Dough or Die

June 1, 2020
A reality show turns deadly for an apprentice bread maker. Ivy Culpepper so worships Olaya Solis, the creative spirit behind Yeast of Eden, that she works in Olaya's shop, evidently without pay, just to learn the art of long-rise baking that creates artisanal loaves beloved by the citizens of Santa Sofia, on Southern California's sunny shore. When Santa Sofia alum Sandra Mays wants to shoot the pilot of America's Best Bakeries at Yeast of Eden, Ivy naturally urges her mentor to agree. What better way to bring attention to Olaya's Bread for Life program, a baking course for immigrant women? Of course, Ivy doesn't count on the series of challenges that threaten the production, from the bad blood evident between imperious Sandra and showrunner Mack Hebron to the hit-and-run that sends cameraman Ben Nader to the hospital, all culminating in the demise of Sandra, who's pushed over and hits her head. But rather than throwing cold water on the whole reality show enterprise, Sandra's murder only sharpens Ivy's appetite. Like a patron tearing into one of Olaya's olive-and-rosemary loaves, she shows nothing but enthusiasm for the hunt for Sandra's killer--even going so far as to volunteer her skills at Crosby House, a women's shelter where Nader also worked, in an attempt to ferret out who had a motive to harm Ben, Sandra, the production, or all three. Standard cozy fare in an artisanal wrapper.

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