Austria. And just as Josef baked his bread on
Italian bricks in a special wood-fired hearth
oven, the new oven in Aberdeen is a modern
Italian hearth oven, lined with Italian stone.
Incredibly, Italian engineers came to America
to install the oven.
From Austria to Aberdeen, the Bakehouse
continues to be family owned and operated
these 70 years later. Martin acknowledges, “The
key to success is that Mireia and I were able
to blend our European and Mediterranean
heritages into our menu. There is nothing
better than getting a killer burger served on
a freshly-baked bun! The Barcelona Burger
is a spinach burger incorporating Parmesan
cheese and onions topped in a special garlic
sauce. Locals line up for our Barcelona
Burger!”
Offering breakfast and lunch, the
Bakehouse continues to feature the baked
goodness of breads, pastries, croissants,
éclairs, danishes, sticky buns, cronuts
and more. From custom wedding cakes to
gingerbread houses, the specialties celebrate
the seasons.
From Austria to Aberdeen, the heritage
of bakers continues to serve the bread of life
to all who enter. As guests enjoy a visit to
the Bakehouse, they savor the goodness of
generations. ☐
The Bakehouse
Visit: 120 N. Poplar Street, Aberdeen
Call: (910) 944-9204
Moore
Living
Getting to know Moore
Tis the Season
to Enjoy The Bakehouse
Tis the season for the most scrumptious
holiday cookies ever! You know, the kind of
cookies just like Grandma used to make! With
family recipes being passed down for over
seventy years now, the Brunner family of the
Bakehouse continues to delight customers
who visit their bakery in downtown Aberdeen.
From the cookies, the holiday offerings also
include gingerbread houses, specialty coffee
breads, pies and, of course, the chocolate
mousse filled Yule logs which are always a
hit at holiday parties! And don’t forget you
can order a half of a Yule log which serves
ten people. As the holiday season graces our
community, the Bakehouse looks forward to
adding more cheer around your table with
freshly-baked goods. Family owned and
operated by Martin and Mireia Brunner, the
Bakehouse continues the family heritage of
bakers.
The story begins in Austria in the 1800’s
with Martin’s great grandfather Friedrich
Sorger, known as Fritz, who served as head
baker in a rented bakery and recorded recipes
for the heritage to come. Following World
War II, Martin’s grandfather Josef returned
from war and opened a bakery across from
the schoolhouse in the village. Times were
tough for everyone, but Josef got creative. In
order to survive, he would tell the children,
“I’ll make you a Mother’s Day heart of brioche
dough if you bring some eggs and butter from
your farm.” The kids would happily bring
three or four eggs along with some butter, a
scarcity for all, and Josef would make them
a heart in return. While loving his work in
the bakery, Josef met the love of his life, and
Martin’s dad Kurt was born. By 1948, Josef was
able to purchase his own building, and the
Bakehouse became established.
As a young lad, Martin Brunner current
owner of the Bakehouse remembers working
in his father's bakery where one of his chores
was to lay out the dough into groups of six
strands to braid into Challah. In the bakery,
there were twenty-one bakers, of whom many
were apprentices. Martin remembers when
his father began making sourdough that he
would dry, grind into a powder, and use as
flavoring in his bread.
Destined to become a Master in Europe,
where apprenticeships are a way of life,
Martin’s parents had already predetermined
a spot for him in Graz, a beautiful touristy
town. With hopes of earning a masters in both
bread and pastry, Martin dreamed of owning
a bakery with sweets. As plans changed and
brought the family to America, Martin’s dad
trained him in bread and his mother in cakes
MOORE LIVING continued
and pastries as her family owned a bed and
breakfast in Austria.
By age 20, Martin enrolled in Johnson
Whales, a culinary and pastry arts school, in
Charleston. Martin informs, “I trained under a
French chef and worked for the German chef
who was the head of the pastry department.
What I was able to pick up from these guys
was absolutely amazing; I’m very grateful!”
Holiday Gingerbread, Cookies & More!
Attending Johnson Whales opened
up many opportunities for Martin which
eventually led him to the Pinehurst Resort.
Soon enough Martin was invited to teach at
Sandhills Community College (SCC) where
he continues today while serving at the
Bakehouse.
When Martin and Mireia began their life
together, with both of their families involved
in the restaurant business, the Brunner
family found a home for the Bakehouse in
2008 in downtown Aberdeen. Interestingly
the building was built in 1948—the same
year Josef established the Bakehouse in
MOORE LIVING continued
MOORE LIVING con't. next column MOORE LIVING con't. next column
Come Visit
Martin Brunner
& Family.
The best way to celebrate the holidays
is with some delicious food.
~ Rachel Hollis
No. 140 The Pinehurst Gazette, Inc. p.37