“Everyone's sourdough is different”

What Steven asked Katalin Takács, baker and owner of Mrs Sourdough Bakery in Chatham

While many people have made and developed their own sourdough loaf, Katalin Takács took it to the next level. She turned it into a business. Now, Mrs Sourdough Bakery and cafe in Chatham Intra arguably makes the best bread in Medway. Steven met her there to discuss what brought her to the UK, what makes something sourdough, and whether getting enough sleep as a baker is possible.

Katalin Takács

What is your occupation?
I am the business owner of Mrs Sourdough Bakery.

Do you have any other additional roles, paid or unpaid?
I am the laundry woman, the cleaning lady, the accountant, my own personal assistant, a barista sometimes, a baker, a pastry chef. We do everything here. Obviously not everything on my own because it's not possible, but I am able to do it. From top to the bottom here I can do everything. Everything is my own recipe.

What's the difference between sourdough and regular dough?
So, sourdough doesn't include yeast. They call it wild yeast, but I don't like to use it because if I'm talking to someone, and if I say wild yeast and the wild is gone, and they just can hear yeast, and the sourdough doesn't include yeast, so no, it doesn't. I don't use that word, so it's sourdough. You can use different flour, which can make a difference, but I use organic. But even if I would give you sourdough, everything, and you would do the same method at home, your bread never would be the same like mine. Because you have your environment and that's why it's another beautiful thing with it. Everyone's sourdough is different. If you see our bags, it's water, flour, and sea salt, and nothing else. There are no additives in there, and it's fermented. During the fermentation, the sugar content of the wheat breaks down, so if someone has diabetes, they can have it. Personally, I like sourdough. Some people don’t like the taste.

Where were you born?
I was born in Budapest.

What brought you to the UK?
In 2017, my friend lived in the UK. I was feeling off with things in Hungary, and she encouraged me to come here, and I was here. I worked for an estate agent for roughly three years, and then I wanted to move out from London.

What brought you to Medway?
I moved to Maidstone, and when I was looking for a shop, I found this one in Chatham, but I was still living in Maidstone. After I separated from my husband I moved to Rochester, about five minutes from here, which is very handy. I don't like wasting time with travelling.

Did you enjoy school?
I did. I was a good student, had good grades, and had no clue what I wanted to be. I have a few skills. I started baking sourdough because when we moved, there was a cafe where we used to live in London, and I bought the sourdough. Then we moved here to Maidstone, and I didn't find anywhere. I said, okay, I'm doing my own, and here I am. I'm not a baker, and I wanted to go to a kind of school, but covid came. I wanted to go to France to find a school and then it didn't happen. Then I was pregnant. I am a self-taught baker, but I have two friends, one in Dublin and one in Bournemouth. They both have their own bakeries and they helped me a lot. I went there, I spent a few days there, and they showed me a lot of things.

How would you describe (Hungarian Prime Minister) Victor Orbán?
He ruined the country, unfortunately, and that's why a lot of people… When I came here, I had a job, and I wasn’t in a situation where I had to leave. Some people were in the situation. I wasn't. But because, for example, a lot of nurses, doctors, they're really good, educated people, they love the country. Also a lot of educated people left the country and started here working in McDonalds or something like that. Then, by time, obviously, when they have good language skills, they could start to work with their skills. Yeah, unfortunately, it's very... Everything is so expensive there. It's sad.

How would you describe the political situation in Hungary?
In the very first place, it's a really beautiful country and it's really worth visiting, but living there nowadays it's much worse than when I came here. I came here seven years ago, and unfortunately, the government steals all of the money, just takes more and more money. He wants to set up the kingdom again. He wants to be a king. It’s just horrible.

What is your average day like?
It depends on the day, but Monday, I try to put the orders and organise the orders for the people that we supply. I come in after. I have a son, he's two and a half. I'm on my own with him, a challenge (laughs). Monday, I drop him off at nursery. I come here to work. It’s an easier day. Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday, a nanny comes to my house early in the morning. I come in and bake the bread.

What time are you getting into work?
Those days I'm coming at 3, 4 in the morning. I'm rushing home because the nanny has to leave because she looks after another boy. Then I get ready with my son, drop him off at nursery and then I come back to work. Friday and Saturday I come here at 1 in the morning. On Friday’s I don’t have help. We have a new baker who is here on Wednesday and Thursdays. I just had my very first Wednesday when I didn’t have to come in early. It's a big change for us. I’m working pretty much six days a week.