Anyone who’s tasted ethereally fresh bread, toasted and slathered with European butter, knows the feeling of comfort and tranquility it can bring. With this idea in mind, Carolina Colombini decided to use her surname, which means “small doves” in Italian, to inspire her mini bakery.
Carolina Colombini | Photo: Courtesy
“I was inspired to create my logo as doves, since they are a very iconic animal and symbol in so many cultures,” Colombini said. “I hope my little dove can bring some enjoyment, peace, and great nutrition to all my customers.”
Colombini was born in Milan, raised in Rome, and spread her wings to London when she was 35. She worked for many years in PR and events, but through all of her jobs and moves, the throughline was simple — the dream to open a bakery.
“When I moved to London, I learned that having fresh bakery bread was not a regular habit for everybody,” Colombini said. Growing up in Italy, she was used to purchasing high-quality bread from a local shop each day, and she longed for a carb she could count on.
“I realized that there was a need in me that was longing to be fulfilled, so that’s when I started in 2010 to experiment with baking bread and taking classes and trying out recipes,” Colombini said.
When she and her family moved to Santa Barbara in 2020, they didn’t have their beloved local baker, so Colombini started baking not only for her family, but for her neighborhood. It was a no-nonsense talk with her husband about figuring out her real passions in life that propelled her to open her bakery.
“You are obsessed with bread,” Colombini’s husband told her, and those were words she simply couldn’t deny. This obsession led her to start professionally crafting some seriously beautiful loaves out of her own kitchen, as Colombini Bakery, in June 2025. Though her licensed cottage kitchen is nestled in Santa Barbara, the essence of her bread sings of Europe.
“I import and use only Italian flour for all of my bread,” Colombini said. “Unfortunately, my gut doesn’t work well with American flour. When I stopped eating American flour, I never had an issue anymore.”
Colombini Bakery English Muffins | Photo: Courtesy
In addition, she uses Italian extra-virgin olive oil and will occasionally order Italian salt from Sicily. “I’m a little bit of a crazy researcher for Italian products,” Colombini laughed.
The dedication to detail is palpable in every bite of her wonderfully fluffy yet crusty sourdough loaves, some dotted with gorgeous green Castelvetrano olives, or the sourdough rosemary lemon pepper focaccia, which is fluffy yet salty and can elevate any sandwich.
“I love making sourdough loaves because the whole process is so fun,” Colombini said.
This joy is as essential an ingredient as the fine olive oil used and has inspired her to expand her repertoire. Fans can also add on other fun goodies such as tender sourdough English muffins and a variety of impressive bagels.
Colombini would love to find a space to share a commissary kitchen and do some wholesale work. Opening her own brick and mortar in Santa Barbara would be the ultimate dream.
For now, she’s enjoying watching her business flourish the grassroots way, through word of mouth, online ordering, and of course an Instagram following. Colombini cites Cold Spring School, where her children attend, as one of her biggest supporters, and she loves baking for her community.
“It comes out of my heart, and that’s what I really like about my job,” Colombini said. Those who want to taste this heartfelt care and European flair in their carbohydrates can simply order through her website each week by Tuesday for a delivery or Montecito pick-up on Friday. She’s also launching a monthly or weekly subscription for clients, so they can rest assured that their “little dove” is on the way.
For more information, see colombinibakery.com.
