When you are providing quality, gluten-free, true sourdough, 100% plant-based bread to the public, let me tell you, unique challenges arise. We have so many crazy stories.

There was a time when it seemed that all we understood about our product was off. It was as if the laws of physics had changed! From one day to the next, we couldn’t make bread. Instead of coming out dry and fluffy, it was coming out like mochi – a gooey ball of uncooked mess! We had no idea what was going on! From a personal perspective, it was a huge trial. An overwhelming complexity we couldn’t’ find an answer to! Our entire crew were struggling for about a week. Our CEO was sweating, ecommerce was getting backed up, angry customers were calling in, and we were about to lose contracts! It was the biggest trial we had ever faced.

Our CEO Tristaun LeClaire recalls going home and standing in front of his family as he told them he had no idea what to do or what was going to happen. His son Shiloh piped up and said – “have you prayed about it?” They gathered the family and said a simple prayer – “God, we don’t’ know what to do, but you got this.”

Tristaun headed back to the bakery and decided to talk to Marina, our Mix Tech. He asked her if she had noticed anything out of the norm. She said, “well, the millet is a different color.” They took the millet and looked at it. It was not the usual pale yellow but white. They did an experiment by taking some of the old millet, along with some of the new, and hydrated them both with water. They then baked the two balls of dough (btw, millet is supposed to absorb four times it’s weight in water when it bakes. So, if you get it to a dough consistency it will come out like a cracker).

Sure enough, after baking the two balls of dough, it was like night and day. The new millet came out like mochi – sticky and gooey. It was obvious. It wasn’t absorbing any water. The other ball was like a dry cracker, the way it’s supposed to be! We immediately knew what the problem was and were able to fix it! A lot of bread was lost, but we learned another vital lesson.

The unique challenges that come from running a gluten-free, sourdough, plant-based bakery seem to be endless. Those of you who have been with us from the beginning know the hardships we have been through, and we want to thank you for sticking by our side through the good times as well as the challenging ones.

Happy October!

Sandy K Workman
SK Director of Brand Development