They warn that it's the quietest day of the week. But on this Wednesday morning at Miguel's Bakery in the center of Parede, the coming and going is incessant. Customers casually address the baker, Miguel Vilela, and his wife, Carmo, at the counter. Not always literally, but the general feeling is of familiarity. They are neighbours, Portuguese and foreigners, who go there every week – many, several times a week.
Since its opening in 2021, Padaria do Miguel has become a reference in the Cascais municipality. The idea was always to make high-quality bread with organic flours and slow fermentation. "And we want to demystify the prejudices that many people have," explains Miguel. "Many think that bread is bad for you or causes bloating. We use flours that make it super nutritious."
During the pandemic, many people, in search of different home hobbies, fell in love with the art of making bread, with the help of viral recipes. Miguel was among them – only he took his interest to another level. In March 2020, when the world closed down, he worked in nautical tourism. His wife was in the events and weddings sector. Both had a background in hospitality – they actually met in college. At that moment, besides having seen their professional activities suspended, they had just become parents. They began to think about what they could do together.
"After a lot of brainstorming, we discovered something that everyone needs and is an essential good, regardless of pandemics or wars," explains Carmo. "Miguel had a talent for cooking, and I started looking for bread-making courses. 'I'm going to enroll him as a surprise,' I thought: either he goes for it or not." Miguel dived in deep. He started doing a lot of online research, studying the concept of sourdough, and spent hours watching the late-night Instagram lives of the renowned Brazilian baker Luís Alvim (who recently opened his own space in Lisbon: the Bike Bakery). He also met Paulino Horta in Alenquer, who became a "great mentor." "He comes from a family of excellent millers who taught me a lot about what we should or shouldn't buy." He is now the main supplier for Miguel's Bakery, which opened near where the Vivela family lives, in an old cake shop.
Old school
The bakery's concept is based on tradition. Just like the old bakeries, they are only open in the morning, until 1 PM. Miguel is the first to arrive, around 4 AM in the morning, to start putting the bread in the oven and prepare a new batch for the next day – which will be in fermentation in the fridge for almost 20 hours.
On average, they make between 150 to 200 loaves a day, from three pots of sourdough. The technique is sensitive: Miguel being a bit more stressed can be reflected in the dough, they point out. It's a "living organism" that must be kept constant – in the beginning, the couple even took the sourdough on vacation during the weeks they closed the bakery. Now, as the business has grown and they work with some employees, there is no rest.
They sell traditional wheat bread (€2.40), seed bread (€3.25), barbela bread (€4.95), and spelt bread (€5.10). They also have brioches (€1.25), bread with São Jorge island cheese (€6.60), bread with black pork chorizo (€6.60), cinnamon snails (€2.10), and plain croissants (€1.85) or with chocolate (€2). But they are always experimenting with new things, from olive bread to figs and nuts, passing through rye, meatball bread, or seasonal specialties. For Easter, for example, they plan to make a "different" folar, without eggs, with fennel and cinnamon, but also a cornbread with sausages. And soon, the vegan version of brioche will arrive. The specialties born there last several days at home, without stiffening or getting moldy. The best way to keep them, Miguel advises, is in a traditional cloth bread bag that allows them to breathe.
Tote bags are also available in the store, as well as handmade products from other brands, such as butters, palmiers, seeds, pickles, chutneys, or sweets.
Despite being traditional, Miguel's Bakery is not stuck in time. There is an environmental concern in everything they do – from uniforms to bags, to bread leftovers, which they use to make toasts with the oven's heat, thus avoiding waste. They are mainly concerned with (truly) nurturing a community around the bakery. "Today everything is online, and sometimes the human part is lost a bit," points out Carmo, who calls many customers by name.
At first, to convince the locals of the quality of what they were doing, they gave away bread. The strategy was effective. "Our seal of guarantee is word of mouth, and that brings responsibility. But we really like to know how to receive. In addition to being bakers, we have a mission, so that people can consume good products. And nowadays people prefer to spend some money but eat well because they are investing in their health."
Miguel's bread reached the ears (and mouths) of some places that started ordering large batches for their customers – such as the new Evolution hotel in Estoril, the Blue Cruises boat company, and the Unique Restaurant, located in the Cultural Center of Belém. Three more hotels are in the works for this year. "We've had great signs because we have Evolution customers who come here on purpose to buy bread to take home. I'm very happy," says Miguel.
Still, they prefer to keep the business modest and sustainable, not dreaming of significant growth – especially because they don't have the capacity to make much more in the space they are in. In the future, they see themselves working in a larger place that functions as a factory, but they don't want to leave Parede or become a chain. However, there are other complementary projects that may be put into practice. "Maybe I would like to open a pizzeria," Miguel hints, alluding to other uses of his talent for dough. What is already in progress is the plan to have their wheat plantation, made with ancestral grains, in partnership with Paulino Horta, on a property of Carmo's family in the Cartaxo area.
Latino Coelho Street, 64 C, Parede