THE BAKER
Baked by Stephanie
in Oakland.
Crumbs are Love.
Stephanie started cooking for Oakland in late 2020. The pandemic had cost her her job, and her unemployment didn’t come through for 72 weeks, so she asked herself what she could do well that people needed. The answer was cooking.
She launched Stephanie Cooks, a permitted home kitchen (MEHKO), and spent the next six years feeding this neighborhood — weekly meals, dinners, pop-ups, catering and baking — and learning exactly which part of the work she loves.
Baking wasn’t love at first sight. The precision of it made her nervous. Somewhere along the way it became the thing she loved most: a handful of simple ingredients turned into something that makes somebody’s day.
She has closed the MEHKO to put the baking first, and she still cooks as a private chef at stephaniecooks.com.
Butter Bing! Butter Boom! is that decision. It starts with pies, cookies, cakes and bread, made by hand in Oakland, in small enough numbers that every one of them is right. And I’m just getting started: laminated pastries, jams and spreads to go with the bread, homemade granola, wholesome breakfast bars, and more vegan and gluten-free options are on the way.
What my food is
My goal is simple: To bring joy to the people I cook for.
I have been cooking for people for as long as I can remember... Through my rich community, I have enjoyed and have prepared many delightful dishes, that will nourish your body and soul... This is what I want to share with you.
Thinking about what my food is...
It is delightful.
It is comforting.
It is beautiful.
It is fire.
It has no pretense.
It is nourishing.
It is sensual.
It is of the world I love.
It is shared.
It is me...
How it works
- Pre-order online. Thanksgiving pie pre-orders are open: order here. Follow @butterbakeoakland for each new bake.
- Pay by card when you order. That’s what buys the ingredients.
- Pick up in Oakland. Every pickup is at Molcajete Restaurant, 1734 Webster Street. Weekly pickup is Fridays, 6–9 PM.
Why the name
Because it sounds like what happens when butter hits a hot pan, and because she wanted something nobody would forget. Say the whole thing — it only works whole.