Simply Sourdough Bread Co.

09/04/2026

A little Simply Sourdough story… and one of the many reasons I love our customers. ❤️

When I first started Simply Sourdough, I didn’t know what I didn’t know.

In those early months, there were a few things we made that did contain food dyes. We offered an M&M cookie, and I remember making a Halloween cookie decorated with traditional sprinkles.

Then one day, a local mom messaged me.

She said something along the lines of, “Hey! Did you know Walmart carries dye-free sprinkles? Here’s the brand—check them out!”

She sent me links, information, and basically opened my eyes to something I hadn’t even thought about.

And honestly? I am so grateful she did.

That conversation sent me down a rabbit hole of learning about food dyes, artificial colors, and ingredients—and it made me take a much closer look at what I was using in my own kitchen and what I wanted to offer through my bakery.

From that point forward, we made a conscious decision to do our very best to eliminate artificial colors and unnecessary artificial ingredients from the things we make.

Take these Peanut Butter Cup Sourdough Cookies, for example. 🍪🥜🍫

Those sprinkles are dye-free.

And yes, they’re considerably more expensive than traditional sprinkles.

But we’re paying for naturally colored ingredients rather than synthetic alternatives, and that’s a trade-off we’re willing to make.

Because I want to feel good putting one of our cookies in my own child’s lunchbox.

And I want the local moms who buy from us to feel good doing the same.

I’m not here to tell anyone what they should or shouldn’t feed their family. We all make different choices, and that’s okay.

But when I have the choice between an artificial ingredient and a more natural alternative, I choose the alternative.

And I think one of the sweetest parts of owning a small local bakery is that we’re always learning, too.

Sometimes our customers teach us something.

Sometimes they introduce us to a better ingredient, a better idea, or a better way of doing things.

And this was one of those moments.

So to that mom who took the time to message me all those months ago: thank you. You probably had no idea how much that little message would influence the way I bake today. ❤️

We’re not perfect. We’re always learning. But we’re always trying to do better.

That’s Simply Sourdough.

08/30/2026

A little customer appreciation post tonight… because my heart is FULL. 🤍

Yesterday was porch pickup day, and at one point my little bread cabinet was absolutely packed with 50+ orders—brown bags filled with sourdough breads, scones, cookies and all the little bakes that come out of our kitchen each week.

And I just stood there for a minute and thought…

How incredibly lucky am I?

Every single one of those bags was made with so much time, energy, intention, and love. I put a little piece of my heart into every bake, and I am so incredibly grateful to have customers who not only taste it, but see it.

This week, I received some of the sweetest reviews on Hotplate, and they honestly pulled at my heart. We now have 250+ reviews, and I truly cannot wrap my head around that.

When I started Simply Sourdough Bread Company in May of 2024, my hope was pretty simple: I wanted to bake for my neighbors. I wanted to share something I loved, something that meant a lot to our family, and something I felt our community needed—fresh, real bread made with simple ingredients.

I never could have imagined it would grow into this.

So tonight, I just want to say THANK YOU.

Thank you to every person who has placed an order.

Thank you to those who come back week after week and fill their brown bags with bread and bakes.

Thank you to everyone who has left a review, shared a post, tagged a friend, commented, recommended us to someone, or simply stopped by the farmers market to say hello.

Thank you to those who have been here since the very beginning… and to those who just found us.

Every order matters. Every review matters. Every share matters. Every time you show up on our porch, you are supporting a dream that started in our kitchen.

And I hope you know just how much that means to me.

More than words can really express. 🤍🌻

From our kitchen to your table, thank you for continuing to let me bake for you.

I am so, so grateful for this little bakery and the incredible community that has grown around it.

With a very full heart,
Brooke
Simply Sourdough Bread Company

08/17/2026

Okay hi… 👋🏻 It’s been a minute. 😂

I realized I never even shared the intro post I had planned, never posted the things I said I was going to post, and honestly… life just got BUSY.

Farmers market season is always a TON of work, and so much goes into getting ready for each week. Once the season wrapped up, I really needed some time to reset—and honestly, it has been so good.

Time with family. Time to slow down. Time to breathe a little. And just being present for all the everyday things that can get pushed aside when life is moving a million miles an hour. 💛

And of course, there has still been plenty happening behind the scenes here.

Jeff and I gave the bakery kitchen a much-needed refresh and deep clean after market season. We rearranged things, changed up the flow, and made some adjustments to help everything work more efficiently and make baking days a little smoother.

Because when you’re baking ALL the things in a small kitchen, the flow matters. 😂

So while I haven’t been posting much, there has definitely been plenty of dough mixing, baking, packaging, porch pickups, cookies, scones, and all the usual sourdough chaos happening around here. 🍞

And now I’m really looking forward to getting back into a little rhythm—and especially to all the fall flavors that will be rolling out soon! 🍂🤎

So I’m easing my way back in over here. No big announcement, no perfectly planned social media strategy… just me, my sourdough, a freshly refreshed kitchen, and a very full life.

If you’re still here, hi 👋🏻 I’m so glad you are.

And if you’re new here… welcome! There’s a lot of good bread happening around here. 😂🍞

Let’s catch up. 🤎

08/06/2026

Tomorrow is our final Thursday at the Evergreen Park Farmers Market for the season, and it’s hard to believe how quickly the summer flew by.

We are so thankful for the Village of Evergreen Park, the Office of Citizen Services, Beth, and everyone who works so hard to make the market happen each week. Thank you for welcoming our little bakery and giving us the opportunity to be part of such an amazing community.

To our customers—from Evergreen Park and all the surrounding communities—thank you for showing up week after week. Thank you for trusting us to bake for your families, for bringing your friends, for sharing our bread with your neighbors, and for stopping by just to chat. Those conversations and connections have meant just as much as the sales.

As everyone heads back to school, we’ll be transitioning back to porch pickups and a few pop-up events for now, but we already look forward to returning as a vendor next season.

For our last market of the summer, we went all out! We baked 82 loaves of sourdough, over 120 Brown Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies, fresh focaccia, Chocolate Chip Sourdough Scones, Double Chocolate Sourdough Muffins, and more. After selling out so quickly the last couple of weeks, we wanted to make sure there was plenty for everyone.

Come see us tomorrow from 8:00 AM–1:00 PM. Our table will be full, and we’d love the chance to thank you in person one more time this season.

From the bottom of our hearts… thank you for an incredible summer. We couldn’t have done it without you. ❤️

07/27/2026

07/26/2026

After another wonderful week at the farmers market, it’s time for the next porch pickup menu! 🥖

If you’ve been waiting to stock up on your favorite long-fermented sourdough, tonight’s your chance!

✨ The menu opens tonight (Sunday) at 7:00 PM for Thursday, August 6th porch pickup.

As always, everything is baked in small batches using simple, quality ingredients and a long fermentation process that gives sourdough its incredible flavor and texture.

Whether you’re restocking your weekly bread, trying sourdough for the first time, or grabbing a few extra treats to share, I’d love to bake for you.

Thank you for supporting my little home bakery and allowing me to do what I love. Every order truly means so much to our family. ❤️

Set a reminder for 7:00 PM so you don’t miss out—I can’t wait to share this week’s menu with you!

07/25/2026

Someone asked me recently how I know so much about sourdough.

The truth is… I didn’t when I started.

I just started asking questions.

Then I read. I researched. I experimented. I failed. I baked some pretty terrible loaves. Then I learned some more.

Before I was a baker, I was a teacher for 15 years.

And I don’t think that part of me ever left.

I still love learning.

I still love taking something that feels complicated and breaking it down into something people can understand.

And I still get excited when someone’s face lights up because something finally makes sense.

Maybe that’s why I love talking with customers at the market so much.

Yes, I bake the bread.

But I also love explaining why long fermentation matters, why I choose simple ingredients, and what I’ve learned along the way.

Not just because I want to sell a loaf—but because I genuinely believe knowledge is meant to be shared.

If you leave our tent with a loaf, that’s wonderful.

If you leave with a better understanding of what goes into real sourdough, that’s wonderful too.

Teaching just looks a little different these days.

Instead of standing in front of a classroom, I’m standing behind a table full of bread.

And honestly… I couldn’t be happier with where this journey has taken me. ❤️

07/25/2026

After we got home from the market yesterday, we were sitting at the table talking through next week’s bake, porch pickups, and everything we needed to prep.

That’s when Jeff said something that really stuck with me.

“We’re having that conversation almost every market now.”

And he’s right.

Almost every week, someone stops by to tell us they gave up bread years ago. Someone else shares that they’re gluten sensitive. Someone asks what makes sourdough different. Others tell us they’re just looking for bread with simple ingredients they can feel good about serving their families.

Three years ago, I never imagined I’d be standing behind a farmers market tent having these conversations.

I was simply trying to figure out how to make bread that worked for our family.

Now I spend my weekends hearing other people’s stories.

Some are looking for answers.

Some are looking for hope that they can enjoy bread again.

Some are just curious.

Whatever brings someone to our tent, I’m grateful for the conversation.

Because somewhere along the way, I realized this business became about so much more than bread.

It’s about community.

It’s about listening.

It’s about sharing our story and hearing yours.

And those conversations have become my favorite part of every market. ❤️

07/24/2026

Yesterday at the farmers market, we had one of those conversations that has stayed with me.

A gentleman stopped by our tent, looked at the bread, and simply asked, “Why sourdough?”

I smiled and said, “Because Jeff and I are both gluten sensitive.”

He smiled back and said, “Okay… I’ll take it.”

We all laughed, but then I shared a little more of our story.

A few years ago, we were buying gluten-free bread from the grocery store. While it didn’t contain wheat, it was often filled with preservatives, gums, and ingredients we couldn’t even pronounce. And honestly… it just didn’t taste like bread.

So I started researching traditional sourdough.

I learned that when sourdough is made the old-fashioned way—with just flour, water, salt, and time—the long fermentation process helps break down some of the gluten and other compounds that can make bread easier to digest for many people. While it’s not safe for those with celiac disease, many people with gluten sensitivity find they tolerate true, long-fermented sourdough much better.

I started baking it in my own kitchen for our family.

And that was it.

We haven’t bought store-bought bread since.

Every loaf I bake for Simply Sourdough Bread Company is made the same way I make bread for my own family—long fermented, with simple, clean ingredients and nothing unnecessary. It’s bread that we genuinely enjoy eating, and more importantly, it’s bread that doesn’t leave us feeling miserable afterward.

Jeff is my biggest supporter and the one you’ll usually find helping with prep, setting up our market booth, and talking with customers while I keep the bread coming. Together, we’ve had more and more conversations like this lately. So many people stop by and tell us they’re struggling with gluten sensitivity, digestive issues, or they’re simply looking for bread made the way it used to be.

Those conversations remind me why I started Simply Sourdough Bread Company.

Not because sourdough was trendy.

But because I was searching for a better way to feed my own family.

If the bread I bake helps another family enjoy bread again, then every early morning and every loaf is worth it. ❤️

07/23/2026

Tomorrow’s market day! 🌾🍞

We’ll be back at the Evergreen Park Farmers Market tomorrow, Thursday, July 23, from 8:00 a.m.–1:00 p.m. (or until we sell out), and we can’t wait to see everyone!

We’ve got a couple of new items this week that I’m especially excited for you to try!

🫓 NEW! Organic Sourdough Flatbreads
These are so versatile! They’re perfect for homemade pizzas, wraps, sandwiches, or just dipping in olive oil. They also freeze really well, so they’re great to keep on hand for a quick meal.

🧁 NEW! Jumbo Double Chocolate Sourdough Muffins
If you’re a chocolate lover, these are for you. Rich, chocolatey, and made with naturally fermented sourdough.

We’ll also have:

🍞 Sourdough Breads
• Signature Organic Sourdough
• Cranberry Pecan Sourdough

🥖 Sourdough Focaccia
• Italian Herb with Garlic, Crushed Red Pepper & Olives
• Habanero Cheddar with Poblanos & Hot Honey
• Jalapeño Cheddar

🍪 Sourdough Sweet Bakes
• Brown Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies
• Lemon Poppy Seed Sourdough Scones

As always, everything is baked fresh in small batches, so once it’s gone, it’s gone!

If you’re planning to come by, make sure to stop and say hi! I love getting to catch up with familiar faces, meet new customers, and put names to faces. Thank you for supporting my little family bakery and choosing to shop local. It truly means more than you know. ❤️

See you tomorrow!