The Baker

Andrew and Christian Connole, inspired by the
artisan sourdough baking of Northern California,
devised a plan to restore the abandoned wood-fired
oven on a former family property in NSW.

The Connole boys immersed themselves in the baking
fraternity of the San Francisco Bay area where they
learnt to bake from renowned artisan bakers like Chad
Robertson owner of renowned Tartine Bakery in the
Mission district.

In 1997 the boys, along with their father Kerry,
realised their dream and began baking their own
artisan sourdough from their restored wood-fired
oven in Bellata, NSW.

By 2001 demand for their superior sourdough had
flourished and they established Sonoma Baking
Company in Sydney, Australia. Starting with one 
Allan Scott woodfierd oven the boys would bake
all through the night. A second oven was added
in 2002 and the boys were able to hire their first
baker, brother in law Jordan Miller, allowing Sonoma
Baking Company to keep up with the ever increasing
demand for their superior sourdough.

In 2005 a move to a larger factory in Waterloo
prompted a move to an Italian gas deck oven
favoured by the artisan baking movement of
San Francisco. This oven, designed to mimic the
baking qualities of a woodfired oven, allows the 
bakers to focus solely on baking the best quality
bread without the labourious task of keeping the
oven at the correct baking temperature.