Toronto baker championed sourdough long before it was trendy

A decade before sourdough became a pandemic-provoked obsession for Torontonians who developed a newfound appreciation for the days-long process of nurturing starter, Patti Robinson was dedicated to the cause.

“I just sort of fell into it to be honest,” Robinson, owner of Robinson Bread, told CTV News Toronto on Friday – otherwise known as national sourdough bread day.

“That was kind of something I discovered in the city,” the Peterborough native added.

From leavening to baking, Robinson’s process takes three days. It’s that evolution, nuance and variation of the outcome that got her hooked on sourdough.

“When it works, it’s very satisfying and when it doesn't, you’re just constantly trying to figure things out, which is strangely satisfying,” Robinson said.

Robinson Bread began as a nomad operation making its rounds at the city’s farmer’s market circuit. That led to renting space in Paris Paris’s kitchen on Ossington Avenue, where Robinson’s loaves appeared in bread baskets and on the restaurant’s menu.

But ultimately, her goal was always to showcase her loaves. “A retail location was always sort of the final destination,” Robinson said.

In October 2020, that objective came to fruition. Sam James Coffee Bar was seeking a new location in Parkdale while Robinson was searching for a kitchen.

Together, they built a shared space at 6 Brock Ave., near Queen and Dufferin streets, where James fronts the counter selling Robinson’s goods and behind a sheet of glass, Robinson kneads and rolls dough in customers’ view.

On any given day, Robinson typically bakes four different kinds of loaves, from her multigrain topped with toasted sesame, flax and sunflower seeds to her classic country white loaf. From Tuesday to Friday, breakfast sandwiches on focaccia are added to the mix on top of chocolate hazelnut croissants and citrus danishes.

“[With] sourdough, everyone can be doing the same recipe, but everyone can have different results,” she said. When it comes to Robinson’s loaves, it’s the weekly delivery of freshly milled flour and the grains sourced just outside of Peterborough that adds a distinct flavour to her offerings.

“It feels like we are doing the same thing every day, but it's actually very different every day,” Robinson said. “There's many elements that we have to control that can change things and so many of those things you can’t see.”