BajaNomad - El Boleo Bakery - behind the scenes

El Boleo Bakery - behind the scenes

BajaBlanca - 5-26-2013 at 08:04 AM

I stopped in the bakery to get some fresh hot out of the oven rolls and got permission to take pics of the baking going on in the back!

This is the man who gave permission...the owner perhaps?

check out the size and age of this mega mixer!

there were shelves and shelves of breads of all types, there must have been THOUSANDS

the oven is incredible-

and then back to the front where bags are ready for pickup:

EnsenadaDr - 5-26-2013 at 08:12 AM

Very nice, Blanca...Mexican bakeries are awesome...especially with the stone ovens.

BajaRat - 5-26-2013 at 08:26 AM

Nice work again Blanca. I love the building and have always wanted to see the oven. Imagine how hot it must get in that kitchen in the summer.

BajaBlanca - 5-26-2013 at 09:12 AM

abominable in summer, I am sure.

EnsenadaDr - 5-26-2013 at 09:15 AM

You guys should come up Ensenada way in the summer. Doesn't get over 80 degrees here usually mostly in the 70's. There is always a strong wind blowing on the north side of La Bufadora carretera.

DENNIS - 5-26-2013 at 09:22 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by BajaBlanca
abominable in summer, I am sure.

But.....it's a dry heat. :lol:

Doncha just love it when people say that?

DaliDali - 5-26-2013 at 09:30 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by DENNIS

Quote:

Originally posted by BajaBlanca
abominable in summer, I am sure.

But.....it's a dry heat. :lol:

Doncha just love it when people say that?

Trust me on this.......calling the summertime humidity on the SOC side "dry heat" would be tantamount to blasphemy.

BajaBlanca - 5-26-2013 at 09:41 AM

:lol:

a dry heat !!!! good one !!!

la Bocana (on the Pacific) weather, Ensenada doc, is the same pretty much as in Ensenada.

EnsenadaDr - 5-26-2013 at 09:44 AM

nice to know!!

woody with a view - 5-26-2013 at 11:15 AM

we saw a similar bakery in todos santos last year. old time stone oven. very cool!

CP - 5-26-2013 at 05:41 PM

Neat pics, Blanca!
thanks

Leo - 5-27-2013 at 09:03 AM

Love those ancient oven pics Blanca.
How long would they still be operating in those conditions? Always a stop on the way north or south.
I hope they will be there for years to come.

BajaParrothead - 5-27-2013 at 09:09 AM

Where is the bakery? La Bocana or elsewhere?

BajaBlanca - 5-27-2013 at 09:09 AM

I tell you, that oven is HUGE. I myself have never seen one so big.

desertcpl - 5-27-2013 at 12:06 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by BajaParrothead
Where is the bakery? La Bocana or elsewhere?

Santa Rosalia

BajaBlanca - 5-27-2013 at 12:41 PM

welcome to bajanomad, bajaparrothead !

thanks desertcpl for answering the question - the bakery is in SANTA ROSALIA, which is the biggest town after San Ignacio and before Mulege. All of them in BAJA CALIFORNIA SUR/south.

It is named El Boleo because that was the name of the French mining company that developed the area a couple hundred years ago, mining for copper. A Canadian company is investing heavily in the area now - mining for cobalt and other minerals.

[Edited on 5-27-2013 by BajaBlanca]

Bajahowodd - 5-27-2013 at 04:00 PM

Anyone who has been to Santa Rosalia recently ought to have noticed the astounding number of young men about town. It is the result of the re-start of the mining operations there.

We were surrounded by young men while dining at El Muelle last month, and also came to find that the Hotel El Morro just South of town is regularly renting many rooms to the mining folks. Funny thing is that they are renting the best Sea view rooms.

willardguy - 5-27-2013 at 04:05 PM

nope, was there a couple weeks ago and all we noticed was the astounding number of good looking young ladies! :biggrin:

Udo - 5-27-2013 at 06:18 PM

Nice photos Blanca.
Reminds me of some of the tours of famous kitchens here in the US...Including the French Laundry, Zuni Cafe, Frontera, Murimoto's in New York, DelMonico's in New Orleans, and many more.

BajaParrothead - 5-27-2013 at 11:17 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by desertcpl

Quote:

Originally posted by BajaParrothead
Where is the bakery? La Bocana or elsewhere?

Santa Rosalia

Thank you, Ill keep my eye out for it.

BajaParrothead - 5-27-2013 at 11:22 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by BajaBlanca
welcome to bajanomad, bajaparrothead !

thanks desertcpl for answering the question - the bakery is in SANTA ROSALIA, which is the biggest town after San Ignacio and before Mulege. All of them in BAJA CALIFORNIA SUR/south.

It is named El Boleo because that was the name of the French mining company that developed the area a couple hundred years ago, mining for copper. A Canadian company is investing heavily in the area now - mining for cobalt and other minerals.

[Edited on 5-27-2013 by BajaBlanca]

Thank you Blanca.

Mulegena - 5-28-2013 at 06:32 AM

Thanks, Blanca, for the photo-journalism report of El Boleo, but darn it, you scooped me!

My girlfriend and I were buying an assortment of breads and cookies at the other, smaller bakery in town. Its 'waaay off the beaten track in a residential neighborhood way up on the hill on the French Mesa side of town.

The door to the back room way open a crack and we could see the cooling racks. We were looking in when one of the guys invited us back. Its really old and very much like El Boleo's set-up but on a much smaller scale.

Thanks again for a great tour of a unique institution here in Baja, El Boleo bread and pastry shop.

fish101 - 5-28-2013 at 06:50 AM

Thanks for those pic's, Blanca..The gentleman that gave you permission is Ramiro Contreras, son of Jorge Contreras who owned the R.V. Park Las Palmas just south of Sta Rosalia, however, I am not sure that the RV Park is still in operation as of this year..I used to stay there twice a year when I first came to Baja and met both Jorge and his son..Jorge's wife and daughter have a Boutique in town only a couple of streets over from the bakery.. Great Bakery, though...

Pescador - 5-28-2013 at 07:09 AM

The bakery that Mulegena went to is a favorite of Cachanos (people from Santa Rosalia) and is owned and operated by the head baker from El Boleo who decided after many years of baking for El Boleo that he wanted to start out on his own. He signed a non-compete clause which meant he could not advertise and could not sell in close proximity to the existing bakery, but he has a great following and a lot of support. He does all of the buns for a very famous Hot Dog Stand which will remain un-named here. A lot of stores, restaurants, and individuals support his business but you are right, you do need to know where to go to find it.
As for the Palmas RV Park, it has been closed for quite some time now and according to some of my friends (how would I know) has become a nightclub with scantily clad women dancing on a stage, table, or whatever.
El Boleo mine was started by a British Columbia investment consortium, but is now owned 51% by Korean interests.

desertcpl - 5-28-2013 at 07:58 AM

Quote:

As for the Palmas RV Park, it has been closed for quite some time now and according to some of my friends (how would I know) has become a nightclub with scantily clad women dancing on a stage, table, or whatever.

where did you say this was :cool:

BajaBlanca - 5-29-2013 at 07:07 PM

Really, Korean now? I had no idea.

Mulegena, if you took pics, pls post. I wd love to see them!

Thanks so much fish101 for the name and background. Ramiro C. Looks so imposing! What a cool character.

[Edited on 5-30-2013 by BajaBlanca]

Mulegena - 5-29-2013 at 07:48 PM

We didn't take pictures, but thought then it would be a super Nomad post.

I'll see if I can talk my girlfriend with the super-camera to go back.

fish101 - 5-29-2013 at 07:59 PM

If I remember right, I saw a sign that says "Table Dancing" at the Palmas RV Park..so your probably right...even the swimming pool has been closed for some time now...Will have to look up Jorge to find out what happened around there...

BajaBlanca - 5-30-2013 at 02:15 PM

That bakery must be pretty good....Les says he went one and they had no bread left.

Actually..

Bajahowodd - 5-30-2013 at 03:58 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Pescador
The bakery that Mulegena went to is a favorite of Cachanos (people from Santa Rosalia) and is owned and operated by the head baker from El Boleo who decided after many years of baking for El Boleo that he wanted to start out on his own. He signed a non-compete clause which meant he could not advertise and could not sell in close proximity to the existing bakery, but he has a great following and a lot of support. He does all of the buns for a very famous Hot Dog Stand which will remain un-named here. A lot of stores, restaurants, and individuals support his business but you are right, you do need to know where to go to find it.
As for the Palmas RV Park, it has been closed for quite some time now and according to some of my friends (how would I know) has become a nightclub with scantily clad women dancing on a stage, table, or whatever.
El Boleo mine was started by a British Columbia investment consortium, but is now owned 51% by Korean interests.

Although a BC company ran the mine from the mid-20th century, it was originally started by the French way before that. Hence, the look of the architecture of the town, not resembling anything Mexican.

Kgryfon - 5-30-2013 at 11:35 PM

Maybe it's just me, but why is the woman doing all the work while the guy stands at the counter daydreaming? :lol:

Pescador - 5-31-2013 at 06:56 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by Bajahowodd
El Boleo mine was started by a British Columbia investment consortium, but is now owned 51% by Korean interests.

The history of the El Boleo Mine, located on the Baja Peninsula of Mexico, dates back to the late 1880s when a French company began mining high-grade copper ore from the desolate coastal area where the town of Santa Rosalia now sits. Various companies have worked the mine over the years, as prices for precious metals rose and fell, and more advanced extraction methods allowed for the mining of lower-grade minerals including manganese, zinc and cobalt.

MMB or Baja Mining Company started the project but due to cost overruns and other factors everything was coming to a standstill until the Koreans stepped up and purchased 51% (or more) and now are involved in completing the development of the mine.

Eiffel in Baja!

David K - 5-31-2013 at 09:54 AM

In 2011, I wrote this short story of Santa Rosalia's history for Baja Bound:

While Baja California is a region of Mexico, one town in Baja started out as a little piece of France. The story begins in 1868 when some very rich copper ore was discovered by José Rosas Villavicencio. The Villavicencio family has been in central Baja since 1732 when one enlisted as a Spanish soldier to protect the missions. José found the ore as blue- green spheres (boleos) and he had a ship captain take them across the gulf to Guaymas to be analyzed. Two German men paid José 16 pesos for the location of the copper and small scale prospecting began. The discovery was eventually seen by a French geologist from the House of Rothschild which purchased all the smaller mine claims in 1885.

The Boleo Mining Company was formed and constructed a network of roads, ranches, farms and water lines to supply the needs of the mine and miners. One thing over-looked was a church for the new town.

Alexander Gustave Eiffel (of Eiffel Tower fame) had designed a pre-fabricated metal church in 1884 as a prototype for missionary churches in France's tropical colonies. Built in 1887 to be strong enough to withstand severe tropical weather, the church is made from galvanized iron. In 1889 the church and the Eiffel Tower were put on display at the Paris World's Exposition. Gustave won first prize for the church's design.

Years later, an official for the French Boleo Mining Company learned of the church being stored in a Brussels warehouse. He purchased it and had the church shipped to Santa Rosalía where it was reassembled in 1897. It was given the name 'Iglesia de Santa Bárbara'.

The copper deposits thinned in the 1920's, but failing to sell their operation El Boleo continued mining until 1953. A Mexican company continued to work the mine and new activity from a Canadian company has promised a re-birth to the copper and also manganese mining. The Eiffel church, and many of Santa Rosalia's buildings and original hotels remain today along with some of the mine's hardware and a railroad engine. More history of the Santa Rosalia mine and town can be found in the San Diego History Center website.

With the completion of the Trans-peninsular Highway in 1973, and ferry service across the gulf to Guaymas, Santa Roaslía has blossomed into a tourist and service center for central Baja. Once called the ugliest town in Baja, the dusty, and sooty mine town has transformed. Santa Rosalia is now an attractive and interesting town. The town's black sand beach is most interesting and a reminder the proximity to the giant volcano system of Las Tres Vírgenes. The Eiffel designed church remains one of Santa Rosalía's biggest tourist attractions.

Getting There

As you drive through Santa Rosalia, the church is easily accessed from Highway 1. As you pass the Santa Rosalia harbor you will come to a roundabout directly across from the boat ramp. Head west on Alvaro Obregón street for two blocks and the church will be on your right. GPS coordinates are approximately 27 20'13.57"N and 112 16'6.83"W. If all of the sightseeing has stirred up an appetite, one block further west of the church you will find the Panaderia El Boleo, which claims to be the most famous bakery in the world!

BajaBlanca - 5-31-2013 at 02:17 PM

The black sand beach is so filthy now. It was never cleaned up properly after the hurricane.