About Us
Welcome to our small artisan French bakery! I am Stéphanie E. Armengau, Baker Chef, Founder and Owner of The Knot Guilty French Bakery. I was born and raised in southwestern France, in the small town of Agen, well known for its prunes, culinary culture, agriculture, and rugby. I later moved to Montreal as a pre-teen at the end of the 80s. My parents hoped for a better future for my siblings and me.
After a serious ski accident at age 14 that required complex surgery and long rehabilitation, I decided to become an orthopedic surgeon. I first graduated in Microbiology-Immunology (B.Sc.) from Université de Montréal in hopes of being accepted into medical school. Little did I know that these studies would serve me in the bakery laboratory 25 years later. My path suddenly changed when I got involved with the Concordia University Student Association. I had enrolled in additional Chemistry and Physics classes to better prepare for the MCAT and had decided to join the Student Association. My task was to draft the Student Association’s bylaws, and it was a life-changing moment because I fell in love with the law! I forgot my dream of becoming a doctor, sent my application to the Law Faculty of McGill University, and, to my biggest surprise, was accepted in 2001. I then became a lawyer in Quebec and specialized in criminal law as a Crown Prosecutor. I started practising on First Nations reserves in Northern Quebec (Ungava Bay, James Bay and Abitibi), then moved to the other side of the country to pursue my career in Edmonton, Alberta.
In 2014, I became a mom, and we relocated to Toronto, home to my husband, Jean-Paul. I had a newborn and decided to pause my career to focus on my family. Our family expanded, and when the pandemic hit in 2020, I could not return to work because my children were very young and schools were still in lockdown. This is when I started growing a sourdough starter and baking my own sourdough bread. I gave bread to neighbours and teachers at my children’s school, and the rest is history.
As I became a Chef, I gradually learned to make many baked products, from sourdough babkas to focaccias, and came to learn about croissants. I am entirely self-taught. I further pursued my training at the Callebaut Chocolate Academy Canada in Montreal, where I took an advanced masterclass in lamination techniques with a renowned French Chef. I also wanted to recreate the nostalgia of the healthy sourdough breads of my childhood in France and authentic croissants without pesticides or artificial dough improvers. I am always dismayed by the lack of authenticity in the breads at the local bakeries in Toronto. Sadly, most of them add preservatives for a longer shelf life, add unnecessary oil and sugar, and most sourdough breads are fake, since they add yeast to mass-produce instead of respecting the 3-ingredient golden rule that only sourdough has: water, flour and salt. I found a local mill that provides excellent-quality, glyphosate-free organic flours. K2Milling in Simcoe County provides a wide array of artisanal, cold-milled flours from locally sourced, Ontario-grown grains, focusing on retaining natural flavour and nutrition. Their Red Fife, Red Tail Whole Wheat, and Raven Dark Rye flours are, without a doubt, the best on the market and make very unique sourdough breads and pastries. For croissants, we use certified organic Ontario Ardent Mills or P&H Hard flours, both of excellent quality. We are now proud to offer the community of Etobicoke a large selection of healthy, homemade, delicious products.
The pandemic made me rethink my professional path, and this bakery became a new calling. I obtained my food handler certification, registered my home bakery, passed Toronto Public Health’s inspection, and grew my business from there. This new entrepreneurial adventure reconciled me with my younger self, a microbiology undergrad working with the fascinating world of microbes and wild yeasts. Being a Baker Chef requires knowledge of fermentation, chemistry, microbiology and physics. This is science, more than anything else, and it made me very happy, as I was returning to my roots in science instead of Law.
Our online orders are open year-round, and you can pick up three times a week at our home bakery.
In the Summer, you can find us at Farmers’ markets all around the GTA. We have been a vendor at the Weston Farmers’ Market (2024), Humber Bay Shores Farmers’ Market (2024) and Toronto Harbourfront Farmers’ Market (2025).
We also actively hire students from the local high schools to support the younger generation, run fundraisers in the community, and participate in special and catering events.
I hope to share my passion for baking with you soon and look forward to serving my community with healthy, organic & authentic sourdough baked goods.
Because you are worth it.
Your French Baker,
Stéphanie E. Armengau, B.Sc., B.C.L., LL.B.
Chef, Baker, Lawyer
“Success is not a destination. It is a journey”