Baking Bread
How three self-taught bakers turned passion and persistence into purpose
By Dena Al-Fadhli
When Ahmed AlRefai sold his first cake — a babka, popular in Eastern Europe — to a stranger on Instagram, he had no idea it would propel him into a life devoted to baking. But something clicked that day in the kitchen. 'I felt something different. It was like everything around me became blocked,' he recalled.
That first transaction — for KD 5 — became what he now calls his 'first investment'. Working from the small apartment kitchen he shared with a roommate, AlRefai began baking regularly through the night. His roommate wasn't always thrilled by the chaos that ensued well into the early hours, but AlRefai made peace offerings in the form of a scone or two. 'I didn't really know where I was going with it,' he admitted, 'but I knew it felt good.'
As his passion deepened, so did his ambition. Determined to specialize, he set his sights on one of baking's most notoriously difficult challenges: the bagel. 'I chose bagels because they're one of the most difficult to master due to their low hydration,' he explained. What followed was a year and a half of self-guided trial and error — countless hours in the kitchen and endless experimentation with dough.
Today, AlRefai runs his own bagel shop, welcoming customers from across Kuwait and beyond. Some come in for their very first bagel; others, for their seventieth. But for AlRefai, it's never just been about the bagel. 'It's about the interaction,' he said. 'What's your dream? Where do you work? What do you want to do — and how can I help you do it? You want to resign? Let's talk about how to make that happen.'
For him, food is simply the medium through which a deeper human connection is made. That sentiment resonates with Aya Ghader, another self-taught baker in Kuwait whose perfect recipe isn't defined by the precise balance of ingredients but by her ability to connect with people.
'I always like to put myself in the customer's shoes,' she said. 'If they're celebrating their child's first birthday or marking a big milestone, I try to imagine I'm that person — the mom of the kid, the bride getting married. I try to feel the joy of the occasion to get the best result.'
Like AlRefai, Ghader's journey also began with a single Instagram order. And like him, she chose a challenge right from the start: Macarons. Known for their delicate structure and unforgiving nature, macarons became her obsession. 'I'm competitive,' she told Kuwait Times. 'When something doesn't work, I just push myself harder until it does.'
Ghader's customers are not the only connections she's formed through baking. As she spent countless nights in the kitchen well past midnight experimenting with flavors and textures, the kitchen became her refuge — a space of calm during stressful or anxious moments. Over time, she even developed personal relationships with her baking equipment. 'I name every piece,' she said. 'The biggest mixer is called Big Mama, the smaller one is Silvie, and my first coffee machine is called Marzo.'
Twelve months and more than a hundred failed attempts later, she landed on the perfect macaron recipe — one that is now sold in her very own bakery. Running a business and baking full-time can be overwhelming, but what keeps Ghader going is the legacy she's building:
'I want my nieces, nephews, and the next generation to see that anything is possible — that you can leave behind more good than you came in with.'
Lolwah, a Kuwaiti-Moroccan baker, has shown that same unyielding passion and perseverance since childhood. Her journey began in Salmiya at just five years old, standing on the sidewalk with a tray of homemade cupcakes. She recalls a vivid memory from that time — one sweltering afternoon with only one cupcake left to sell. She remembers catching sight of a man running past, clearly in a rush. 'He said he didn't have time to stop,' she recalled, 'but I yelled and yelled after him to buy it off of me — and eventually he agreed.'
She returned home that day having sold out. That same spirit of determination continued to grow as she decided to take her baking to the next level. Years later, when a friend invited her to help at a fundraiser for Palestine, Lolwah committed to baking 150 cookies from scratch. She wasn't fully aware of how exhausting the process would be, but she followed through nonetheless. Baking isn't Lolwah's only strength; she also has a gift for persuasion and a deep commitment to her craft.
With the launch of her Instagram-based cookie business, she constantly experiments with recipes and flavors, often coaxing her friends into taste-testing — even when they're overwhelmed by sugar. As a one-woman operation, she balances every aspect of the business: baking, delivery and marketing. 'The pressure is real,' she admitted. 'But knowing I can make someone's day makes it all worth it.'
For these three bakers, the daily challenges of running a business don't discourage them. If anything, they fuel the drive to keep going — one baked good at a time.
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