FOOD NEWS
The NYC Bagelry That Uses 'Spiritual' Vegetable Yeast (And How It Tastes)
By Chris Day
Sakura Smith is the resident baker at Salter House, a café and boutique in Brooklyn Heights, and she’s also the brains behind Bagel Bunny Bagels. What sets her bagels apart is her starter, which she refers to as “bunny food” because it feeds off rice, apples, carrots, and Japanese mountain yam.
Smith says she makes the bagels in her apartment late at night, explaining, “Baking has become somewhat spiritual for me, a time to take time for myself and actively care for others.” Her spiritual connection to her bagels may stem from the fact that her starter was created by a Japanese Buddhist monk, who gave some of it to Smith's preschool teacher.
Reviews on Sakura Smith's website describe the bagels as “so good” and “the best bagel I've ever probably had,” and Thrillist describes them as slightly speckled, fluffy, and having the “subtle funk” of sourdough bread but with a hint of sweetness. The bagels come in Plain, Everything, Black Sesame, and Cinnamon Turmeric Raisin flavors.