Our talented faculty and staff are dedicated to providing a comprehensive learning experience that provides rigorous hands-on training while fostering creativity. We deliberately maintain small class sizes to provide our students with the benefits of collaborative learning as well as individualized instruction.
President and Founder
The San Francisco Baking Institute was founded in 1996 by Michel Suas. A native of France, Michel started baking when he was 14 years old and trained under several renowned chefs before moving to the United States in 1986. Michel Suas is internationally recognized as an industry expert and thought leader, and is a strong advocate of using education to advance the appreciation and craft of artisan baking. The Bread Bakers’ Guild of America awarded Michel their Golden Baguette in recognition of his enormous contribution to the Guild and the artisan baking industry. The Bread Project named Michel an honorary life member in recognition of his guidance and support.
SFBI provides the baking industry with the highest level of education and consulting. These services have helped many of the world’s best-known bakeries develop operational efficiency and quality production. Advanced Bread and Pastry: A Professional Approach, written by Michel Suas, is a comprehensive guide to bread and pastry, designed as a resource for colleges and universities, private culinary schools, professionals, and dedicated enthusiasts
Baking and Pastry Instructor
Miyuki Togi works with SFBI as a bread, viennoiserie, and pastry instructor.
In 2006, Miyuki joined SFBI as an intern. Upon completing her internship, Miyuki was promoted to Assistant Instructor. She is integrally involved in most of the school’s activities – ranging from formula and course development to teaching. Miyuki contributed to publishing Advanced Bread and Pastry in a number of ways: she wrote and edited, she created products for photoshoots, and she guided the effort to create an extensive library of video footage for every process of every formula in the book.
Miyuki created a number of decorative displays out of bread. In 2008, she worked with Kate Good, Safa Hamzé, and Mac McConnell to create the enormous bread snail for Slow Food Nation. At SF Chefs. Food. Wine. event in 2009, she led SFBI team to build a 24 feet long centerpiece featuring Golden Gate Bridge made out of bread dough. In 2012, Miyuki and SFBI team created replicas of dresses designed by Jean-Paul Gautier to celebrate Bastille Day at de Young Museum. For every Christmas season, she works with Kate Good to create a bread Christmas tree to decorate the window of Thorough Bread and Pastry.
Prior to joining SFBI, Miyuki graduated summa cum laude from Johnson & Wales University in Providence, Rhode Island, with a Bachelor’s degree in Culinary Arts and an Associate degree in Baking and Pastry Arts. She also studied at DCT Swiss Hotel Management School in Switzerland. Throughout her school years, Miyuki staged at restaurants in Providence, RI, and Boston, MA.
Baking and Pastry Instructor
Shuba is one of our instructors at SFBI focusing on Viennoiserie and Pastry. In 2015, Shuba joined the SFBI team as a baker before going on to become the Head of Pastry for our bakery, Thorough Bread and Pastry, where she managed the pastry line. Prior to working at SFBI, Shuba worked in the banking industry where she utilized her MBA in Finance. Shuba has always had a passion for baking, and after working for 5 years in the banking industry, she decided to pursue that passion and began working and teaching at Mission College before enrolling in the Baking and Pastry Arts program at City College of San Francisco. Upon graduation, she joined the SFBI team.
Baking Instructor
Theo’s bakery journey began in 2012 in Fresno, California at La Boulangerie de France Bakery and Cafe. She spent a few years behind the pastry counter at “La Bou”, sneaking into the kitchen to help with prep and assembly at any chance she could. In 2015 she moved and joined the team at Santa Cruz’s beloved sourdough bakery, Companion Bakeshop. While at Companion, Theo worked in all departments – bread, pastry and retail. She was a part of the leadership team as general manager, created systems, developed products and taught sourdough and pie classes for home bakers. When Theo left Companion, she went to work with pastry chef and business owner Jeanne Brooks at Bee’s Knees Bakery.
After leaving the central coast she traveled to the San Francisco Bay Area to work as a bread and pastry baker, and bakery manager at Backhaus Bakery. Theo also worked as a bread baker with the lovely team at Josey Baker Bread at the Mill in San Francisco.
Her love for bread and pastry deepens with each experience she has! Theo was thrilled to join the SFBI team in February of 2023.
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