What were your favorite foods growing up?
I'm from Guatemala and enjoyed eating a specialty of fresh green corn tortillas. Also, traditional bread that we made at home called cruz because it looked like a cross. I also thought it looked like an airplane.

When did you decide you wanted to be a baker?
Well I come from a baking tradition. My dad and grandmother were bakers. In Guatemala I didn't want to do it when I was young but, when I moved to America, I missed my country and one of the ways that I connected to it was through baking. So I found my calling here in America.

Where and when did your career in food begin?
Well, I first worked for Sullivan St. Bakery. I started off cleaning and just watching. And slowly I learned everything and now I'm the head baker. When Sullivan St. Bakery split into Sullivan and Grandaisy Bakery I stayed at the same place where I learned a lot. I love it.

If you didn't become a baker, what would you be?
I love food. So maybe a chef.

Who/what has shaped your cooking the most over the years?
My Dad. I learned a lot from him when I was young. He taught me to work hard and instilled in me a passion for bread.

What are your favorite culinary weapons in the kitchen?
Well, I'm a big believer in flour power.

How have you taken such an artisanal product, such as bread, and made it your own?
I had a lot of experience and learned a lot at Sullivan St. When it split I got a chance to experiment. Something I could not do before. Now we have new products like brioche bread our award-winning panne sette grani.

What is your favorite secret ingredient?
Honestly, I don't have one. Making great bread is no secret. It just the best ingredients and skilled, artful technique.

What is the one rule or value you try to instill in all of your staff?
Respect for themselves, for the products and for each other. If we follow this rule then it much easier to make great quality products.

What is your favorite bakery item to produce?
The pizza Bianca is my favorite. It's relatively simple to make with practice. But I love the reaction from people when they see this 6 foot long flat bread. We have kids tours where they see me make it and they go crazy for the bread.

What was the most challenging meal you had to make? Why?
Well, the hardest day at work was my first day as head baker. I knew I had the experience but I was still
nervous.

What is your least favorite food?
I don't like sour cream. I don't get what all the fuss is about.

What is your beverage of choice?
I love beer. Wheat beer is probably my favorite.

What are some recent baking and culinary trends you have been observing?
The trend, I think, is for healthier products. Probably our most popular bread at the moment is the one mentioned before, the pane sette grani or seven-grain bread. It's made from organic whole wheat flour and loaded with seven grains as well as with roasted sunflower and pumpkin seeds.

When you are not in the kitchen, where can we find you?
On the soccer field or taking nap. Baker's hours are hard.

Which foreign country inspires your style most?
Guatemala, of course

What was the most spectacular meal you have ever had?
There are too many to name. It's why I live in New York. There are so many great places to eat. I'd like to think that we are one of those places. So I can't pick just one

What is your best baking tip for a home enthusiast?
Keep practicing. Bread baking takes many years, and you make many mistakes. I still make mistakes sometimes.

What do you eat when you are home?
Meat. I love meat. I love steak and salads.