Laura Iordache – Bread as a Form of Love and Community

Interview with Laura Iordache, founder of Sourdough Bread Journal – the story of artisanal bread as a form of love, authenticity, and community.

Laura Iordache, founder of Sourdough Bread Journal, is the self-taught artisan who turned her passion for sourdough bread into a form of art and shared love, into a life story and an educational project, born out of the courage to invent everything from scratch and the desire to bring people together through love and authenticity.

C&B: How would you describe yourself in one sentence, in a way that would make those who don’t know you yet curious?
Laura Iordache: I am a creator of bread and stories, a person who has learned to transform the silence of the kitchen into a storytelling laboratory, creating breads that nourish not only the body but also the soul, and who has taught herself, through curiosity and trials, to turn a simple dough into an experience of love and community.

C&B: If we were to look at the narrative thread of your career or business, what were the key moments that defined you?
Laura Iordache: It all began far away, in the Philippines, in my small kitchen. I taught myself, reading and testing tirelessly, with patience and curiosity. No master, no school – just me, books, and sourdough. From those trials were born my first recipes, my first fermentation methods, and flavor combinations, all invented from scratch. When people started asking for my bread, I understood it was no longer just my passion, but a path to follow – and that’s how Sourdough Bread Journal was born.

C&B: What were the biggest challenges in developing Sourdough Bread Journal?
Laura Iordache: The challenge was to build without a guide or a predetermined recipe. The biggest challenges were to remain faithful to a vision created from nothing. I had no preexisting recipes, no well-trodden paths – I invented every step. It was difficult to build trust and to bring awareness to a still fragile field here, but every obstacle turned into a stronger step forward.

C&B: Is there a dream or ambition that has always guided you, regardless of obstacles?
Laura Iordache: I have always dreamed of being able to transmit love through bread. Every dough touched by my hands carries a part of me and becomes a tribute of love for those who receive it, a gift of the soul.

C&B: How did you look at the beginning of the journey and how do you feel you have transformed until now?
Laura Iordache: At the beginning, I was just a curious person trying to understand the secrets of a living dough. Today I feel like a messenger: through my bread, through the courses I teach, I try to pass on an experience that means more than food – it means connection, tradition, and joy.

C&B: If we were to meet your team or collaborators, what do you think they would say about you?
Laura Iordache: I think they would say about me that I am a person passionate to the core, detail-oriented, demanding, but always with an open heart and ready to share.

C&B: What is the most important decision you have made that changed your trajectory?
Laura Iordache: To leave behind the certainty of a “safe” path and choose the unknown of my passion. It was the decision that changed my life and gave birth to the project, making space for a life lived in authenticity.

C&B: What was the moment that convinced you this passion could become a dedicated and impactful project?
Laura Iordache: It came when I understood that people came back not just for the bread, but for the story, for the sense of belonging, and for the emotion conveyed. That’s when I knew SBJ had to become more than just a personal exercise.

C&B: What plans do you have for expanding or diversifying Sourdough Bread Journal?
Laura Iordache: I wish to grow its educational dimension: to hold more and more courses for those who want to bake bread at home, because only in this way can this love multiply and be carried further, and to create bridges with artisans from other countries. For me, the future of SBJ means communities united through bread and love.

C&B: What does an ordinary day look like for you now, and what moments of the day bring you the most satisfaction?
Laura Iordache: A day often begins with writing or trying out a new recipe. Then follow hours dedicated to communication and to the people around the project. The greatest joys come when I take out of the oven a bread that has exactly the fragrance and texture I dreamed of – or when I see, in my courses, someone discovering the magic of baking their own bread.

C&B: What values or principles guide you in what you do, and how do you apply them day by day?
Laura Iordache: Authenticity – because I started from zero and always chose the truth of my work; patience – because fermentation cannot be rushed; love – because it is the only ingredient that turns bread into a gift.

C&B: How did Sourdough Bread Journal come into being, and what drew you to the universe of sourdough bread?
Laura Iordache: From a need of people and from a calling of my heart. My bread began to be sought after and desired, and questions about “how it’s made” became more and more frequent. SBJ was born as an answer – a living journal of my journey, meant to share experiences, methods, and stories.

C&B: How do you see the future of artisanal bread culture in Romania and internationally?
Laura Iordache: I believe we are witnessing a renaissance. In Romania, artisanal bread culture is just beginning to take root, but I feel a real enthusiasm. Around the world, people are rediscovering the beauty of things made by hand and with soul. Artisanal bread has a secure future because, beyond taste, it speaks about community, patience, and love – values we need more than ever.

Laura Iordache’s story and Sourdough Bread Journal show us that bread is not only food, but also love, community, and authenticity. A journey that inspires and connects people.