Maria is originally from Vigo, in the North West of Spain, and came to the US in 2014 to pursue her PhD in Food Engineering. She started baking bread because she missed Spanish bread so much but the recipes she tried never turned out very well.

It wasn’t until she started doing research in bread that she learned all the science behind a loaf and understood how to read dough. First with the machines in the lab, and later at home. She soon realized baking bread was her passion and loves to challenge herself with new techniques and recipes. 

Maria is currently working as a postdoctoral researcher where she investigates the applications of bioactive compounds and how to develop functional food with them. Some of the projects include high fiber bread, cereal bars, and seaweed powders.

In addition to break making, she enjoys making other fermented food, taking care of her new plant collection and sitting on the porch to watch the rain. 

Fun fact: She always starts her daily wordle with the word “bread”