Getting Peachy With The Little Wheat

In a quaint residential street just off the I-15, in the heart of San Diego, sits a discreet bakeshop that churns out the freshest pies and pastries. Once exiting the freeway, you turn the corner into the Normal Heights neighborhood, and the cute bungalow that houses The Little Wheat is peaceful, and really quite opposite to the busy California interstate.

Another paradox would be the owner herself; though she’s worked in some of the busiest commercial bakeries, and now runs a one-woman show in her cottage operation, Chef Allison Anspach's demeanor is calm to the core. But I am not surprised one bit, my former culinary school classmate is the walking definition of chill.

Though many bakers' interest in the oven sparked as children in their mama's kitchens, Allison's baking journey began during her formative years in college. Upon moving from Florida to New Orleans to attend Tulane University, she was instantly hit by the rich food culture of the Crescent City.

A double major in Italian and Environmental Studies, she jumped at the chance to study abroad in Italy. Soaking in the culture for one year, Allison recalls how Italian locals would go to the market daily for fresh ingredients from nearby farmers.

Aside from the focus on freshness and attention to quality ingredients, the Italian way of life drew Allison to fall in love with food past mere consumption. She loved how their daily lives are centered around the table, gathering to share food and stories intimately.

Returning home to the states newly inspired, Allison immediately searched for work in the restaurant industry. It was by pure fortune (or maybe destiny) that her first job by way of her roommate's connections, was at a bakery and a vegan one at that!

Determined to get her foot in the door, Allison took their "bread only" position and learned everything she could to make food. This is where her love for baking blossomed. After a year, her college programs had her traveling again, this time to Washington D.C.

Already primed for the oven, she took another bakery job at the newly opened and ambitious A Baked Joint. Here Allison learned the ins and outs of the baking world as part of their inaugural kitchen crew, moving back south after a year for college graduation.

Feet firmly on the culinary path, Allison found herself in school again, this time in California at the San Diego Culinary Institute. This is my culinary alma mater folks, and Miss Anspach was a force to be reckoned with!

Ok, not really. Allison did not force her way through anything. We were all there on equal ground to build our baking foundations. But speaking for myself, it was obvious to me at least, that Allison was well beyond the amateur level in the kitchen. Instead of brandishing her talents like she was in the first episode of a Food Network competition, her focus was squarely on the oven and this alone made her magnetic.

Years later I asked how she always remained calm and unfazed, never seemingly as stressed as the rest of us. She simply responded, "It's not brain surgery, it's baking! Also, how can you not be happy when baking?!".

Graduating the top of her class, and with great respect from this blogger and the rest of the school, she dove into the San Diego culinary scene coincidentally under just that, a Food Network star's flagship restaurant.

While being an extern at Brian Malarkey's popular restaurant Herb & Wood was no small endeavor, her eyes were set on learning from the bread masters of Prager Brothers Artisan Breads. For months she pursued the chefs, well after her externship hours were over. With persistence, she landed a job and continued aside them for 4.5 years. I must emphasize the importance of the .5, as they were the hardest 5-6 months of her life. During that time, she prepared herself to truly step out on her own and braced herself for her biggest challenge yet, opening up The Little Wheat.

On January 2022, the cottage ovens of The Little Wheat fired up. Since then she has sold bread and pastries all over San Diego county at farmers' markets and pop-up events. She's extended herself to taking on online orders and deliveries, and at the rate she's going, I wouldn't be surprised to find her creations at your nearest SD coffee shop soon.

For now, I chose to order the most delectable creations off her website, the pies! With summer in full swing, my eyes grew into anime-size globes as I laid them on her Peach Pie. (A close second was Corn Custard Pie!) I didn't want to just taste them or photograph their wonderfully textured top crust; I wanted to DEVOUR it... alone... under the warm Cali sun with an iced tea. Excuse me, I'm having a moment.

Alright, I'm back. Back to the pie! Allison proudly bakes her Peach Pie with only Smit Farms peaches, a Cali-based family-owned farm that produces organic fruits for over four decades. Their peaches are plump and juicy, which is what you'd expect from the bounty of our Golden State soil.

It was the fruit itself that inspired her to load it up into a pie, surrounded by a rich, buttery crust. Lastly, she tops it off with a crumble that massages your tongue in all the right places as you succumb to the peachy gooey goodness.

Fresh out of the oven, it all melts together. But Allison urges me to patiently give it a moment. Parts of the filling ooze out to tease me from under the corn streusal topping, but I wait. Toward the edges, close to the fun fluting of the thick pie crust, that same oozy filling cools slightly into a caramel-like thickness and color. I must say, worth the wait.

The bottom of the crust is thin and flaky, made to give all the room for the star of the show, the peaches. Even the hint of char on the crust acts as an accent to the fruit and is reminiscent of grilled summer peaches.

But don't fret all your crust lovers, the streusel topping is thick and generous, more than making up for the crust-to-filling ratio. And the pie crust edge.... just THICK and beautiful. I swear to you, tearing a buttery chuck off and dipping it into the glossy filling without it crumbling till it got chomped in my mouth; so. damn. satisfying. No, this isn't your delicate, crumbly short crust for the little tarts. This is your hearty, can-grab-with-your-hand-and-eat-it like-pizza kind of crust; yet it's still buttery and tender, crumbling just right and not annoyingly chewy at all.

And the peaches. Oh Justin Bieber eat your heart out! These California peaches shine bright under the magic of Chef Allison. The cinnamon, ginger, and brown sugar come in just the right amounts around the juicy peach chunks. If you were in search of the perfect summer pie, you have found it! Even if you weren't looking, I hope you can go give this scrumptious pie a try, and tell Allison I sent you! ;-)

The Summer's almost over, so don't miss out! This heavenly Peach Pie can be ordered on https://www.allisonthebaker.com/.

If you find Allison at the market, be sure to share and tag @thelittlewheat and myself, @tiffbsweet.

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