Upper Crust Bread is the culmination of a shift in dietary lifestyle. In a world of processed and preservative-filled food options and a growing personal interest in slow-food and fermentation, it only makes sense that I would find my way toward the world of sourdough and naturally leavened breads.

Upper Crust is a humble and ambitious experiment to bring my semi-famous bread to a wider audience and create a more sustainable arrangement between others and myself. While this operation is merely a venerable micro-bakery, perhaps one day it might become something bigger and deserving of a place among the highly esteemed bread bakeries of this fair city.

All bread I produce is naturally leavened. This means that it is made with the aid of a well-maintained culture of lactobacillus, otherwise known as a sourdough starter. This starter is a special thing. Whereas commercial bread uses yeast to leaven their product, I introduce a portion of starter to a dough where it begins break down the grain and consume carbohydrates and then produces carbon dioxide and lactic acid. This is what leavens the bread and imparts the tanginess that breads made in this style are known for.

There is much more than that going on as well. There is a lot of potential in grain and our bodies have a lot of trouble taking advantage of it. Luckily, lactobacillus has the ability to break down and convert a lot of the grain into all sorts of nutrients that are missed out on with commercial bread.

Bread made in this style is definitely a labor of love and practice of patience, but the reward is worth the wait and effort and I think that can be seen in the breads I bake. It is truly fascinating to produce something so complex and transformative with just flour, water, and salt and I encourage you to give it a chance.

Also, it tastes great!