The aroma of freshly baked European pastries wafts through the air as you enter the new Mi Pan Artisan Bakery on Mission Gorge Road.
You are greeted by a tempting display of European-style pastries and racks filled with freshly baked sourdough bread.
The newly opened neighborhood bakery in Mission Gorge is the result of the hard work and persistence of husband-and-wife team Alejandro Gomez and Alejandra Ruelas.
“We started slowly with sourdough bread and banana bread and built our pastry business at farmers’ markets. As we open our new bakery, we will continue to sell at two farmers’ markets in town: Little Italy and Chula Vista,” Alejandra Ruelas said.
Like many people, the pandemic of 2020 became a turning point in Alejandro’s career. After losing his job, he decided to use the time to pursue his passion for baking and put his self-taught skills to work.
Although Gomez is a native of Mexico, his baking style leans toward European traditions, with breads and pastries inspired by global influences and grounded in traditional French baking techniques. He continues to explore new baking techniques and styles, which promises to keep patrons excited about discovering new pastries each month.
Currently, his pastries include an almond croissant filled with almond frangipane that is light, flaky, and basically perfection. Another favorite is “Las Cukies,” a sourdough cookie made with three types of chocolate — dark, semisweet, and sweet — along with walnuts, peanuts, and almonds, then finished with a sprinkling of Maldon sea salt.
He has also perfected the canelé, a small French pastry flavored with rum and vanilla that originated in the Bordeaux region of France. With its caramelized exterior and tender, custard-like center, the canelé is a delicious example of Alejandro’s dedication to traditional European pastry techniques.
Alejandro will rotate pastries monthly or seasonally, giving customers something new to look forward to.
Pan de Muerto will be introduced in late October, while Italian panettone cakes will make their debut during the holidays. Future breads they plan to introduce include an Oaxacan mole sourdough bread and a medialuna — a smaller, sweeter and denser adaptation of the croissant popular in Argentina.
Coffee is also an important part of the Mi Pan experience.
“We partner with two local coffee companies for our drip coffee and our espresso,” Alejandra said.
Currently, the drip coffee is “Bombon,” with fruity flavors of guava, pineapple and lychee lollipop. The espresso is “Matriarch,” with notes of chocolate.
“I’m so excited to get everything out of our garage and home kitchen and into a large commercial kitchen. We can bake our daily breads in half the time. Alejandro can sleep a couple of extra hours a night now,” Alejandra said.
This new brick-and-mortar bakery represents more than an expansion for Mi Pan — it is the realization of a husband-and-wife dream, one flaky, buttery pastry at a time.
Look for the grand opening starting on Oct. 7 with extended hours and a full menu. To keep up on details, visit https://www.mipanbakery.com/. Located at 6435 Mission Gorge Road, open daily from 8 a.m. until 2 p.m. or until sold out.
