Growing up in the Philippines, Meyah Chapman had never baked anything. There wasn't even an oven in the house.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
or signup to continue reading
"It was just like rice in a pot, and some basic foods," she said.
"I had no knowledge of sourdough, focaccia, cookies. No experience with ovens. Nothing."
Now, Meyah sells sourdough, focaccia and cookies to Batemans Bay locals under the name Mea's Artisan Bakehouse.
Meyah has a lot on her plate.
She's raising two small children and studying full-time for a Certificate III in Health Services Assistance. And she's just been accepted into a bachelor of nursing at the University of Wollongong.
Naturally, it was the perfect time to start a new business.
"There were tough days where I struggled to study, look after two little ones, and keep the house running, with no family around to help," she said.
"But I overcame those obstacles one by one, learning how strong I could be."
Meyah arrived from the Philippines in 2022, living in Merimbula before relocating to the Bay.
"It pushed me to become independent, to keep learning, and to try things I never imagined myself doing," she said.
The transition from enthusiastic amateur to semi-pro baker was swift.
Five months ago, Meyah had never tasted sourdough, let alone made it.
"I wanted to make something different, something healthier, something crafted with intention," she said.
"My husband kept mentioning sourdough, and one day I thought, 'What if I make one for him?'"
Meyah didn't just make one loaf. She started baking with something close to obsession.
"It was stubborn and unpredictable. I had many failed attempts: starters that wouldn't rise, dough that collapsed, focaccia that didn't puff," she said.
"But each mistake taught me something. I just kept saying to myself, I know I can do that. I just have to keep trying and trying."
Meyah's sourdough process is simple but not easy.
First, she makes a starter, which she feeds every day. Then she kneads a dough made from Laucke flour, which she cold-ferments for 12 to 18 hours. Finally, she bakes the loaves for 50 minutes, three at a time in her home oven.
"The easiest way to ruin the sourdough is when you over-ferment it, because the dough will collapse when you bake it," she said.
After baking daily for months, Meyah thought she might try selling some of her sourdough - as well as cookies and focaccia - through her husband's Facebook Marketplace account.
"It all started as a hobby. I never thought about selling bread. It wasn't part of any plan," Meyah said.
"But people just started buying, and then they started coming back."
Meyah sells her loaves for $10 each on Facebook, and appears at the Rotary Markets every first and third Sunday.
Along with your standard sourdough and wholemeal, she also makes jalapeno and cheddar variations and garlic and parmesan focaccia.
While the bakery is a side-hustle for the moment, Meyah said she's not sure where baking might take her.
"It took me so long to master this art," she said.
It took her two months.
