4 minute read
Mise en Place
Mise en Place
“DOUGH DADDI” AND “BATTER BITCH” ARE THE ROMANTIC GUNCLES BEHIND TWO BEARS BAKERY
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By Kate Frick
Steven (who claims the nickname “Batter Bitch”) and Laz (“Dough Daddi”) are the masterminds behind Two Bears Bakery and the pastry pixies at the new Lawrence cafe, Grounded Coffee. They let us in on their flavor dreamscape, family baking traditions, and putting passion into people and patisserie.
Do you dream about cake flavors?
Steven: In our quest to be authentic and present these treats, if we start from the truest place of, like, “I would eat the shit out of this,” then probably at least some of our friends would want to as well, and then that contagion spreads. What we do is right at the intersection of sweet and savory.
Do you bake for each other?
Steven: One of the first cookies that Laz made when we were together was a bacon s’mores cookie with chopped up bacon, chocolate, marshmallows, and graham cracker—like, all the things in this cookie—and it was like, “Wow, I just feel special. I feel seen and heard and understood.”
When someone hears about Two Bears, how do they get some? How do they get into the Bears club?
Steven: We didn’t intend a secret baking club; it just kind of happened like that. If you want something from us, you actually have to have a conversation with us. We like that secrecy, versus having a full-on bakery, we build stories with customers. What’s that food vice you have at midnight—the thing you run to the pantry to taste? Those little things have so much power. It helps us just feel like we’re part of the human connection. I want to pull that thread for a while. When working with customers, we leave it open-ended. We don’t have a menu.
Is your pillow talk centered on baked goods?
Steven: I mean, it’s just, like, food in general. Cravings.
Laz: Sometimes it can be, like, “I’m the pregnant woman, and I just want, you know, a hot dog stuffed in a pickle, deep fried.” Other times it’s this well-constructed, very delicate flan with notes of caramel and lavender.
Ever baked a break-up cake?
Steven: Oh, no, but that’s, like, uncharted territory. I feel like cake should not just be for those joyous occasions, but for any occasion.
Are emotions and tradition the root of your passion?
Steven: Yeah, family is huge for us, but maybe in a way that people wouldn’t naturally think. Being gay in our households—we were not accepted. We really felt like we missed out on family in certain ways, or we were othered in our family. You know, I think now that’s probably why I cling to these things—my extended family was who instilled family baking traditions in me. I’ll remind folks, “We’re all family in a sense, and you know, we’re all wired very similarly.”
I feel like when people come together for a birthday dessert, or to lament the passing of something, or to just share feelings together, it’s really rewarding for us to feel like we’re a part of it.
Do folks have to get on a list? What’s your lead time for orders?
Steven: We’re just asking for two to three days’ notice, honestly. One of the biggest hurdles for this business is the kitchen space. We have gone through several different kitchens and ovens and combinations and partnerships with other restaurants so that we can use their kitchens. I’m really grateful for a community like Lawrence, where people just want to help people out, and they want to see you succeed.
