Pune man quits job to be taught bread-making in Japan, opens distinctive Bakery

The aroma of freshly baked bread coming from a modest albeit barely hidden bakery in Pune by no means fails to tempt me to cease for a loaf or attempt some heat desserts.

Tokyo bakery, because the identify suggests, affords most likely the softest Japanese bread that I’ve had the great fortune of attempting.

Began by Rahul and Arundhati Deo in 2017, the bakery affords a variety of Japanese bread that claims to be chemical-free, “with none components or preservatives” and, in fact, all the time contemporary from the oven.

Japanese loaf, melon pan, anpan, curry bread and custard bun are among the conventional Japanese bread provided at this bakery together with 14 different variants.

However what’s attention-grabbing to notice is that neither of the companions is a baker or ever have been.

After graduating as an electronics engineer from Pune, Rahul spent about 13 years within the IT trade. His curiosity in studying the Japanese language in 1990 ultimately paved a path to grow to be a profitable baker as we speak.

“After graduating, I attempted doing a enterprise within the subject of electronics. Sooner or later, I discovered individuals lining up in entrance of an institute which acquired me curious. They have been queueing up for programs in a international language,” Rahul says.

Breaking the language boundaries

With the need to be taught a language that doesn’t require using English letters, Rahul signed as much as be taught Japanese. “My curiosity within the topic grew. Through the years, utilizing digital parts like chips and different supplies, I realised, typically got here with Japanese specs. So, I assumed it might be a good suggestion to be taught the language of a rustic that’s technologically superior,” he provides.

After finding out Japanese for 3 years, Rahul bagged a job in Fujitsu in Pune.

Given his proficient language abilities, the corporate provided him the chance to journey to Japan. The IT skilled then married and made Japan his residence from 1997 till 2008.

“In June 2008, we determined to return to India for good, and I joined an IT firm in Pune. However the recession hit and made the scenario worse. I made a decision to give up and proceed working as a advisor with Japanese corporations,” Rahul says.

However over time, he realised that he missed the freshly baked gentle bread of Japan. “There are neighborhood bakeries in Japan which might be very fashionable. In India, when individuals fall unwell, docs typically discourage sufferers from consuming bread, however in Japan, the docs ask sufferers to cease consuming rice and alter their food regimen to incorporate bread. The bread I ate right here from the grocery retailer was stale and pumped with chemical compounds like emulsifiers, preservatives and stabilisers,” he provides.

Holding a everlasting resident visa, Rahul determined to discover alternatives in Japan. “I additionally thought that I might possibly be taught baking bread, too, for private pursuits,” he says.

Little did the IT skilled know that the journey would change his life completely.

Baking my bread and consuming it too

Rahul flew to Japan and likewise managed to discover a job. Throughout one among his conferences with a buddy, he was launched to a 75-year-old girl named Soho Nakano.

“Soho Sensei (trainer in Japanese) is a painter, and she or he was intrigued by the truth that an Indian visited a conventional portray workshop. Throughout our talks, I expressed curiosity in studying to bake bread amongst different matters of debate,” Rahul says.

Soho additionally requested to rearrange a cross-cultural examine tour of her 20 college students in India. “All of us flew collectively for an India tour in 2014 and everybody complained concerning the bread they consumed, even in five-star resorts,” Rahul says.

Soho then suggested Rahul to attempt baking good bread in India. “I agreed, and she or he organized a five-day coaching session with the famend baker Tsunetaka Kawakami,” Rahul says.

After 4 months of his newly acquired job in Japan, he give up and returned to India with a will to make the very best Japanese bread.

However six months of effort nonetheless wasn’t sufficient for Rahul to get the bread proper. “I assumed it was the substances like water, flour, yeast and salt which have been completely different right here,” he says.

To check his idea, Rahul despatched some flour to one among his Japanese pals. “The bread got here out properly. The water and yeast have been the one figuring out elements for the gentle dough, I assumed,” he says.

Again to fundamentals

In 2015, annoyed along with his failed makes an attempt, Rahul flew to Japan decided to get his bread proper. “I reached out to the baker Kawakami and carried Indian substances this time. The bread turned out superbly. Recognising my ardour, the baker provided me a job,” he provides.

The IT professional-turned-baker says he was provided a beneficiant wage and was even made to deal with enterprise abroad together with studying baking.

Having all the time labored in an workplace atmosphere and following a sedentary life-style, Rahul immediately discovered himself standing all day, working the dough.

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“After every week of taking the job, I began getting adverse ideas. I felt prefer it was a flawed resolution,” Rahul says, including that he slowly acquired accustomed to the brand new atmosphere.

After eight months of studying all the abilities and documenting notes with the smallest of particulars required for baking, he returned in January 2016. “Regardless of all makes an attempt, I failed once more,” Rahul says.

Arundhati, his companion who works as a Life Insurance coverage Company agent, additionally tried her palms at getting the dough proper. “Rahul shared his notes and methods about his learnings. We modified strategies, experimented, however the bread was nowhere near promoting it to the purchasers,” Arundhati says.

Inviting the consultants

Arundhati says that her husband even considered importing the flour to make the bread however that may be an impractical selection.

Rahul had virtually given up assuming he would by no means be capable of bake good Japanese bread. That’s when one other alternative offered itself.

“Kawakami invited me to Japan for a tv shoot for a manufacturing firm who needed to movie him instructing a foreigner. However, simply then I shared an thought inviting the crew and Kawakami to India for the shoot as an alternative,” Arundhati says.

Thankfully, the events agreed, and in October 2016 a venue was booked, to rearrange for the shoot.

Rahul says although the events determined to go to India, he didn’t have any tools. “I roamed town seeking renting out an oven, shopping for tools, moulds and different bakery gadgets required for the setup. After getting the whole lot in place an evening earlier than the crew’s arrival and welcoming 60 visitors, the four-hour shoot was a hit,” the baker says.

“It was unbelievable to see Kawakami baking lovely bread with all Indian substances. It appeared like he conjured about 15 sorts of bread like a magician straight out of the oven,” Rahul says.

The couple then purchased a industrial oven and with extra learnings from the baker, labored for the subsequent quarter, perfecting their bread.

The rising of the bread

“In 4 years, we failed a whole lot of instances earlier than we began sharing it with pals. Slowly, they began paying us and have become our preliminary clients. Phrase unfold and Japanese expats began shopping for from us too. On a very good day we baked 100 loaves of bread for the purchasers,” Rahul says.

By June 2017, the couple had a gentle stream of shoppers however the considered opening a bakery by no means occurred to them till Rahul’s Soho trainer known as him.

“Soho turned interested in my progress and known as to inquire. My trainer was shocked to know that after years of studying to bake, I didn’t personal a bakery. She additionally knowledgeable me about her journey with 23 college students to India,” Rahul says.

He provides that she additionally expressed it to be her dying want to see his bakery. “Soho is a motherly determine to me, and she or he needed me to have my skilled setup,” Rahul says.

It was rather less than three months that the couple rushed by means of the whole lot from discovering the best tools to scale the merchandise commercially and discovering a spot.

After a lot wrestle, a buddy ended the hunt for his or her bakery by providing his store to Rahul in a residential township at Bhugaon, about 15 km from Pune.

On 11 September 2017, the Deo household with Soho and her Japanese college students inaugurated the Tokyo bakery.

The bakery began doing properly by incomes Rs 1 lakh a month, which helped keep the enterprise. For the subsequent six months, the couple swept the flooring, baked loaves of bread, cleaned the dishes and bought the merchandise by themselves.

What’s subsequent?

By October 2019, with two well-trained employees, the workforce of 4 moved to Baner to arrange a extra industrial area to enhance the enterprise multifold. The couple bought bread to Mumbai and Ahmedabad and some from the Japanese neighborhood each fortnight.

All of the orders are at the moment made by means of phrase of mouth because the bakery has no web site or social media web page for promotion.

Arundhati says her expertise of taking Indian meals cooking courses in Japan helped her to standardise the recipes. “Breaking down the methods helped to coach the employees. The standard of flour differs in every batch in India and diversifications must be made accordingly. This comes by means of expertise,” Arundhati tells The Higher India.

Rahul provides that the bread recipe has developed to go well with the Indian palate. “There may be additionally a notion amongst Indians {that a} bakery means cake. To cater to those calls for, we’ve got lately launched desserts and pastries,” he provides.

The couple plans to coach their youthful son, Parth, in Japanese pastry-making within the coming 12 months as properly. “He expresses curiosity in baking and desires to experiment with pastries and is heading in direction of that path,” Rahul provides, expressing that his final want is to have a bakery cafe. “I think about having a 1,000 sq toes area the place individuals can sit and benefit from the bread and sandwiches with drinks. I need Arundhati to experiment with new bread, and I’ll give attention to advertising and marketing.”

(Edited by Yoshita Rao)

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