnia. How do you approach working with such different bread cultures?
Lara Schütz:
That’s one of the most challenging yet exciting parts of my job. Every country has its own bread culture, and even within a single country, tastes can vary drastically. Take Romania, for example. I was born there and thought I knew the local bread culture inside out, but it’s evolved so much in recent years. Similarly, Sarajevo is a very multicultural city with influences from Western Europe. French baking, for example, is becoming more prominent everywhere, from Vienna to Sarajevo. As a Master Baker and Bread Sommelière, I need to understand these influences and help bakeries navigate the balance between tradition and global trends.
EBB:
French baking is a big influence globally, with products like croissants and baguettes appearing everywhere. What do you think of this?