Originally from Europe, Angelo Popolare has always had a passion for baking and captures the essence of traditional European bread-making in his sourdough loaves. Trained at Italy’s prestigious Alma Culinary School and seasoned in various Michelin-starred kitchens across Europe and the US, he is bringing a slice of artisan dedication to midcoast Maine. He was pushed by the pandemic to leave the restaurant industry and decided at that time to venture out on his own. With over two decades of experience working as a chef, he had plenty of skills for managing the workflow and timing of a bakery (which can be especially difficult when you are working with natural yeast!) and shortly after moving to Maine, he and his wife Amanda started Demetra by building out a commercial bakery from his home in Appleton. Demetra is the Italian name for Demeter and is the Greek goddess of agriculture and harvest. She represents the earth’s bounty and cycle of the seasons and is also known as the “grain-mother,” which seemed very fitting for Angelo’s all natural, handmade breads. Transforming a residential space into a commercial bakery was tricky, but the reward of having a 2 minute commute made it worthwhile– which is especially useful when your workday starts at 3am!
The bakery began as an experiment to see where it could take them and started with two 12-loaf ovens and a small stand mixer. Once the bread started selling, demand increased and they quickly had to evolve and upgrade their workspace and equipment. They now bake using a Pollin Deck oven that they bought from Italy, which can bake 36 loaves at a time and do it better and in less time than before. They have also added other useful equipment to their bakery, such as a larger mixer, a proofer, a dough divider, and more (all of which have made it possible for one person to continue making all of their bread!)
Angelo and Amanda have been amazed by how quickly their business connected them to the community. They immediately started hearing from their customers and would frequently find people waiting for their morning deliveries at various locations. Even when dropping their kids off at school, they would find folks offering feedback about how much they enjoyed Demetra bread. They have done some farmers markets and events, as well, which has been a valuable way to connect with other local vendors and an opportunity for the collaboration of ingredients and ideas. Demetra tries to source as many local and sustainable ingredients as possible for their bread. All of their sourdough loaves contain flour from Maine Grains, who work with each of their farmers to create transparent, sustainable and economically feasible trade relations. In 2025, the bakery hired their first employee to help with deliveries, but Angelo and Amanda continue to make all of the bread by hand themselves.
Today, Demetra Bread wholesales to farm stands and local markets, where Angelo’s commitment to authentic, fresh bread is evident in every loaf: “Our bread is crafted to be enjoyed the day it’s made, bringing a taste of Europe to every table.” They are becoming known throughout Midcoast and Downeast Maine for perfecting old-world sourdough with nothing but flour, water, and salt—plus a little magic. As of May 12th, the Blue Hill Co-op is thrilled to be stocking Demetra in our fresh bread section. Co-op shoppers can look forward to deliveries of Country Sourdough, Rosemary Olive Sourdough, Cracked Grain Wheat Sourdough, Focaccia, Baguettes and Demetra’s seasonal Sourdough Boule every Tuesday.
Be sure to follow them on Instagram @demetrabread for updates from the bakery!
