OVER 700...
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When I launched IZOLA back in 2020, I just wanted a good loaf of bread. I didn't have any training in baking, but I knew what tasted good to me, so I began obsessively testing different methods, different room temperatures and bake strategies.
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For our croissants, after over 700 tests, we know which ingredients taste the best, what temperature the room must be at when we're laminating them, the thickness that the dough and butter must be rolled to in each stage of the lamination process, everything.
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Recently we've been running a test on the milk we use in our croissants, testing our existing milk against a different brand. It seemed like it would be a straightforward test - a simple blind taste test to see if we could taste any difference in the two types of milk. But there is a reason why we insist on testing and verifying every part of the process before any changes are implemented, as this effort proved to be no exception!
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TEST ONE: In our first test, the control croissants were overproofed, resulting in a breadier texture with small, tight pockets when you slice one in half. On the other hand the test croissants were vastly underproofed, with big air pockets but the webbing was thick and doughy. Yet both the control and test were proofed on the same tray in the same proofer and baked at the same time. So we thought, ok, maybe it was because of the yeast - two different pieces of yeast were used for the control and test.
TEST TWO: Our Dojo team remade the test, using yeast from the exact same block of fresh yeast. In test 2, we no longer had the proofing issue but the test croissants came out too short in height.
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TEST THREE: For test 3 we made sure to obtain the average weight of the test and control croissants and the test were actually coming in slightly heavier and so should not have come in short. Oddly enough, we again experienced proofing issues with the test croissant - some looked beautiful, others again were underproofed. Though the results were nowhere near ideal, we proceeded to a blind taste test to at least see if we could taste any difference in flavor.
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The results?
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2 taste testers favored the test milk, another 2 the original milk - a straight down the middle, 50/50 split!
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BUT...what we quickly realized was that each and every taste tester chose the FIRST croissant they tried as their winner. A classic example of the primacy effect in full force...
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And so here we are, about 2.5 weeks into our test and just as puzzled...But you can bet that we won't rollout any changes unless we see an improvement over what we serve now.
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Ready to experience our traditional croissant - one that has taken us over 700 tests to arrive at? Pre-orders are open now, or just pop on by for a croissant served hot from the oven.
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We are open and baking hot from the oven every Tuesday - Sunday, 7a-2p.
NEW ADDITIONÂ
Today we launched a new organic Coconut Soda from Tractor Beverage. We love Tractor for their belief that beverages should be prepared with the same intention as the food they accompany. The Coconut Soda is delightfully refreshing and is crafted from organic coconut cream and has flavor notes of vanilla and sugar cane. Not overly sweet, allowing the coconut to shine.
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We hope you love it as much as we do!
LAST WEEK!
Last week for nominations! Our fave local magazine, San Diego Magazine, is closing out the nomination window for their annual Best of San Diego list. Love IZOLA? We'd love it if you nominated us for Best Bakery!
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Nominations are open just until the end of the month....
SATURDAY LIVE MUSIC
Every Saturday between 8a-1p, we host local musicians at IZOLA. Come on by and enjoy the abundance of talent that we have here in our community! Here's a little sampling of who will be by this Saturday:
KAHLIL NASH
9-10a
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Emerging from the elite San Diego music scene in California, San Diego Music Award winner Kahlil Nash is a Funk/Rock and R&B recording artist/producer who is a multi-instrumentalist. Influenced by artists Michael Jackson, Jimi Hendrix, and Prince, Kahlil Nash thrives to entertain his audience.(And he is one of our musical directors, responsible for curating the thoughtful lineup of artists each weekend - thank you Kahlil!)
KAYLEE DAUGHERTY
10-11a
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Kaylee Daugherty is an up-and-coming singer in the San Diego jazz scene. With roots in gospel and R&B, her musical interpretations come with soul and passion.
KATRIZ TRINIDAD
11a-12p
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We're excited to welcome singer/songwriter Katriz Trinidad to IZOLA. She has found great enjoyment in performing music genres such as Neo-Soul and R&B where she explores the most of her creativity, especially through her songwriting. She has appeared on The Voice and has performed at NFL, NBA and MLB games.
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THE WILD CHILD
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The Moroccan Black Olive Chocolate Croissant is an IZOLA insider favorite. It sounds a little weird (olives and chocolate?!), it's not usually the first menu item someone tries, but once people try it, they become part of a secret fan club. We call it the "MBO" for short and it is the wild child of croissants!
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We start by chopping black Beldi olives - olives that are picked when fully ripe, then salt-cured. The flavor-packed olives are mixed into a dough made with buckwheat and sourdough starter, which adds a nutty and slightly acidic dynamic. A single bar of Valrhona dark chocolate gives it a small hint of surprising sweetness. As they come out of the oven, our Bake team gives them their final finishing touch - a light brushing of walnut oil, oil crafted in Iguerande, France in the Burgundy region.
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We dare you to try it! What've you got to lose with the IZOLA Almighty Guarantee?! If you don't love it, we'll happily refund ya.
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We are open and baking hot from the oven every Tuesday - Sunday, 7a-2p. PRE-ORDER NOW
LAST CHANCE
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Our Currants & Spice Sourdough will be available this weekend, then it is gone! We also have frozen loaves available for you to stock up on. It makes a killer French Toast....
Our fave local magazine, San Diego Magazine, is kicking off their annual Best of San Diego nominations. Love IZOLA? We'd love it if you nominated us for Best Bakery!
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Nominations are open just until the end of the month....
Before IZOLA, I spent two decades as a photographer, director, producer. I've always been
drawn toward creating experiences and storytelling. One of my favorite ways to spend a couple of hours off is to be transported away by great storytelling. This week Jenny and I finally watched Will & Harper, a documentary following Will Ferrell and his friend Harper Steele as they take a road trip across America. Harper recently transitioned and is exploring how her world as a trans woman looks now, while Will Ferrell processes this new stage in his 30-year friendship with Harper and asks the unfiltered questions that many of us wish we could ask.
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I usually choose movies that transport me to another world. They allow me to release all my worries and concerns and provide a couple of hours of awe and raw emotion. Will & Harper was not that—it was hard to watch, personal, and very close to home. Yet many times, doing the hard, uncomfortable thing is what helps us grow.
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Every single day, when I get dressed in my floral button-down shirt, vintage vest, scarf (or two or three), and black and white Docs, I feel like ME, I AM ME. For forty years prior, I dressed in an understated pair of jeans or trousers and a plain collared shirt, playing dress up as another man. But even though the clothes I wear today reflect who I am and make me feel like a person, each and every time I take a step out of our house to face the day, I take a deep breath and leave in fear.
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I am fearful that today is the day that someone will cuss me out.
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I am fearful that today I must bear hearing yet another hurtful queer "joke."
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I am fearful that today is the day that someone may try to hurt me, or worse yet, Jenny.
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I am fearful that I won't be ready when it comes.
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I am fearful that I will run and not fight.
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When Jenny asked me why I choose not to run, my answer is simple: I am tired — exhausted from a life filled with fear. Choosing to stand up is not just a decision; it’s a powerful step I can take to transform my daily reality.
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So today, I choose to share something very personal and private with you in the hope that it might help even one person find more love for the people around them, more empathy, and more openness to those who may come from a different country, have a different skin color, or wear different clothes.
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Please watch Will & Harper - it is an intimate look into what it feels like to not fit the mold of what society perceives as "normal." It also shows us that it's ok to have questions and it's ok to not understand - but what really matters is that we approach each other with kindness, compassion, and a willingness to try to understand. And to those of us in the Rainbow Community, let's show compassion to those working to understand us. The world has changed rapidly in the last 50 years, and expanding one’s worldview to embrace inclusivity takes time.
SATURDAY LIVE MUSIC
Every Saturday between 8a-1p, we host local musicians at IZOLA. Come on by and enjoy the abundance of talent that we have here in our community! Here's a little sampling of who will be by this Saturday:
LEATEA
8-9aÂ
Leatea (San Diego native Dylann Jelden) has been a musician all her life, beginning with classical violin at age 4. She began writing songs and incorporating guitar in high school. She performs regularly in San Diego. (And she is one of our musical directors, responsible for curating the thoughtful lineup of artists each weekend - thank you Dylann!)
KIT GotSomeBeats
9-10a
Kit is a dynamic artist whose journey began as a DJ spinning house tracks, evolving into a celebrated figure in hip-hop culture. Known for his turntablism mastery, Kit combines scratches, beat juggling, and live finger drumming to create sets that are both technically impressive and emotionally powerful.
Kit's performances are more than music-they re storytelling, where every scratch and transition speaks to his passion for rhythm and sound.
TAYLOR JOHNS
10-11a
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Taylor Johns couldn’t pick a genre she loved most, so she does a little bit of pop, pop punk, country, soft rock, and whatever sounds good that day. She's just starting to share the music she's been writing for 2 decades and can’t wait for everyone to hear.
AARON BOWEN
11a-12p
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Aaron Bowen is a local San Diego musician, guitar builder, and well practiced recording artist. Bowen has recorded and produced many local musicians, he has truly lifted the music community in San Diego. His musical style encompasses many genres fused into a unique, well sculpted tone, that encapsulates the listener into a trance.
XAVY
12-1p
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Xavy is a San Diego native saxophonist with a wide range of musical interests. He is also a member of the Funk/R&B band Heaping Teaspoon.
TIME TO HEAD TO THE BIG EASY
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Take a pre Mardi Gras trip with us to the Central Market in New Orleans! Mortadella, Capicola, Salami and an amazing olive salad brings you right home in the Big Easy, served hot from the oven from IZOLA. You can't believe the flavors! I was skeptical, I admit, but it is deeee-licious.
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Our Bake team is baking all morning long so that we can serve our sourdough and croissants to you hot from the oven.
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Our Muffuletta Croissant is available for IZOLA Lunch, beginning at 11a.
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We are open every Tuesday - Sunday, 7a-2p.
LAST CHANCE
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Our Currants & Spice Sourdough will be retired next Friday, so it's your last chance....It may not feel like winter here in San Diego, but the warm, earthy spices in our Currants & Spice Sourdough will remind you that it's winter everywhere else. Filled with Zante Currants, and cozy, heartwarming spices like nutmeg, ginger and clove, it's so satisfying with a little Beurre D'Isigny and Maldon salt sprinkled on top.
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Available hot from the oven, frozen or frozen sliced.
Our fave local magazine, San Diego Magazine, is kicking off their annual Best of San Diego nominations. Love IZOLA? We'd love it if you nominated us for Best Bakery!
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Nominations are open just until the end of the month....
SATURDAY LIVE MUSIC
Every Saturday between 8a-1p, we host local musicians at IZOLA. Come on by and enjoy the abundance of talent that we have here in our community! Here's a little sampling of who will be by this Saturday:
NATE LUCIER
8-9a
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Nate Lucier of Nate Lucier's Rock N' Roll Orchestra. Playing original songs that have a rock n' roll vibe, but with a modern feel.
KAHLIL NASH
9-10a
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Emerging from the elite San Diego music scene in California, San Diego Music Award winner Kahlil Nash is a Funk/Rock and R&B recording artist/producer who is a multi-instrumentalist. Influenced by artists Michael Jackson, Jimi Hendrix, and Prince, Kahlil Nash thrives to entertain his audience.
DAN GINDLING
10-11a
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Dan Gindling has been playing guitar since 1972 when he first heard the band America and its debut album. Writing music has become his therapy and passion. You'll find him on the San Diego open mic scene where he has been enjoying the journey and hopes you enjoy his music too.
Kaylee Daugherty
11a-12p
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Kaylee Daugherty is an up-and-coming singer in the San Diego jazz scene. With roots in gospel and R&B, her musical interpretations come with soul and passion.