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Samira Saade BACHOUR
Pastry started as just a hobby for Samira Saade. Born in Ecuador, she grew up baking with her mother but went on to study computer science. But a nagging desire to get her hands dirty with flour pushed Saade to culinary school. The Culinary Arts School Ecuador didn’t have a pastry-specific program, so she spent two years focused on savory cooking and two in human resources. But Saade set her sights on an internship in the dessert world, specifically with Antonio Bachour. Her family friend introduced her to the award-winning pastry chef, who welcomed her to Miami’s Bachour Bakery & Bistro in 2016. Saade hoped to concentrate on Bachour’s French patisserie-style desserts, but when a spot opened in the viennoiserie department, she volunteered.
Saade fell in love with the process of waking up at the break of dawn to laminate and bake Bachour’s signature croissants. So much so that when she completed her internship, she was promoted to assistant baker. After a couple of years, Saade stepped away from the Miami kitchen to travel the world with Bachour, observing and assisting in his demos and classes. When they returned stateside in 2019, Bachour hired her as sous pastry chef of his new location in Coral Gables. In just one year, she worked her way up to executive pastry chef of the airy cafe and bakery. Today, Saade collaborates with Bachour to craft striking, meticulous desserts and pastries, such as her strawberry cheesecake croissant and cookies & cream petit gâteau.
samirasaadeb / bachourmiami Favorite kitchen tool: My KitchenAid stand mixer Tool you wish you had: I wish I had a ThermoMix at home. Favorite cookbooks: My go-to books would be Bachour: Simply Beautiful, Fruit by Cédric Grolet, and Chocolate by Ramon Morató. Most important kitchen rule: Be consistent. Place to visit for culinary travel: Mexico Advice to your younger self: Take risks.
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