Casco Sourdough Club Panama: A Young Baker Reviving Old-World Bread in Casco Viejo
There are moments in Casco Viejo, also known as San Felipe, when something small catches your eye and refuses to leave. That was my experience with the Casco Sourdough Club Panama.
At first, it was just a simple post in our neighborhood chat bagels, made with sourdough, organic flour, and we deliver. I’ve spent my entire life in hotels, restaurants, and convention centers. I’ve seen hundreds of “little home projects” come and go. Most burn bright for a moment and then disappear when the hard work arrives.
This one did not disappear. Instead, it grew. It settled in over time. And it kept coming back to me in a way most “little neighborhood projects” never do.
A New Beginning: How a Simple Post Sparked Something Bigger
Two days with Caroline Carl, the 25-year-old behind the Casco Sourdough Club Panama, changed how I saw it. This isn’t a side project. It’s the early stage of what every revitalized European city eventually becomes known for that one small bakery you absolutely must experience.
Why the Casco Sourdough Club Panama Matters in Casco Viejo
How It All Began
The story began far from Panama. Caroline was visiting family in Germany. She was again struggling with gluten and feeling tired of fighting her own body. Her sister looked at her and said one simple line.
“Why don’t you bake your own bread?”
Most people would smile, agree politely, and forget that advice within a week. Caroline did something different. She paid attention. She started reading. She watched. She experimented. And slowly, she learned what sourdough could do when you respect time and fermentation.
Slow rises meant her body could handle bread again. Organic flour made a difference. Four basic ingredients, used correctly, changed how she felt. Without realizing it, she was laying the foundation for what would become the Casco Sourdough Club Panama.
European Roots You Can Taste at the Casco Sourdough Club Panama
Caroline did not arrive at this by accident. Her father is German. Her mother is from Lyon, France. Bread in these cultures is not a casual food. It is craft, tradition, and pride.
She grew up in a house where food was serious business. Her parents owned restaurants. Guests were always coming and going. Meals were cooked from scratch, again and again, week after week. Hospitality was not a trend in that home. It was a way of life.
That background explains the discipline you see at the Casco Sourdough Club in Panama. There is no gimmick here. No pretend “artisanal story” written after the fact. This is an old-world technique carried into a new neighborhood.
From Bagels to a Quiet Neighborhood Club
Like many good things, it started small. Caroline baked for herself. Then for friends. Then for more friends. At some point, people stopped saying, “This is good,” and started saying, “You need to charge for this.”
Bagels came first. After that, the bread followed. Focaccia joined the lineup soon after, and eventually she introduced pizza dough. Each step grew naturally as people asked for more, not because she pushed for expansion.
The club idea grew when she realised she needed a predictable volume, not for greed, but for quality. She wanted to know who was ordering, how much to make, and how much flour to buy. Growing the Casco Sourdough Club in Panama slowly allowed her to protect what mattered most. The integrity of the product.
A New Beginning: How a Simple Post Sparked Something Bigger
Inside the Craft at the Casco Sourdough Club Panama: A 48-Hour Discipline
Inside a Working Bakery the Size of a Hotel Room
Her production space is modest. Around fifteen by fifteen feet. Nothing dramatic. No gleaming show bakery with brass rails and marble. But it runs more efficiently than some hotel kitchens I have seen.
Dough rests. Dough folds. Dough ferments. Every stage has its time. She follows a 48-hour, ten-step cycle. Each stage is there for a reason. Nothing is rushed because sourdough does not negotiate with impatience.
I watched dough being stretched and folded. I watched bagels being boiled, then baked. Focaccia rose slowly under a light warmth. Loaves cooled on racks, still crackling. She tested the texture with her fingertips more often than she checked a clock. That is how you know a baker is serious. Timers help. Instinct finishes the job.
Ingrid: The Living Heart of the Casco Sourdough Club Panama
At the center of everything is Ingrid, her starter.
Ingrid is not a concept. Ingrid is alive. She must be fed, watched, and understood. A sourdough starter reacts to temperature, humidity, and care. It rewards patience and discipline, and it pushes back when ignored.
Caroline lifted the container and tapped it lightly against the worktable. “Look,” she said. “Ingrid is moving.” The surface shifted and bubbled in response. You could almost feel the breath in it.
Bakers will understand this immediately. A good starter becomes a member of the family. With the right care, Ingrid could outlive us all. That is the living engine behind every loaf at the Casco Sourdough Club in Panama.
The Standards That Hold This Little Bakery Together
Everything in this bakery is organic. Everything is handmade. Everything follows the rules she has set. No shortcuts. No “good enough.”
I asked an obvious question at one point. With a French mother, would she ever make croissants? Her answer was immediate.
“Not here. The butter would not be right. If the butter is not right, the croissant is wrong.”
That was it. Nothing dramatic. Just a simple line that said everything about her standards. She will not use ingredients she does not trust. She will not produce something that does not represent her training and values. The Casco Sourdough Club Panama is guided by that line in the sand.
How Travelers Can Experience the Casco Sourdough Club in Panama
This Is a Club, Not a Corner Bakery
The first thing travelers need to understand is this. The Casco Sourdough Club Panama is not a traditional walk-in bakery. There is no big shop front with steady opening hours.
Caroline runs on a production schedule tied directly to her orders. She mixes, ferments, shapes, and bakes around that rhythm. That is how she keeps waste low and quality high.
You cannot assume you will find shelves full of bread if you simply wander past. Sometimes you might get lucky. On many days, everything is already spoken for.
Pre-Order Only: How to Plan It into Your Trip
If you are staying in a hotel or Airbnb in Casco Viejo or Panama City, you should plan ahead. Reach out before you arrive. Let her know your dates, preferences, and quantities.
From there, she can build your order into her schedule. You pick up at an agreed time, or arrange delivery. The Casco Sourdough Club Panama works beautifully for travelers who like to start the day with real bread in the room. It suits families, wellness-focused guests, and longer-stay visitors who value quality over impulse.
Delivery to Hotels and Airbnbs
Concierges in Casco Viejo are already learning how to work with this. A guest asks for “good bread, not processed bread,” and the club becomes part of the conversation. Orders can be delivered to hotels in Casco or even into the city.
Imagine arriving in Panama and having a bag of fresh bagels, sourdough, or focaccia waiting in your room. It sets a tone. It tells you that someone in the city cares about the basics. The Casco Sourdough Club Panama is quietly becoming that trusted option.
A Wellness Haven for People with Gluten Challenges
Let me be clear. This is not a certified gluten-free bakery. However, the long fermentation and careful ingredient choices matter.
Caroline herself has gluten issues. The entire project started because she wanted bread her body could handle. Many guests with sensitivities have reported that they feel better eating her sourdough than eating standard commercial bread.
If you focus on wellness while traveling, the Casco Sourdough Club Panama deserves a place on your list. It does not scream “health food.” It simply practices it.
If You Happen to Walk By
There is one more possibility, and it feels almost like a small reward. You may be walking through Casco Viejo one morning and see the door open. You might see trays of bagels cooling on a rack or bread resting on slats.
If that happens, step closer and ask. You may be lucky enough to leave with something warm in your hands. But consider that a bonus, not a guarantee. The true way to experience the Casco Sourdough Club Panama is still through respect for the schedule and the pre-order system.
Fast Facts: Casco Sourdough Club Panama
- Location: Casco Viejo (San Felipe), Panama City
- Style: 100% organic, handmade sourdough
- Process: 48-hour, 10-step fermentation
- Starter: “Ingrid,” fed and regenerated daily
- Products: Bagels, bread, focaccia, pizza dough
- Model: Pre-order and subscription only
- Walk-ins: Very limited; production days only
- Delivery: Available to hotels and Airbnbs in Casco Viejo and Panama City
- Wellness Angle: A trusted option for guests with gluten challenges
If you remember nothing else, remember this. You do not just wander into the Casco Sourdough Club Panama. You plan for it.
Q&A: How to Experience the Casco Sourdough Club Panama
Send a direct message to Caroline to confirm availability and schedule. Most locals subscribe weekly, but travelers can pre-order for specific dates so their bread is ready when they arrive.
Yes. Visitors can make one-time orders and arrange either pickup or delivery. It’s a flexible system designed to accommodate guests staying only a few days in Casco Viejo or Panama City.
Only occasionally. The bakery follows a strict production cycle, so walk-ins depend entirely on surplus from that day’s bake. It’s always best to pre-order rather than rely on luck
Many gluten-sensitive guests say they digest her sourdough more comfortably because of the slow fermentation and organic flour. It isn’t gluten-free, but it is crafted with digestion and wellness in mind.
You’ll find bagels, loaves, focaccia, and pizza dough, each made by hand using organic ingredients and a 48-hour sourdough process. Everything follows the same quality-first philosophy.
The bakery operates from a dedicated production space on Calle 4 in Casco Viejo, the historic district of Panama City. Orders are picked up at scheduled times or delivered to hotels and Airbnbs.
A few days’ notice is ideal. The sourdough cycle requires advance planning, and early orders ensure your items are included in that week’s fermentation schedule.
Yes. Many concierge and front-desk teams already coordinate deliveries. They can hold your bread safely until you arrive, which is perfect for early flights or late check-ins.
Some items, such as certain loaves and focaccia, are naturally vegan because they rely on flour, water, salt, and starter. Bagels and pizza dough may vary, so it’s best to confirm when ordering.
Absolutely. The Casco Sourdough Club Panama uses organic ingredients and long fermentation, avoiding the processed shortcuts found in commercial bread. It’s a favorite among guests who care about digestion and clean ingredients.
Not yet. Her focus is on maintaining quality and managing demand, but she hopes to explore workshops in the future as the bakery continues to grow.
Yes, with advance notice. Restaurants, hotels, and long-stay guests often place larger orders, and Caroline accommodates them whenever her production schedule allows.
My Reflection After Two Days with Caroline Carl
I did not expect two days with a young baker to resonate this deeply. Yet it did.
Caroline reminded me of something I already knew but had not felt in a while. Serious craft does not always announce itself. It works quietly. It shows up early. It stays late. It repeats the same steps with care until the result feels inevitable.
I have spent a lifetime in hospitality. I can tell when someone is playing at business and when someone is building something that will last. The Casco Sourdough Club Panama is not noise. It is a signal.
What struck me most was her balance. She is part of a generation often dismissed as impatient. Yet here she is, committed to a 48-hour process, a living starter, and strict standards. She is not doing this for followers or applause. She is doing it because it feels right.
For me, as someone who lives in Casco and writes about this community, that matters. We talk a lot about sustainability, wellness, and authenticity. She is actually doing it. Dough by dough. Order by order.
The Casco Sourdough Club. And with that it’s a wrap. Three frames, one story, and a reminder of why I admire the young people shaping Panama today. Casco Viejo is still small. It doesn’t flash neon or put on a glossy front. But make no mistake: places like this shape the soul of a neighborhood, one loaf at a time.
🌟 Thanks for reading — and for supporting the people who are quietly shaping the soul of Casco Viejo. If this look inside The Casco Sourdough Club Panama sparked your curiosity, then it’s already done its job.
Whether you’re visiting for a few days or you return to Casco year after year, small businesses like this help you feel grounded in the neighborhood. Real craft. Real ingredients. Real people. If you’d like to keep exploring what makes Casco Viejo so special, here are a few helpful links:
- Explore Galería Solar — food, art & community
- The restoration of Casco Viejo — how the district came back to life
- Shopping in Casco Viejo — local makers & curated finds
- Cruise passengers — how to explore Casco in a few hours
If you ever want local insight — whether it’s food, history, or simply the right route for a great walk — I’m always here.
🧭 Out and about with James.
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