We made bread!!!
Big fluffy loaves of Honey Whole Wheat
Really, Matt made the bread –
With the awesome help of one of our new Sponge + Dough guys, Alex, who volunteered his time to come get his hands in some dough!
They also made some Farmhouse White bread
Of course some sensory analysis was required
We had a couple of slices to test the crumb. It was near perfect!
The guys also made a bunch of Scuffins, but due to some oven temperature calibration issues, they weren’t that pretty. I meant to get a picture but forgot!
The cool thing about today was that anyone who walked in the door got free scuffins + bread!!
“I’m sorry we’re not open yet, but would you like a loaf of bread anyways!?” It was great. We have about 5-10 people coming in everyday. It’s kinda cool! We’re donating all of our test breads – don’t worry we would never waste them.
When the bread came out of the oven, we each had a slice and then sat down for lunch for more slices. The boys had sandwiches, I had a salad that I brought from home to compliment the bread.
Spinach in olive oil + lavender salt with chickpeas and a leftover salmon cake.
Mmmmm honey is my new favorite food! Besides doughy bread 🙂
I had a good amount of bread + scuffin nibbles throughout the middle of the day, which left me feeling rather lethargic!
But we had some shopping to do! We are so lucky to live right next to Possessions Recycled, which is a antique + recycling store. Instead of driving to a big box store and figuring out how to get things home, assembled and all the trash that goes with them, we’ve been able to walk next door and just pick out what we need! Bob, the owner, has been such a help!
Our lovely green table came from Bob –
And all of our racks
And today we went looking for a table for our coffee condiments and came home with this charmer!
The theme of the bakery is “ultra modern meets vintage.” I think that pretty much describes my style!
I also found a ceramic bowl for coffee condiments, some jars and a basket. Plus a mirror for the bathroom that matches PERFECTLY with our lights but I forgot to photograph!
I spent the afternoon paying bills, organizing our local honey collection and doing some cleanup/organization here and there.
It’s a real bakery now!
The bread looks devine!
I’ll take one loaf of each, s’il vous plait.
it looks great!! so excited! I have been going to our Great Harvest here in Flower Mound and just picked up a Red, White, and Blueberry loaf…it was the BOMB DOT COM! Finding those sweet blubes in the middle of the loaf was a wonderful surprise!! 🙂
All of your hard work is paying off! 🙂 Way to go! …. PS- honey is great on just about everything! I’m with ya!
Hey Kath,
when are you going to open? I would love to stop by during your opening day 🙂
June 3!
Celebrating your anniversary (a day late) in the bakery?! Too cool!
oh how wonderful indeed!
These loaves look SO yummy! The store is looking so lovely!
Yay! It all looks great, and I love that you’ll be offering local honey.
You mentioned that you have Sponge and Dough guys. Are you going to be making sourdough breads too?
Not at first.. Sponge + Dough are for all breads – not just sourdough
i love the modern meets vintage feel. I just went to an adorable restaurant today which I would describe the exact same way and its so cozy and chic. What great finds at the recycled possessions store too, you have good taste in decorating kath!
Love the bread ‘stache 🙂
Sounds like a wonderful day so far!! And I love the repurposed furniture! 🙂
Looks great! And I love that green table! Can’t wait for the 3rd…it’s been fun and exciting watching your journey.
So awesome Kath and Matt!! I am so excited for opening day, although I wont be there 🙁 If I still lived in Williamsburg I am sure I would of made the trip!
I love that you are giving out bread to the random customers — I’m sure they will be back!
Aww well done Matt! That bread looks awesome – so professional!!
This is all so exciting and wonderful!! 🙂 It really looks like everything is coming together. It must be surreal 😀
That bread looks delicious! And I like that Alex’s t-shirt has a slice of bread on it.
Also, I LOVE that table for your coffee condiments. Can I have it for my house, please?! 🙂
I love the eclectic style and vintage feel…it’s going to be such a cute little bakery when it’s done. Very exciting–congrats!
Congrats on the bread making!! Love all the vintage add ons 🙂
the title of this post had me JUMPING off my chair…for a second 🙂
i love the green table and yes, the place looks so official and wonderful!
I thought it might. Not yet, not yet. Fall at the EARLIEST !
Oh my gosh! I’m so excited! The bread looks amazing! I am so happy for you guys.
it’s all coming together so beautifully! I can’t wait to visit someday and get some of that good stuff in my belly!
We stopped in and everything looks beautiful! Especially the bread! Y’all ROCK!
🙂
So awesome that you guys are living your dream! I also love Alex’s hat! Go Heels 🙂
you’re lucky i don’t live nearby. i would be in your hair all over that free bread all day!
Congrats on the bakery! I would love to do something like that! We live in Asheville right now, so no Great Harvest for us 🙁 However, we’re moving to Wilmington, NC in July, and I’m so excited that they have a one!
We considered going to Asheville!
Are you happy with C-Ville? It seems like a cute city! Like you guys fit in so well – that vintage vibe.
P.S – Now I want to move to C-Ville and buy Antiques – will you hire me?? I can’t bake – but I can serve with a smile…and I can definitely eat it 🙂
Wilmington, NC Great Harvest is right beside Tidal Creek an awesome co-op. They also sell at the farmers market on Saturday mornings downtown. love it.
love the “vintage meets modern” style. opening day is coming up FAST!
Haha you should definitely put the picture of Matt with the bread beard on yor newsletter oe something! And man you are making me crave Great Harvest bread! Unfortunately I don’t think our Missoula one has the chocolate chip one!!
Your bakery looks beautiful! Cville is so lucky to have you two.
Man I wish I was in C’Ville! lol. That bread looks tasty! 😛 I love seeing the progress!
mmmm I want some bread!! Looks amazing 🙂
Kath – the title of this post made my heart skip a beat! Ha.
Congratulations! I wish I was in C’Ville to congratulate you in person.
I thought it might. Sorry to your heart!
Are those your first loaves?! Woohoo!!! It all looks so good. I think you should open up a GH in AL..northern AL to be exact. Pretty please? 🙂
Bakery looks phenomenal- what work you two have done! I would kill for a big honking slice of the WW bread with PB and honey. Looks SOOOO yummy 🙂 All the more reason to come out to Charlottesville, no? 🙂
Also loveee the shabby- chic vintage tables!
Everything looks awesome especially the bread. Looks like it’s all working out.
It’s a real bakery because Matt has a bread mustache and beard. No bakery is complete without it. 🙂 Congrats, you two!
Honey whole wheat sounds so good right now. I’d love a slice of that warm out of the oven 😀
I love the vibe of the place!
I would love some of that bread right about now…
Your bakery looks so awesome!
Oh my goodness–so exciting!!
Thanks for taking on us your bakery journey. It is so interesting to watch it happen from the ground up. I absolutely love both of the tables you are using for the bakery.
I love Great Harvest here in Temecula CA and hope yours is as successful as ours here. I know here they are always busy at lunchtime. Instead of cake my daughter wanted me to bring in their Sourdough to school for her birthday. The students loved it and it was instantly gone!
I love the way you’ve furnished your bakery with a cool mix of new and old furniture. That green table is my favorite!
OOOOoooh…it’s a post about…bread. My mistake.
Looks tasty, though!
The bakery looks amazing so far! You have amazing taste 🙂
I love that you get the freedom to personalize the space, but guidance from GH too. And it’s awesome that you give you’re early birds bread, rather than snapping, “We’re not open yet!” like I’ve had happen to me.
All the bread looks so delicious!
Can I just say I envy your job? I know you have been working incredibly hard and had to deal with a ton of stress, but that bread…glory! Those pictures of you and Matt are so cute. Does he always wear that hat when baking? I like bakers with style. 😉
🙂 Yes, it’s his trademark hat!
You should be as proud as can be!!!! Congrats on the bread baking! I wish I lived closer. If I am ever in that area, I will be stopping by to say “Hi” I feel like I know you guys by now and am so proud of you!
soo happy for you!! wish i was around your area to stop in and buy a loaf or two. best wishes!!!
🙂
shannon
cascobaysoap.blogspot.com
So exciting to have bread from your own oven! I can’t wait to move to Charlottesville in August and visit GH!
I’m just loving the vibe of the place, especially with the mix and match vintage and new. So neat!
And speaking of your post title…there’s going to be quite a lot of irony and jokes if/when the time really does come 😉
I thought YOU had a bun in your oven. 🙂 I guess I’ll just have to congratulate you on the bakery instead. 😉
Yum! Congrats on the first bake.
Oh man, I would not be able to be around all of that bread! I would put myself out of business by eating it all! lol
The pride is just beaming out of both of you-and it is well earned. We all see every day how hard you are working! Keep it up-you’re in the homestretch!
That is awesome that you are donating your test breads. Wish I lived close enough to grab one! I checked online and the nearest GH is more then 100 miles away from me 🙁
A thousand congratulations; I wish you both the best. And your commmunity will be blessed by your presence.
Matt looks so proud! And you look like your enjoying that bread.
All of these posts are making me crave artisan breads. I’ll have to stop in on my road trip. 🙂
WOHOO!! So happy for you! Love that you are giving out samples of your bread! Wish I lived closer:) Hope all continues to go well for the both of you!
Love the table and hooray for the bread! Gram and I got you a nice old basket at the Nifty Thrifty!
The bread looks great…but I’m not so sure about Alex’s HAT!! 🙂
Haha. Guessing you two won’t be friends 🙂
April through February only…
Kath i love your style! modern+vintage sounds very fun. the bread looks.so.fluffy
What a great way to create buzz with the bread!!
SO exciting for you guys!!
TOO funny!!! I just posted the lastest on the spare bedroom decor and talked about a new comforter option that is vintage modern!! I LOVE that look! 🙂 The store is looking great and so is that bread. Honey is seriously my new favorite as well! <3
I’m loving the UNC hat! And the bread looks GORGEOUS 🙂
Newbie to the blog! Congrats on the bakery – looks terrific! 🙂
Welcome!!
looks like the store is coming along so great! i really wanna visit and get me some BREADDD!
I think I would die and go to heaven if I could work in a bakery! I love bread! There was a time when I thought maybe I could find a job baking bread but the only one I could find was the night shift from like 11-6AM. Hmmm I was thinking no thanks.
Looks awesome and very excited for your new bakery!
I love Great Harvest Honey Whole Wheat Bread. Yours look just delicious! My local GH has a frequent buyer card. I get a stamp each time I visit and buy bread. I get a free loaf after buying 12. The best part is the card never expires! With just 2 of us in the house a loaf goes a long way. I know you two will be so successful.
Everything is coming together! It’s so exciting that the opening is almost here! 🙂
So exciting!!! Can’t wait to come and visit when you guys officially open – I think Brittany and I are going to be making a little roadtrip 🙂
Yay! Congrats! I just saw that you open June 3rd. Perfect timing…I am going to be in C-ville for my UVA reunion that weekend – I can’t wait to stop by!
Congrats on successful bread! May your bread always rise! 🙂
That’s so awesome that you’re giving out free bread to people who drop in. That’s a sure way to grab their loyalty from the start. 😉
Hey Kath! That bread looks amazing! As an extremely talented chef/food-blogger, I thought you should know that when you say that one food item “compliments” another, you really should be using “complement.” (I.e. “The sweet tea was an excellent complement to the dark chocolate.” NOT “The sweet tea was an excellent compliment to the dark chocolate.”) I’ve noticed it a few times on your blog, so I thought you might appreciate knowing the proper usage, especially when it comes to discussions on food!
For more info: http://www.elearnenglishlanguage.com/difficulties/complementcompliment.html
I am very aware of that rule but sometimes forget to type it.
In fact, I’m aware of EVERY grammar rule I break – as I’m sure lots of us bloggers are – but when you type like your talking to someone, sometimes you just slip!
And I’m not being snippy – just thinking as I type! Always doing 3 things at once :90
you’re
GAH!
HA!
Fabulous looking bread! Congratulations! You must be so excited!
this post title made me WAY too excited.
I will be in town this weekend, will you guys be in the bakery so I can come take a peak? Congrats on all of your hard work, glad it is all coming together!
Yeah, when are you coming? I’m not sure if we’ll be there Sat. or Sunday – might take the weekend off!
woow. great. your bakery looks so awesome.
Ok I’m jealous of that store!! I love poking around antique stores!! Oh and of course I’m jealous of the bread and scuffins!! I made french toast with some GH Breakfast blast this morning. SO good [and filling]!
Oh my! Wishing I was somewhere nearby, those breads look amazing!
Congrats on your first bread! Maybe you should pin it to the wall like your first dollar.
Maybe bronze it first so it doesn’t get moldy.
your store looks amazing!!! The vintage pieces fit perfectly with the Great Harvest vibe. We have a few in our area and it is my favorite bakery in the whole world. I’ve never had such moist and yeasty whole grain bread. I got to tour one of their bakeries with my son’s preschool once and they showed us a cake of their fresh yeast – is that what you use? I’m thinking that must be the secret because my homemade whole wheat bread is never quite as good. Oh, and the freshly milled flour, I’m sure that contributes as well!
Congratulations to you both, so amazing!
We do use fresh yeast – and I do think that it makes a huge difference!
Ahhh so jealous of you! I think you’ve officially made it required I go to my local GH due to cravings..
MMmm…I can just smell that honey wheat right now. I’m sure people appreciate walking away with some free bread samples in the mean time.
I love how you are “donating” your breads! They look so delicious, I´d like to have one loaf too, too bad I am too far :))
I am a BIG fan of Great Harvest black/blueberry cream cheese scones here in WA so it’s very exciting to see a new Gh being built and seeing what goes on “behind the scenes!”
I’d like to volunteer myself to eat all the non-pretty scuffins! Surely they’d survive the trip to Australia…
Matt looks so happy, even after hours of baking! It’s so great you guys have found a career which you are truly passionate about!
Love the “ultra modern meets vintage” look of your bakery. I would love those tables for my home (a brick English Tudor style that was built in 1929). Modern meets vintage has been our style for decorating and remodeling. The bread looks delicious and how generous of you to give the bread away. People will be lined up at the door the minute you open! My children’s favorite place to visit is Great Harvest, they ask everyday to go there. Our next scheduled visit is next Wednesday to get bread for our “softball picnic”. They have their pictures colored and in the van for a free cookie, although I think they get more excited about the bread! We would love to visit your GH someday. Congratulations, you and Matt look so happy and excited!
That bread looks amazing! So fluffy! I really love the decor of your shop! I love vintage and modern put together! 🙂
Everything looks amazing, clean and sleek!
Your bakery looks amazing Kath and you and Matt look sooooo happy!!!
I am really happy for you two, looks like everything is going well and that is truly great!
Ana
That bread looks SO fluffly! Wow. The bread that I make is usually pretty flat compared to that. Wish I was closer and could try it out. I think the closest GH to me is an hour away!
I think it’s awesome that you’re giving out bread to people that walk in. Great idea!
So excited for you both! Your dream is a reality, which is just amazing/awesome/inspiring!!
I am so inspired by you! I look forward to reading your blog everyday. I am going to open my own natural bakery/bistro within the next two years. I come to your site to envision what mine can look like. LOVE everything you are doing. Keep it up
Congratulations!! The bakery is looking better and better every day. And I love that green table!
Looks great! It will be nice to have another fun place to stop half way between DC and Roanoke!
Hey Guys!
My husband Mike will be out in a few weeks to help open your bakery. Things are looking sooooo good…way ahead of where we were eleven years ago when we opened. I think Mike will be able to learn a lot from you. Please give us a call if you need anything. Get ready for a wild ride:)
DeNae
Thanks for stopping in DeNae!! We’re so excited!