Courtesy of Federal Realty and Pike & Rose:
Chef and owner Caroline Yi grew up in MoCo, attended Wootton High School and the University of Maryland at College Park.
This season she has been selling her goods at the Pike & Rose Farm Market, where she has a very loyal following. Yi chose Pike & Rose for her brick and mortar bakery and café because she sees it as the perfect location.
“I knew if and when I opened my first business it had to be in my hometown. After visiting Pike & Rose for the first time, I fell in love with it and knew it was the only place I could picture my bakery and café,” said Yi. “We are creating a place where people will gather for a coffee, a croissant or a meal, where they can pick up a freshly baked baguette after work or where they can find respite from their busy day and catch up with an old friend – kind of a home away from home.”
When Sunday Morning Bakehouse opens in the summer of 2019, guests will find Yi’s signature pastries such as: traditional croissants that are handmade with French butter over a three-day process; brioche donuts filled with seasonal homemade jam; and her newest, one of a kind crowd-pleaser, twice baked Elvis croissants filled with roasted peanut filling, fresh bananas, and crispy bacon.
With seating for 30-35, Sunday Morning Bakehouse will also serve eat-in breakfast items such as French style omelettes and herb baked eggs. A variety of sweet and savory toast offerings like homemade jam with sea salt and Catalan-style pan con tomate on crusty sourdough will be offered on the all-day breakfast menu. In addition to morning pastries and breakfast, Yi plans on offering her favorite sandwiches during lunchtime including a 3-cheese grilled cheese and her mom’s tuna salad with sprouts on brioche.
“I look forward to sharing the breakfast and lunch items I have been making at home and enjoying for years,” added Yi. “It’s a different experience when we can plate the meal, rather than a grab and go at the farmer’s market. We are excited to create a beautiful space where our guests can sit down and enjoy their food with a leisurely cup of coffee.”
Her passion for baking started when she was just seven years old making Christmas cookies for her family. While adding cookbook after cookbook to her collection, over the years she became a self-taught home baker. She pursued a more conventional path attending, college instead of culinary school, earning a degree in American Studies and then taking a job in digital marketing. Sitting in front of a computer all day made her realize she had to go after her passion for food and dream of owning her own bakery. She started with a job behind the counter serving pastries and coffee before she got her first opportunity at the baking bench. She has spent the last three years gaining technical skills, test batching and perfecting the recipes needed to create what is now Sunday Morning Bakehouse.
“Being able to share my passion with our guests at the farmers’ market and seeing the same faces return week after week has been an amazing experience,” said Yi. “The joy and excitement I see in this community has given me the confidence to take the next step where we can bring the warmth, the smells, the food, and the coffee to my loyal clients on a daily basis all year long.”