About Me
Hi! My name is Allie
Hi! Thank you for visiting my website. My name is Allison but most people call me “Allie.” I was born and raised in Woodland Hills, California and moved to Austin, Texas in 2009. I grew up helping my mom cook and bake by standing on chairs so I was tall enough to reach the kitchen counter. She was always eager to try a new flavor and most meals were experiments. I definitely get my culinary curiosity from her!
Many of my favorite childhood memories involve food, particularly those I ate with family around the table on Jewish holidays. So, it came as no surprise when I told my family in 2021 that I was opening a small Jewish bakery in my home kitchen. My plan was to keep it simple and nostalgic and make sure that every bite tasted like a memory. #tasteslikeamemory
Baking My Dreams Come True
I have been baking for as long as I can remember. However, my BubaLux bakery story begins with a babka. Growing up, I actually never ate a babka and honestly didn’t even know what one was until Seinfeld taught me in the 90s. Challah and rugelach were staples in my family but not Babka.
In 2020, as we were in the midst of a pandemic, home bakers began emerging everywhere. I don’t think there has even been that much sourdough bread baked at once. While everyone started baking sourdough, I decided to master the babka. It was the perfect challenge. I really got lost in the dough and had so much fun playing around with the endless flavor opportunities. As I shared each bake with friends, one after the other exclaimed, “you’ve got to sell these!”
Once I launched into full baking fanatic mode, I looked to my family to see what I should make next. I asked them which traditional foods and flavors brought back memories. Topping the favorites list was Challah – braided, knotted, round, stuffed, seeded, sweet and some with raisins (not for me, though).
Having only made challah a few times before, I was pleasantly surprised to see that Challah is totally manageable and very satisfying to bake. What is more, my journey baking challah every week led me down a road I wasn’t expecting. It helped me heal my broken heart and discover my place in the kitchen.
Baking As Therapy
My cousin Paul died in November 2020. We shared a love of good food and never opposed eating dessert first. As I navigated my grief, I continually found myself in the kitchen baking more than I ever had. When I was baking, there was little else I could think about because I was so focused on getting the recipe right. And when I completed a bake, the joy it brought to those I shared with healed me one smile and “this is delicious” as a time. Baking was making me happier than I ever was and it was also reconnecting me to my Jewish heritage.
Every week, I made it a point to call Paul’s mom and check on her. With a fresh loaf of bread and a glass of wine on the table, we talked for hours, often mostly about the past. My Aunt Iris introduced me to my ancestors one story, and recipe, at a time. To this day, every week on Shabbat, we talk about family and food. I call this weekly journey to my roots, 1,000 stories with Aunt Iris.
Baking The World a Better Place
As the months passed, I continued to bake and cook foods that brought back so many memories, building up a menu for my little bakery. On June 4, 2021, on what would have been Paul’s 49th birthday, I launched my bakery with a popup at Water2Wine in Buda, Texas. In Paul’s memory, I donated 49% of my profits from that night to the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society. I continue to give back by donating a percentage of my profits from each popup to a charity.
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