Dream Bakery

Dream Bakery

Written by Rachel Youens Wednesday, 07 February 2007

Chemist-turned-baker makes Persian treats

To Azar Owlia a job change from college professor to bakery owner was a natural transition. After all, chemistry and cooking aren’t so different.

Owlia taught chemistry in Iran for years before moving to the University of Texas at Galveston to work on colon cancer research.

“It had always been my dream to own a bakery, but I didn’t have the money, and I didn’t speak English,” Owlia said. “I was finally able to apply for retirement with UT, and I used that money to open Dream Bakery. I called it that because it was my dream.”

Handling the construction, the health inspections and the city code all with a language barrier and no experience were some of the hardest parts for Owlia.

“God helped me along the way by sending me people who could help me,” Owlia said. “My daughter is an interior designer who helped me furnish the shop, my son works with computers and was able to help me make a Web site.”

The bakery’s proximity to the Le Cordon Bleu and Texas Culinary Academy cooking school provided the talented chefs, who bustle around the kitchen in tall white hats with floury hands.

Dream Bakery specializes in European cakes, which are lighter with a whipped frosting that’s less sweet. However, all of Azar’s recipes are distinctive because she blends European style with her own Iranian background.

“I used to make an Iranian pastry stuffed with ground beef. Later on I realized it was very much like kolaches, which are popular in central Texas. I’ve started making my own kolache recipes like spinach and ricotta or potato curry,” Owlia said.

In the glass pastry cases, Persian treats bump up against classical French and Italian ones. Naaneh Asali, an almond honey bar, and Pofakeh Gerrdu, a walnut macaroon cookie are two of the bakery’s shirini, Persian for sweets.

“A lot of what we carry are items customers can’t find at other places, or can’t find fresh or traditionally made, Chocolate Mousse and Éclairs, for example,” she said.

The cakes are Dream Bakery’s crown jewel, and whether it’s for a wedding or a retirement party, their bakers create cakes that are far from the average grocery store sheet cake.

“I’m never scared to try something new, and I’m always willing to sit down with people and listen to their ideas,” Owlia said. “My favorite part of owning a bakery is connecting with people and being able to chit chat with customers.”

Persian Sweets

All Persian sweets are known as shirini, beyond that they are divided into Shirini Tar, wet, and Shirini Khoshk, dry.

Bastani - ice cream in flavors such as rose water, orange blossom and saffron

Falodeh - a shredded white pudding soaked in lemon juice

Baklava - flaky phyllo pastry around chopped nuts covered in honey

Ghotab - A pastry native to the Iranian oasis city of Yadz, uses the spice cardamon which is similar to cinnamon or clove

Noon Khamei - Cream puff

Dream Bakery, 9422 Anderson Mill Road, Ste. B, 219-1235 • www.mydreambakery.biz

0 Comments