Twice is Nice

I have never been busier making korovayi. I have been fully booked for at least a month and a half out - surprisingly, mostly with local orders! While it keeps me on my toes, it saddens me to have to turn people away. Thankfully, there is a korovai community on Facebook to turn to when...

Korovai for Hope

It is with a heavy heart that I write this first post of the season. Since February 24 this year, I've had trouble focusing on things that bring me joy. As I contemplate the upcoming wedding season and joy it brings to newlyweds, their families and friends, I remind myself that the very reason I...

Doves & Beads

Since I started baking korovayi eight years ago, I noticed different trends. A few years back, it was all about silk flower adornments. Then "patychky" resembling fir branches became popular korovai toppers. Over the last couple of years, I noticed a surge in elaborate baked-on decorations that elegantly drape over the bread. This year saw...

All Jazzed Up

I really enjoy making korovayi during summer holidays at the cottage. The pace here is slower, the kids are outside all day (which means I am not interrupted as much), and I have a moment to myself to savour the bread-making day. I mix and knead the dough in the morning, it rests and rises...

Voloshky

I finally got around to growing voloshky (волошки) in my garden this year. In English, this native European wildflower is called cornflower because it often grows as a weed in cornfields, including fields of wheat, barley, rye and oats. Just like kalyna (guelder rose), barvinok (periwinkle), poppies and sunflowers, voloshky are an integral part of...

Trial Run

When I hung up the phone with Kathy, all I could think of was, "What did I get myself into?" I had just accepted to make a three-tier korovai with baked-on decorations - something I had never tried before. Here's the inspiration picture... no biggie: The inspiration photo for the korovai I agreed to make...

My First U.S. Shipment

I am so excited to tell you that my first korovai shipment across the border was successful! The customs part was a bit tricky for a first-timer, but I figured it out in the end. I worked with a dream client who excelled at communicating, so the whole process ended up being a lot less...

Twice Braided

The 2017 wedding season is on! My first korovai this spring was a two-tiered, braided creation for a young bride living in Toronto. Conveniently, she and her mom were visiting Ottawa during our famous Tulip Festival, so I had the pleasure to meet them both when they came to pick up the korovai. They were...

Tall Branches with Ribbons

Today I present to you a korovai I made a while back for my friends' wedding in Toronto. While the groom preferred a cleaner aesthetic, the bride wanted a more elaborate design - bring on the ribbons, Tree of Life, ornaments and colours! Together with the groom, we fined-tuned the design to find balance in...

Café Au Lait Dahlias

Just as the summer wedding season is winding down, I have a spring/summer korovai to show you adorned with lush "café au lait" dahlias. Korovayi styled with flowers against wheat stalks on top have been popular, but I'm not complaining - the flowers give the bread a modern spin (which is what I'm aiming for...