About Me

I first started baking at age 16 while working at a coffee shop outside of Portland, Oregon. In my interview, the owner asked me if I could bake and I said, "...no? Maybe?" My culinary expertise at the time was boxed mac n' cheese. They walked me through a couple of recipes and then set me free to make their regular pastries and whatever else I wanted. I loved it so much that I applied to a baking program at a culinary school, but it was during the 2008 recession and I ultimately decided not to go.

Aside from the occasional cinnamon roll or stab at making bagels, I didn't try baking bread until January 2024. I picked up a sourdough starter from a neighbor and dug in. Bread baking can quickly become an obsession with the endless resources (and opinions) available. A few simple ingredients can turn out wildly different if you don't pay attention, and sometimes even if you do. It has become an exercise in patience, and a creative outlet.

My name comes from my cat, Topaz, who was my most loyal companion throughout my teenage and young adult years. She was the original biscuit maker in the family.