Portage River Bakehouse

Portage River Bakehouse We are a Southeast Michigan based cottage bakery, teaching the art of sourdough bread baking and seasonally inspired baked goods.

Join us on the river for a truly unique educational experience!

Sourdough recipes are not a "one size fits all."What works well for one, may or may not work well for another. Why? Beca...
09/04/2026

Sourdough recipes are not a "one size fits all."
What works well for one, may or may not work well for another. Why? Because... Variables!

Let's take a look at some of the variables directly impacting your success of making a well fermented, well risen, great tasting loaf of bread. 😊

•Starter health and maintenance 🫙
•Temperature 🌡
•Humidity 💧
•Flour choice 🌾
•Dough development (strength and elasticity) 💪

The variables above have one thing in common and that running theme is science. Good old biology and chemistry! And who better to teach it than a scientist? Brad has been been teaching biology at Washtenaw Community College for 23 years, and he will tell you, sourdough is his favorite subject! As for me (Maris), I am the bread baker. The one that likes to get her hands in the dough and teach you all the mechanics because they are important too. Together, we offer a well-rounded, thorough learning experience with continued support. We'll bring it all full circle!

If you're interested in learning to make sourdough, or if you've been making sourdough but struggling, we're here to help and we'll have fun doing it! Our next 6 hour, hands-on sourdough workshop is scheduled for October 24th.

Spotting bad baking advice on the internet: So often, we come across content on social media that paints a clear picture...
09/01/2026

Spotting bad baking advice on the internet:

So often, we come across content on social media that paints a clear picture as to why so many have difficulty making sourdough. Pictured below is a good example. AI generated pictures and a recipe surely headed for frustration and wasted flour. The ratio of water to bread flour is exceptionally high in this recipe. This would equate to an 86% hydration sourdough and a soupy mess for any beginner baker. For reference, you'll find most beginner friendly sourdough recipes in the 65%-70% hydration range. Perfect for learning and manageability.

How do we calculate hydration percentage in a recipe? It's simple! Let's take this recipe as an example and show you how it's done. We are calculating total water to flour, so let's first take a look at the sourdough starter. A common sourdough starter is 100% hydration. Meaning, it's composed of equal amounts of flour and water. This recipe is asking for 100g, so that would be 50g of flour and 50g of water within the mixture. We will include these numbers in our calculation for total hydration below.

500g of flour + 50g of flour from the starter = 550g
380g of water + 50g of water from the starter = 430g

To find the percentage of total hydration, you divide the total amount of water by the total amount of flour.

430g ÷ 550g = .86
You would then multiply: .86 ×100 to remove the decimal, leaving you with a dough hydration of 86%. This is A LOT of water!!

Before you try a sourdough recipe you find on the internet, do this calculation to determine if it falls within your skill level and comfort zone. ❤️

Fresh pasta Sunday. ❤️🤍💚 We absolutely love making it, so we're getting so excited for our class next month! We have 1 s...
08/23/2026

Fresh pasta Sunday. ❤️🤍💚 We absolutely love making it, so we're getting so excited for our class next month! We have 1 space left. If you're interested, send us an email to [email protected] and come have some fun with us! 😁

September's Apple Pie class is now at capacity. Thank you! 🍎 If you missed this one, we'll be offering more pie classes ...
08/21/2026

September's Apple Pie class is now at capacity. Thank you! 🍎 If you missed this one, we'll be offering more pie classes in November to get you ready for Thanksgiving. 😊

September's Sourdough Workshop is now at capacity. Thank you! Our next Sourdough Workshop will be offered Saturday, Octo...
08/21/2026

September's Sourdough Workshop is now at capacity. Thank you! Our next Sourdough Workshop will be offered Saturday, October 24th. 🍁

Good morning and happy Friday! September's class schedule has been sent out and we're ready to get back to baking! 😁If y...
08/21/2026

Good morning and happy Friday! September's class schedule has been sent out and we're ready to get back to baking! 😁

If you would like to be added to our email list and receive our monthly schedules, please send us an email to: [email protected]

*If you are supposed to be on our email list, but did not receive our email, please check your email settings, as well as your spam inbox. We've had a few kicked back for full inboxes.

We're making a change to our sourdough class this year! Instead of 2, 3 hour days, we will be teaching the class in 1 fu...
08/09/2026

We're making a change to our sourdough class this year!

Instead of 2, 3 hour days, we will be teaching the class in 1 full day (6 hours). Guests will get the entire experience, with less travel. After teaching this class for 3 years, we believe this will improve scheduling and in class time management. We believe we will be able to cover more material with the same amount of in class time. Brad and I are committed to improving our classes every year, and we think you'll like this change. We're looking forward to another year of sourdough baking with you! ❤️

As we're approaching the wind down of summer, which has gone by way too fast I might add, Brad and I are getting ready f...
08/08/2026

As we're approaching the wind down of summer, which has gone by way too fast I might add, Brad and I are getting ready for another season of baking classes with you! ❤️

Over the past few months, and between many house projects, we've been able to visit several farms and share 20 recipes on our page and through email. It was so nice to stay connected with all of you and stay in the spirit of from scratch, seasonal baking and cooking.🍒🍓🫐🍑

As one season comes to an end, another is waiting in the wings. The cozy fall and winter months are when bakers truly shine! We're excited to offer some new classes this year and we hope to see you. Classes will resume after Labor Day. Our September class schedule will be sent out to our contact list on Friday, August 21st for registration. If you would like to receive our monthly newsletter with our class schedules, please send us an email to [email protected]. We'd be happy to add you!

In the meantime, enjoy these warmer days to the fullest, friends! When the weather starts to turn, and you're looking for something fun to do, come bake with us! We've missed you! ❤️

08/07/2026

Drinking my coffee and watching Mamaw Gail videos. I bet you find some of your childhood favorites in her videos. Sometimes, we don't want fancy, we just want Grandma's food and comfort. ❤️

https://www.facebook.com/share/v/1B2rntH9QS/

I was cruising the internet the other day and this popped up in my newsfeed. I had an instant craving!! 🤤Can you guess w...
08/06/2026

I was cruising the internet the other day and this popped up in my newsfeed. I had an instant craving!! 🤤

Can you guess what dessert this is?
Hints: It's been around for roughly 50 years and a potluck favorite. It goes by several different names. Once you start eating it... YOU CAN'T STOP! 😆

Address

9800 Toma Road
Pinckney, MI
48169

Website

Alerts

Be the first to know and let us send you an email when Portage River Bakehouse posts news and promotions. Your email address will not be used for any other purpose, and you can unsubscribe at any time.

Contact The Business

Send a message to Portage River Bakehouse:

Shortcuts

Share

Category