Faces/Places of the Danforth:
These are the lovely faces behind @dough.bakeshop.
They opened their doors in October 2009, and the Danforth has been filled with the sweet scents of their ovens ever since.
As a family they’ve lived in this neighbourhood for 20 years. Having noticed an absence of fresh baked bread along the Danforth, Tracy (second from left) a writer at the time, began thinking about the possibility of filling that void. With a love of fresh bread, as well as the coziness that visiting a bakery can provide, Dough began — and with it, the hope of providing warm fresh goods to those in our community who enjoy the same.
Having worked as a baker many moons previously, Tracy was ready to step away from the computer and make the entrepreneurial leap, and, as the bakery has evolved and expanded its offerings, the whole family has followed along.
From the beginning, the intention has been about making good things by hand, using the same ingredients their great grandmothers would recognize. It’s also not lost on them that food production these days is rooted in a fast and convenience-based system. While they don’t deny their place in this system, their objective is to approach the food making process more mindfully; to slow down a bit, to keep things as local as possible, to value hard work and work-life balance, to make things from scratch and in small batches, & so much more.
What they love most in this neighbourhood is the walkability, the dog watching and, of course, the people. To them the neighbourhood has so much to offer, and feel that if we all support the local businesses we can maintain its individuality. Spending years going to see movie screenings at the Danforth Music Hall, they were very happy when it was reopened as a venue for live shows. They enjoy the fact that you can do all of your shopping, for any occasion, at a variety of small businesses, soak up some outdoor time in several parks, go for dinner & drinks or to see a world class show — all within a few blocks, & on foot! They strongly feel that people are what make the neighbourhood, and love that through Dough they have met so many lovely and facinating people.