OC Baking Company with Dean Kim

Rather than laced with bread crumbs, Dean Kim’s journey down the bread path as a baker began when the aroma of yeast meeting gluten greeted him as he made his way along the Bay Area’s Telegraph Avenue in the early 1990s.

“As I walked past Noah’s New York Bagels, the smell of baking bread intoxicated me,” says the owner of OC Baking Co. in Orange, which produces artisanal breads for hotels, restaurants and venues throughout Southern California.

“Noah’s had a help wanted sign, so I went in and got the job boiling and baking bagels,” says Kim.  “They say once you get the baking bug, you can’t stop baking, and it’s true.  Since that first job, the majority of my days are spent with bread.  The taste, smell, and even the sound of baked bread out of the oven crackling as it settles, continues to entice me."

After spending several years learning the craft of bread making in Northern California, including at Metropolis Baking Company, Kim returned to Southern California, where he was born and raised, and began working at a small Orange County bakery.  From there he moved to Breads ‘n Spreads in Mission Viejo, which he ran for 15 years.

“I came to Orange County, because I wanted to spend more time with my mother and stepfather,” says Kim.  “I thought I’d eventually go back to Northern California, but I ended up staying.”

After he left Breads ‘n Spreads, Kim was heavily recruited for his skills as an artisan baker, but his wife, Ming, encouraged him to strike out on his own.  “I always thought of myself as a great employee, but Ming insisted I had potential, so I opened OC Baking Company in Orange six years ago.  It’s been a great blessing.”

OC Baking Co. is a 24/7, 365-days-a-year facility that produces an average of 20,000-30,000 units of bread a day.  Kim originally opened a 10,000-square-foot facility, but outgrew it within five years and last August moved to a 22,000-square-foot facility, also in Orange.

“After I opened my first location in Orange, I fell in love with the city,” says Kim.  “Now I also live in the community.”

Kim and his good friend, Michael Rossi, Executive Chef of The Ranch Restaurant & Saloon in Anaheim, met 19 years ago when they were both starting out in the culinary world.

“We’ve been on the journey together, and it’s been great to see Dean’s success,” says Rossi, an Orange native.  “Since opening the OC Baking Company, he’s become an Orange fixture.  He’s an accomplished guy with a strong work ethic and a penchant for research and development.  The demand for his product is high—for good reason.  His bread is fantastic, and he’s fearless when it comes to trying new things.  We’ve worked on some projects together at the Ranch, such as our signature Wagon Wheel bread that consists of seven bread roll flavors.  His bread comes every day, and it’s always perfect.”

Longtime Orange resident Shannon Tucker agrees. “OC Baking Co. breads are amazing.  They’re always trying new concepts in bread, and they strive for perfection.  Dean works very long hours, has a crazy sense of humor and is kind beyond words.  He’ll be the first with an idea to help a cause in the community.  Although he says that he’s only a baker, he’s shown me that with heart (and bread) anyone and any business can have an impact on a community and its people.”

One of Kim’s favorite aspects of baking and sharing his bread is the relationships doing so has brought him.  “Breaking bread together is a sign of friendship, and I’ve gotten such great relationships because of bread,” he says.  “Much of today’s bread is no longer handmade, but produced through conglomerates.  Here in Orange, I love sharing the art of bread making.  It’s so rewarding to make a loaf of handcrafted bread and watch people enjoy it.”

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If you would like to try OC Baking Co. bread, visit the Orange Home Grown Farmers & Artisans Market every Saturday in Old Towne, which is the only location where you’ll find Kim’s bread sold retail.  For information about the farmers market, visit www.OrangeHomeGrown.org.  For information about OC Baking Co., visit www.OCBakingCo.com.