Unexpected Treat

You wouldn’t expect to see what we found on a last minute stop at an unknown warehouse tucked in between a muffler shop and a tortilleria on East Nob Hill Boulevard in Yakima. If you live here you’ve probably driven by it a thousand times while searching for your lunchtime fast food fix or oil change.

This week we were anxious to check out the latest digs of our friend, Chef Jessica Smith. Greeting us with a smile, Jessica chatted with us about the variety of baked goods on display, and then we all walked back into the vast wonderland of Burhmaster Baking Company, an olfactory nostalgic overload of the best kind.

Over the past year, rooted developed a crush of sorts on Chef Jessica. A transplant from Connecticut, she’s been working in the Yakima Valley since 2005, at Burhmaster, Kestrel Vintners, and Wine O’Clock. We became big fans of her Instagram postings where she clearly displays a passion for creating meals inspired by locally sourced ingredients.

One of the few female chefs in the Valley, Jessica creates lunch specials at the bakery, varying from sandwiches to soups and salads including a daily special that suits her whim. From Pork Carnitas to a Vegan Thai Noodle Bowl, everything is fresh and homemade, a welcome changeup from the slew of fast food neighboring options.

Back in the industrious warehouse, we met Jessie, who’s heaving a doughy caldron of yeast and flour onto a wooden counter. The giant blob was Sicilian bread dough, moving and bubbling while he cut and weighed it.

Jessica excitedly walks us over to show off the deep glowing oven, baking and rotating multiple loaves of sourdough.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mwi7BZA4zCc

Burhmaster sells a variety of bread and baked goods throughout Eastern Washington at several stores, restaurants and seasonal farmers markets. They are a lean and dedicated operation. Baking, customer service, mechanical equipment repair and product delivery are tasks shared by just 3 people: owner, Larry Burhmaster, Jessica and Jessie.

As we visit with Jessica, she describes her upcoming weekend plans of making a turducken for a winemaker friend in Prosser, and Swedish sausage for her parents in Arizona. Customers flowed in and out; some to place holiday orders for baked goods and quiches and others grabbing their favorite loaves.

We meet a few loyal regulars who seem pretty thrilled with their purchases. We order a couple quiches for a weekend brunch, a shared sticky bun, and head across the street to see how it pairs with a Starbucks latte.

Sure enough, it tastes as good as it smells.