Launching a Local GF Sourdough Business
About
Overview
I started a local gluten-free sourdough baking company called The Sour Dough. after realizing that most GF bread options—tiny, flavorless, and freezer-burned—were still stuck in their Wonder Bread Era. Homemade GF sourdough turned out to be the perfect solution: fresh, normal-sized, and naturally flavorful.
After countless conversations with other gluten-free people lamenting the same problem, I decided to spin my apartment kitchen into a mini bakery. Over the next seven months, I individually baked and sold more than 200 loaves across the Boston area. Let's just say, summer 2024 was hot in the apartment!
When I moved to a new city and stopped eating gluten-free, I offically retired the apron, but the starter lives on in kitchens across Boston.
Responsibilities
Everything!
- Branding
- Marketing and outreach (primarily social media and flyers)
- Baking, baking, and more baking! (& setting a million alarms for the different rise times)
- Tracking supplies
- Managing orders
- Organizing finances (margin, etc)
Impact
Running the Business
This was an incredible lesson in the many moving parts of running a small business. I paid close attention to finances—tracking every ingredient and order to maintain my target margin. With so many components involved in gluten-free sourdough, detailed record-keeping was essential, and that diligence helped me stay profitable throughout the entire span of the business.
Problem-Solving on the Fly
Baking gluten-free sourdough is a delicate, tightly timed process—multiple rise periods (including one overnight) and a risk of a glaringly sunken loaf if something goes wrong. There were plenty of late nights, early mornings, and many missteps along the way. But, I learned to problem-solve on the go and take every hiccup in stride. This could be very difficult at times! Through trial and error, I streamlined my workflow and doubled my capacity from four to eight loaves a day. And, I'm happy to say that I made it without a missed order (shoutout to my overworked and over-colorful Excel sheet.)
Customers are the Best!
All of this fun was thanks to the kind and curious customers who took a chance on scanning a QR code from a random coffee shop flyer. I learned so much about not been afraid to talk with customers and listen to their feedback. Also, I was amazed by the power of local community networks--one happy customer could unlock an entire circle of new ones.
In the office!
First label hits the road
An extra hour of Boston sun calls for celebration
Positive feedback :D
Loaves, loaves, and... more loaves