Yeshe Dawa (AKA the Midnight Baker) thinks differently. She sees the world from perspectives grounded in traditional wisdom and illuminated by innovative solutions. She is considerate, but beyond being polite, considers everything she does from a very deep place. And it’s from that place that Yeshe makes things. Fashion things, organisational things, and food things, to name a few. She is fascinating, and perhaps the best way to connect with who she is, is to make one of her loaves of bread, appropriately called the Freedom Loaf. It seems that freedom, ultimately, may be what The Midnight Baker is all about. Let’s see.
To start, you get to choose two types of Freedom Loaf to make:
BUCKWHEAT VERSION: Buckwheat*, sunflower seeds, linseed, pumpkin seeds*, psyllium husks*, chia seeds, salt. (*organic)
OAT VERSION: Oats, sunflower seeds, linseed, pumpkin seeds*, psyllium husks*, chia seeds, salt. (*organic)
These breads are delicious, gut-healthy, and allergy friendly. They DO NOT taste like cardboard. This is an important distinction, especially if you’ve every tried ‘alternative breads’. If you’ve made, or had a slice of this loaf, you’ll know what we mean. If you haven’t, time to have a go. Your next question may be ‘how exactly did she come up with a flourless bread that tastes and feels so good?’. Glad you asked. class=”Apple-converted-space”>
Yeshe grew up in a home where her mum looked past common solutions to most problems (she thought differently too). This was especially true when it came to nutrition. Back then it was either white bread or whole wheat on offer, but seeing as her mum and grandfather were both bakers, the family either bought the healthiest option available or they made their own. This kind of thinking also encouraged Yeshe to think out of the box and find solutions to problems she may run up against in life.
Yeshe grew up in a home where her mum looked past common solutions to most problems (she thought differently too). This was especially true when it came to nutrition. Back then it was either white bread or whole wheat on offer, but seeing as her mum and grandfather were both bakers, the family either bought the healthiest option available or they made their own. This kind of thinking also encouraged Yeshe to think out of the box and find solutions to problems she may run up against in life.
One such problem was her own health. Working through young adult life, Yeshe found she was not living well or treating her body well. Taking the issue seriously, she began to research whole foods, how to make them for herself, and then for her friends, and then for her community. Through substantial trial and error Yeshe eventually attracted a crew around these ideas, forming a business that would think differently all around. Now, the Midnight Bakers are making a few very thoughtful products in very interesting ways.
But there’s more. And there should more be because why in the world would you pay more for a loaf of bread that you’re actually having to make yourself? On the surface, you could say it’s because if you ate whole foods like the Freedom Loaf, you may reduce allergic reactions, including those outside of your gut. You could also say it’s worth it because protein and fibre rich bread like this is more satiating and therefore slice for slice, is better value. You could also say, that like Yeshe, making bread yourself (slow food) is just plain healthier overall, especially when you consider how mindless bread buying and eating can be. If you’re doing the math, quality over quantity at this level always pays off.
Still, Yeshe is interested in something deeper, which is actually baked into her products. She is nonplussed by the wellbeing industry and trends around instagrammable good looking results. Her heart is following a different path, a direction a lot of people are identifying with, especially here at Raeward Fresh. Yeshe, and the entire Midnight Baker crew, are deeply rooted in integrity. Being integral — from community engagement to paying a living wage to compostable processes to shared values and goals (I could go on, but word counts…) — is essential to these folks because it’s all leads to being in control of what they make, what they eat and how they live. You could say Yeshe, and by extension, The Midnight Baker is about agency. The ability to control what goes into your body, how it’s made, and how you feel about the whole process. This is the kind of freedom that Yeshe seems to be pursuing and has had the audacity to share with the rest of us. Props team! We invite you to see how this works and feels for yourself, hoping that you’re also seeking the kind of agency that promotes freedom in your own life.
