I’ve been baking bread for years, never once had I envisioned myself being a baker for others. It was just something that brought me joy and peace. Mixing, kneading, rising, rolling, etc. I loved it!
Fast forward to 2019. My first sourdough starter was born. As a person with a microbiology background, I was awed by the process of creating a living culture out of just flour and water. I had dabbled in kombucha, made many krauts and kimchi, I made wine, but never had I thought about how much goodness I could get out of wild yeasts of another kind.
My baking blossomed during the beginning of the pandemic as a way to keep us fed while limiting our trips to the grocery store and to help keep our spending in check as we had suddenly lost a large portion of our income making music. Bread was life. I enjoyed giving to others, as I thought that everyone should enjoy a little bit of what was bringing us culinary and financial satisfaction.
In the summer of 2021, I took on a challenge to bake a large order of my sourdough bread to sell at an event. I was shocked at how quickly my breads sold and overwhelmed by the praise that was given to the flavor -the crumb and the crust of the bread, everyone loved it. I thought to myself. “Self, why are you sitting here stressing about not having an income? What can you do about the fact that your screen printing and letterpress shop are not going to be ready by this fall?”
I started putting word out there that my bread was available. I developed a recipe for sourdough Bavarian pretzels, I bought more Dutch ovens so that I could make small bread bowls utilizing the exact same methods that went into my bread and I took on the challenge of creating a holiday cranberry pecan dinner roll that is satisfying enough to have as a quick grab and go snack.
The journey has only just begun. I plan on developing and offering more bread products in the future.
Thanks to all who have supported me so far! It means so much!
Sherri