Who We Are
Our Story
- Founded in May of 2024, Gift of Grain is a small home bakery dedicated to baking artisan sourdough bread and delights to share around the table! What started out as making bread for a few neighbors on the weekend, turned into requests for this homemade bread all around the neighborhood! Cooking and baking has always been a passion (it runs in the family), every step of the creative process feels delightful! Gift of Grain has a heart for individuals who struggled with food insecurity and has decided that for every artisan sourdough loaf sold 20% will be donated to individuals who struggle with food insecurity in our surrounding local communities. Donations will be monetary, and given to local organizations in Dutchess and Ulster Counties.
Our Mission
- Our mission is to bake high quality artisan sourdough bread, just like many of our ancestors have done, without machines, without commercial yeast, and without ingredients we don’t know the names of! Just in a small kitchen with hands filled with love and a heart filled with a passion for the creative process of baking and giving. A homemade loaf of bread at the table (or on a picnic) can feel like the most sacred way to honor the gift of sharing a meal with loved ones. Gift of Grain is inspired by the art of baking, and the art of visual storytelling, with the mission to create memorable experiences through shared meals, all while fostering the spirit of community giving.
Our Method
- Gift of Grain’s artisan sourdough method: Sourdough is naturally leavened bread, meaning it does not use commercial yeast to rise. Instead it uses a sourdough “starter” which is a fermented flour and water mixture that contains wild yeast (good bacteria!) which allows the bread to rise. Our sourdough starters name is “Matthias” (yes bread lovers name their starters!). A story about his name later!
- So, this also produces a mildly tangy flavor and slightly chewy texture. The process of making one loaf of bread takes between 36-48 hours depending on the length of fermentation. If you have never made sourdough bread before you may be surprised by the series of steps that are include in the process, these steps are as follows: (1) feeding and waiting for the starter to peek (2-5 hrs), (2) mixing, (3) allowing time for the bread to autolyze, (3) working the dough which includes multiple spaced out series of stretching and folding (3-4 hours), (4) bulk fermentation* (2-5 hrs), (5) laminate and shaping, and (6) then it goes off to its banneton for further fermentation (24-72 hrs), (7) hand scoring, (8) baking, (9) cooling (2 hrs) & of course the best part EATING!
- *Note: a longer ferment breaks down a much higher percentage of gluten for those who are gluten-intolerant a longer fermentation (up to 72 hrs) can be requested. All breads will have gone through a 36-46 hours fermentation process.
Our Products
- All organic artisan sourdough bread is made from an active sourdough starter (wild yeast). No added or commercial yeast is used in the artisan sourdough loaves. All artisan sourdough loaves are made with organic bread flour, and will incorporate other organic grains such as (Einkorn, Rye, and Whole Wheat). Each loaf of bread contains only three ingredients: organic bread flour(s), ancient sea salt, & filtered water!
- Ingredients are listed under each product. Note products may vary each week and are based on availability.
- All Gift of Grain bakery items are made in a home kitchen and adhere to the NYS agriculture food-safety home processing regulations.