Meet Angela (Angie) Glucksman: Baking instructor and early education teacher

We had the good fortune of connecting with Angela (Angie) Glucksman and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Angela (Angie), what was your thought process behind starting your own business?
Well, first of all, it’s a side business. My full time job is being a state preschool teacher for LAUSD. I’m also an adjunct teacher at Pierce College. However, my bread baking classes are my passion. I started this business because I truly love baking bread and I love teaching others. I’ve always been a baker. I remember baking with my mom and my grandma at a young age. By the age of 10 I was baking cakes and breads on my own. I’ve dabled in cake decorating and bake all of the birthday cakes for my nieces, nephews, and my own children . So baking has always been a love of mine. I learned to bake sourdough from a friend of mine who is actually a former student’s mom. She lives close to my school and would always bring me loaves of sourdough fresh out of the oven. She always said she would teach me but I didn’t think I had the time. Well, when the pandemic started I found myself at home with more time on my hands. So I called my friend and I said that I was ready to learn. I picked up some starter from her and she taught me via facetime and I fell in love with baking this bread. My family loved it and I found myself baking more and more and more. After a few months, I was on a walk and I started thinking about all of the online cooking classes some of my friends were taking and wondering if people would take sourdough bread classes online. During my hour long walk, I came up with some ideas and then I called my dad to talk it over with him. He had owned his own restaurant when I was young so I value his opinion on running a small business. I also talked it over with my husband and he said to go for it. So I posted that weekend on my facebook page and the West Hills facebook page and held my very first class the following weekend. I had 11 students and it was great. I quickly realized that I loved sharing this experience with others. There is something so fullfilling about making bread for me and sharing that feeling with others is amazing. Since that first class back in July 2020, I have taught over 30 classes and had over 150 students. I have started teaching other types of baking, too. Along the way, I have met so many wonderful people and have this great sourdough community.

Alright, so for those in our community who might not be familiar with your business, can you tell us more?
My business is called Sourdough Sister. I mainly teach sourdough bread baking classes but have also branched out and am teaching challah bread baking as well as cookie classes right now. What I am most proud of is that I have been able to share this craft with so many people in such a short amount of time. I have had over 150 students take my classic sourdough bread class and many of them have returned to take my speciality flavored sourdough classes. I have also had the chance to host some kids classes, including kid’s birthday parties. All of my classes take place via zoom, so they are a safe option for people during the pandemic. What I want people to know about my business is how much I truly enjoy teaching others to bake. I love sharing this experience with other people and I think that shows during my classes. Also, I am always available for questions or concerns when it comes to baking. I often joke that I should hold “Bread Office Hours” like I hold office hours for my preschool and college students because I get so many emails and texts about bread. 🙂 These baking classes have been a light during this dark time for me and I hope that I have been able to provide that for others, too.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
Oh, I miss friends visiting! Let’s see, I would definitely take them to the beach first. I would love to take them on some fun LA hikes in the Santa Monica mountains, too. Also, really enjoy visiting downtown LA, especially Grand Central Market and the neighborhoods around there. Two of my most favorite places downtown are The Last Bookstore and the Central Library. There are also so many fabulous musems here in LA that I would take them to-the Getty, The Broad, and the Tar Pits. A game at Dodger stadium is a must along with a dodger dog while you are there!

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
Kim Tjenalooi-taught me how to make sourdough Alex Vaisman-my 15 year old nephew who has helped me navigate my business on social media Brian, Ella, and Brody Glucksman-my family, who are always willing to taste my creations, even the failures! Instagram Sourdough Bakers-so many instagram sourdough pages where people share their love of baking, ideas on different techniques

Website: currently working on creating one

Instagram: sourdough.sister

Facebook: Sourdough Sister

Other: email: sourdoughsister22@gmail.com