organic.

We get asked a lot of really great questions,

and we love it.

So, let’s talk about it.

organic.

In the growing awareness of doing, and eating, what is best for us, the topic of organic ingredients and products comes up regularly in our conversations. We’ve mentioned in the past that we strive to use the highest quality ingredients, from the first measure of flour to the finishing with fresh berries. And, without fail, wherever there is an option, we choose organic. In fact, we do more than that. We continually seek it out, even when it’s not readily available. We care deeply about using, and honestly sharing, the source and quality of ingredients as though every single one was going to our own family. It’s been our step one since day one.

Since the 1980s there has been a public awareness and marketing drive pushing the benefits of “organic”.  However, varying actual standards and regulations for calling (and selling) something organic resulted in a lot of confusion. Even today, we hear the word organic, and most of us assume a certain standard without actually verifying it. This is the reason the USDA established and began enforcing a certification process. Now, whether you believe it’s the government’s job to establish and regulate any number of things in this country is a matter of varying opinion. While we certainly have our own, we bake bread and pastry here. We’re not in the business of politics. So, we’ll leave that up to you and your vote.  However, it falls within reason to make one point. We can’t compare apples to apples unless we all have a clear expectation of standards and implied meaning, merely as a baseline. And we have to be able to trust that the standards and resulting labeling are being used honestly. Is certified organic the end all be all?  No. But consider the history of blind faith in flawed humanity.  This is the reason we hope for honesty and transparency in people, while asking A LOT of questions.  At the end of day, regardless of what any person or entity does in the name of profit or regulation, it’s still you spending hard earned money and putting something in your body. That’s where the buck stops.

The Reality of “Organic”

There are very clear standards and uses for labeling a product as organic, based on upholding a baseline standard of principles. The reality is, if you want to call a product organic and use that little organic seal in marketing or labeling, you have to prove the product and process is worthy of carrying the label. That is not to say that products don’t exist that are well beyond certified organic standards without the mentioned certification, just that they should be labeled honestly. So that, when the bucks stops, you clearly understand what you’re eating.

At the Bakery at 1871 we make a commitment to you every day we open our doors to provide very clear marketing and product labeling for our baked goods. We will never, ever misrepresent or mislead what is in your food. We’re sticklers about this. As a result, you won’t find the word organic on our principal labeling or product marketing because businesses are not permitted to do so without certification. But more importantly, we believe in transparency. Even if a business has purchased a certified organic product; like for instance flour, and used it as 100% of a finished product, repackaged it for resale, or milled it; by process, that finished product is no longer certified organic. Whether that’s a practice and process that is acceptable to you or not, you should have honest information to personally make that decision.

We will, however, do everything we can think of to provide you with the honest and transparent information you need to make informed decisions, and feel good about what you’re eating. We proudly display the ingredients we use in every baked good that comes from our kitchen. You’ll always find our simple and organic ingredients listed on our labeling. We also welcome and encourage your questions. Heck, if you want to see the bag our organic grains come in, just ask. We love chatting about, and sharing, the very best of what a bakery can be. All in an open, friendly, and honest environment.  After all, we built a bakery in our home to share our most genuine values.

Below is a link to the USDA’s Organic Integrity Database, where anyone can search for organic farms or businesses by city or state that have been inspected and verified as organic. Only businesses that have undergone and passed these minimum inspections and standards may use or label products with an organic claim on a principal display label or use the organic seal.  Whether it is their production, processing, or repackaging.

We encourage you to confirm the standards for your food, with an organic certification search and/or any practice that gives you certainty, and the validity of it’s source, processing and labeling.

https://organic.ams.usda.gov/integrity

It All Comes Down to This

We sincerely hope that all of your food is grown and sold with the highest of intentions and values, and at the end of the day, with a transparency that respects you. And we strongly believe that, with a little honest information, you are the best person to make decisions about what you and your family eat. We’re just here to provide good bread and pastry to make your life a little better.

We’ll see you soon!

You make us better.

We just want to take a moment to say thank you.

Since the day we opened the doors to The Bakery at 1871 at 127 N. Main St, 9 months ago, we have been doing our damndest to keep up with you. You all have truly blown us away with your ever growing support. As more and more of your smiling faces came through that door we recommitted to trying harder, invested in a ton of equipment, expanded our kitchen, got up earlier and earlier, became more efficient, and baked like we never knew we could. All in our continuing promise to bake your favorite breads and pastries fresh every morning. Never, not once, selling even a day old loaf or pastry.

Over the past 9 months I can recall very rare days when we didn't sell out well before closing time. Well, today we did it. Despite having more faces through our door than any previous Thursday in 9 months, we baked the most breads, bagels and pastries yet. We were so busy baking and filling, that we didn't even get pictures of new items for posting. And, as we greeted the last group of people just before closing, we had just enough in the cases to make sure they got sweet treats after their lunch.

As my husband and I look at each in awe of this massive feat of a day, we know we owe it all to you. You have made us better than we have ever been, and given us an amazing reason to get up at crazy hours of the morning (or is that technically night?). This may be our dream, but you're the biggest part of it and we love sharing it with you.

Now, I would talk about the insanity coming tomorrow as we work to shatter this new record and fill the incredible stack of reservations, but it still scares me a little. So, instead, I'm just going to say this with the most grateful of hearts, thank you for coming.

Thank you for being part of our bakery dream.

where should I buy flour?

We get asked a lot of really great questions

and we love that.

I cannot begin to count the number of flour brands, mills, and sources that I’ve tried and tested over the years. Especially in the last two years, as we tested endlessly for the best flour to use at The Bakery at 1871. We scoured the options, from near to far. After all, there is no single ingredient more fundamental and impactful to a bakery than it’s flour.  Its an ingredient a baker knows incredibly well. After all, it’s in nearly every baked good. Heck, its all over my shoes.

More often than not, this question is posed to us because someone bought a flour, then found the quality and performance of that flour disappointing in their home baking.

So, let’s talk about it. 

We’ve writing a series of posts to talk about grains and flours, so you can get the best (and healthiest) baked goods possible. We’ve got years of information and volumes of research, so we’ll break it up into several manageable posts. And we’re always here for questions.

We get asked a lot,

Where should I buy flour?

There are a handful of large mills in this country that supply flour, which is very often rebranded by stores, either directly by the mill or by the store themselves. Sadly, that’s how retail (especially in pretty, high priced stores) often works in this country. The first rule of thumb in flour, is that it isn’t necessarily better because it comes in a fancy labeled, high priced container. For instance, Central Milling (one of the largest, mass producing mills in our country) makes the flour frequently found all over- from small, locally rebranding stores to the largest grocery chains and box stores generic flour. They also make a very popular flour, touted as organic and high quality, called Artisan Bread Flour / Artisan Baker’s Craft. And Artisan Bread Flour / Artisan Baker’s Craft Plus, which is the malted version. Don’t get me wrong, its a fine flour. It is certified organic. But high quality? I guess that depends on the standards of the beholder.

Here’s why. 

Central Milling, in their quest to produce lots of flour at a low price for the masses, uses a volume producing steel milling process. This process strips the nutrient dense parts of the grain, milling in a high heat environment, and essentially destroying the nutritional value. The result is a very smooth and evenly ground, almost purely white flour. If you’re looking at pricy flour that looks like this, take pause. While, again, its perfectly fine, its certainly not the highest quality or, in our experience, the best performing. And you absolutely should not pay a premium for it. No matter how pretty it looks in that rebranded glass jar or bag.

Which leads me to a quick side point. We don’t recommend buying or storing flour in a light gathering glass jar. While we appreciate that its an environmentally friendly, reusable option for an air-tight container, it’s also heavy, awkwardly sized for most pantry or refrigerated storage, poorly utilized for efficient storage organization (as are basically all round storage containers whose shape limits capacity but take up the same physical space), make it difficult to access the flour through a small jar neck, and are very costly. But, most importantly, if its being sold in a clear glass container sitting on a shelf in a store, with lots of natural light and windows, you just don’t know how long its been exposed to light and heat. In an upcoming post we’ll go over the best ways to store flour (from shelf stable to fresh milled). However, all flour is susceptible to going rancid, a process which is expedited by light and heat. More over, if its a nutrient dense flour, it contains oils in the bran and germ. Sitting in light and heat, the flour could very quickly become unsafe.

So, where then?

There are a few high quality mills in this country that know more about flour than any store ever will. It’s just the nature of being true experts in their field. Unlike large mills and resellers, they are small enough to know exactly where their grains are grown, and only mill organic (therefore, never a concern for cross contamination). They understand the nuances of each crop’s yield, and how to craft the best flour for any purpose. They use real, commercially scaled equipment that does the job better than any home-intended mockmill could. And, paramount in our experience, buying directly from the source means you’re getting the freshest product possible. All without the added cost of middle man overhead or pretty re-packaging. Here’s a list of sources that provide honest, small batch milled, high quality grains and flours that we’ve used and loved over the years. They are the same ones we rely on for great bread at The Bakery at 1871.

Janie’s Mill - https://www.janiesmill.com/

Carolina Ground - https://carolinaground.com/

Nope, we aren’t making a dime for promoting them. And we never charge you for sharing information.

We don’t often do cakes, but this is worth every exception.

A few weeks ago we received a request from Harrington for Hope, a wonderful charity event helping children who are burn victim survivors attend Camp Hope. They are doing a Cake Walk this Saturday as an auction, and we could not be more thrilled to be a small part of it. We’re sending a grapefruit and cardamom infused olive oil cake with whipped mascarpone and salted caramel, topped with a tumble of fresh berries. The event will also have a cornhole tournament, a poker run, fireworks, live music, a kid’s zone, and food and drinks. Sounds like an amazing way to spend a Saturday.

The Bakery at 1871

When I was little my Dad once told me to do what I love, and that passion would bring success. As an adult embarking on this crazy journey and remembering those words, I don't think he was just talking about money. I’m pretty sure his hope for me was fulfillment in a much more meaningful way. And I am grateful, every day, for a chance at that.

One of the best things about deciding to turn your life upside down and live your dream, is watching it grow, one step at a time. Each tiny bit of growth carries with it years of our ambition, passion and hope.

There is simply nothing in the world we are more excited about than the thought of baking honest breads and pastries for you, with the highest quality ingredients, for years and years to come. And sharing with you a bit of us, and our joy. To that end, Sparta’s little bakery is getting a new name today. A name that better represents us, our dedication to the highest quality standards, the individuality that embraces those standards, and our place in Sparta's history. In short, our promise to bring you the best of us everyday.

Thank you, again and again, for being part of our dream at The Bakery at 1871 House.

The explosive moments.

Some of the things that happen behind the screens at The Bakery at 1871 are so hilarious that we’ve thought about starting a bloopers reel. If we did, this would definitely be on it.

Most of the wonderful baked goods that come out of our bakery are naturally leavened with a sourdough starter. We’ve been caring for and feeding our starter for more years than I can count. She’s good and strong. So strong, in fact, that last night she exploded out of the jar and threw pieces of herself all the way up to our 10’ high ceilings.

Looks like we’ll be doing a little extra cleaning today.

No need to worry, we always have a back up starter. Baked goods next week will still be naturally leavened with all her strength.

Life happens.

thank you for making our pain worth it (That’s a terrible punn, but I did it anyway).

Some time ago I dove down a rabbit hole of laminated pastry. Day after day, batch after batch, I adjusted the recipe and technique like a crazy obsessed person. I’m grateful for my craziness, because it paved the path for the kouign amann at 1871 Bakehouse. But the funny part is, I now look forward to the time of day when I can quietly stand at my sheeter and turn a mound of dough into beautiful folds. Then watch those folded layers of flour and butter magically do this in the oven.

I adore pastry.

Thanks for letting me share it with you all.

pain au chocolat at 1871 Bakehouse

Oops.

The reason we do this.

We have the best customers. There’s no question about it, meeting and chatting with our customers is always the highlight of my day. They routinely make every frantic morning worth it, and are a continual inspiration for our baking. But, today, one of our favorites went above and beyond, and I had to share. Because, well, she sent this message and it is undoubtedly one of my favorite reads ever.

These deserve their own review:

I am a fan of pastry and a previously indiscriminate eater of almond adorned food things. These almond croissants have become a staple in my life and I have no interest in existing without them. Gas station bear claws no longer need to tremble in my presence because Bakehouse goods have managed to encourage me toward a life with standards. These pastries are sweeter than my husband and easier to get along with than my child and once a week I enjoy the croissant's company at least as much as I've ever enjoyed the other two.
Once upon a time two weekends ago, in an ill advised adventure involving the overlap of the world's least rewarding hobby and logistics of international health certificates, I needed to travel to Canada. Thanks to unreliable airlines I found myself the holder of two useless boarding passes, a box of almond croissants for someone I owed a thank you. . . and my keys.
And so with 60 hours on the clock, 4 pastries, and 1612 miles to cover, I hit the road. I ate them, of course, and they kept me awake and alive. For the mathy people out there, I got 403 miles out of each of them. For the non mathy people, a really f*cking long way.
Anyway, the point is, it's Thursday and the week isn't over. So if you need some kind of magic to get you 403 miles farther down the road. Or your spouse is salty and your kid acts just like them, have I got news for you- the solution to all your problems is on Main St and you can carry it with a coffee in your other hand.

-Dr. Kate Wilson

the almond frangipane croissant at 1871 bakehouse

We can’t thank you enough. For the review, and for being you.

this is the best kind of crazy.

We weren’t sure what to expect when we were invited to join the Sparta Green Market. So much of what we’re doing is new to us, and the market is certainly no exception. We knew this… we were humbled and honored beyond measure. The Sparta Green Market started years ago, born of the inspiration to turn around a “food desert” in our community. For so many of us, finding the best local crops and artisan goods is a passionate hunt. But once a month, from May til October, the Sparta Green Market puts together the best of our community in an event that makes it easy -and fun- to see all Sparta has to offer. From local farmer’s crops to artisan goods (and, of course, the very best baked goods), Sparta is becoming an ever-growing abundance of the quality and care in our community. While it may historically be considered a food desert, we’re all in to help change that. In fact, like all the 40+ amazing local vendors, once a month we put endless hours into planning, baking and displaying a crazy amount of effort to prove Sparta can be a food destination. Yes, its one heck of a week for our little bakery. We may not get much sleep (or maybe any), but we wouldn’t have it any other way.

Join us this Friday, July 21st, from 4:00-7:00 pm for an amazing market, grab a beer from Calfkiller or a lemonade from Peyton, then stay for bluegrass music on the Square. Because, well, Sparta does it like no other.

You’re our inspiration.

my meringue affair.

Did you know that four little egg whites can magically turn into dozens and dozens of sweet airy bites of bliss? I long ago banned myself from making meringues because I could not stop from sneaking a few. Or, likely, more than a few. It’s the one treat I simply cannot be trusted around. But every once in a while I find myself making a custard or curd, with a bowl of left over egg whites. I mean, really, what’s a girl to do?

Waste not want not, after all.

I found myself in just this predicament last night, while working on an ice cream recipe to cast off the summer heat that lingers long after dark in Tennessee. So into the mixer the egg whites went. It was then I realized I had another gift from summer, fresh berries. Long story short, today we have a very last minute menu update. The summer berry pavlova with whipped mascarpone at 1871 Bakehouse.

Enjoy one. Or three. I won’t judge.

the creme puff has a fancy new coat.

Choux is the perfect little shell. Its buttery, tenderly firm crust rises in the oven, creating the perfect void to fill with a bite of swirled dark chocolate mousse. Then we wrap this crème puff in a coat of crackling chocolate pastry, because sometimes you need a decadent treat.

The Craquelin au Chocolat (aka the chocolate crackle creme puff) at 1871 Bakehouse.

I’m going to get sappy here for a minute.

Being able to share the breads and pastries I love to bake has been my dream for more than 20 years. It took me until I was 48 years old to muster the guts to open this little bakery and put up our first Facebook post offering a Thanksgiving tart, dragging my wonderful and supportive husband along for the ride. That post was the longest and shortest 5 months of my life ago.

Since then, we've had some of the most amazing days in the kitchen of this historic 1871 house. They have been filled with our sleep deprived gumption and giddy happy dances. While they haven't all been blissful, or even sane, I would not trade one crazy moment. Everyday, the best moments come from handing each of you something we've put so much care into. Everyday, you all make my crazy days joyful.

5 months ago we took a big gulp and dove in, head and heart first. 5 months ago, I was just a girl who loved to bake. Today, I realize, what I love even more is baking for you. I just want to take this moment to thank you all, I am so humbled to have you want to be a part of this dream.

The little things.

Look what’s blooming in the middle of a thunderstorm…

This year’s first magnolia blossom on the 1871 Bakehouse tree

sometimes the best things come in small packages.

We made the cutest little supper boules today. They’re small loaves stuffed full of sourdough smiles. Perfect for your dinner table, snack time, or trying our sourdough for the first time.

The supper boule at 1871 Bakehouse.

The Supper Boule at 1871 Bakehouse

The flavors are as endless as our creativity.

The list never stops growing…

plain

everything

white cheddar & jalapeno

jack & red pepper

asiago

caramelized onion

blueberry

chocolate chip

chocolate & cherry

cranberry & walnut

maple french toast

Our flavored bagels are exclusively available at 1871 bakehouse.

That's also the best way to get our warm, fresh-from-the-oven sourdough breads and pastries.

the stuff dreams are made of

Sometimes I can’t believe I get to spend my days swirling layers of soft dough and butter into beautiful shapes.

Thank you all, I hope you enjoy our pastries and breads as much as we like making them.

The Cruffin at 1871 Bakehouse.

who puts olive oil in a cake?

Us.

It sounded crazy to us at first, too. Then we tried it…

Now we’re never going back.

Kate’s Cake at 1871 Bakehouse

We love a beautifully decorated cake. We even appreciate a crazy themed cake. But cakes aren’t really our thing. At least that was the case until we discovered the olive oil cake.

No, it doesn’t taste like olive oil. But replacing the usual butter or oil with a high quality olive oil makes this cake exceptionally moist and tender. The subtle floral and fruit notes in good olive oil also help highlight interesting flavors, like the grapefruit and cardamom in Kate’s Cake. It even takes a chocolate cake to a whole new level.

The sweetest of beginnings, on a beautiful spring day.
Grapefruit Cardamom Olive Oil Cake dressed in Whipped Mascarpone by 1871 Bakehouse.

Sometimes you just have to try something new.

The Olive Oil Cake at 1871 bakehouse.

the unexpected.

We delight in sweet. We savor in savory. But on days like today, we get a little adventurous and blur the line to make something unexpectedly crave-able.

hand chipped dark chocolate, three cocoa powders, and a touch of honey

the unexpectedly crave-able

The Chocolate Baguette at 1871 Bakehouse.