When we first started Uprooted Journey, we had no idea how much our little micro-bakery would grow—or how much we’d learn along the way. But what we did know, from the very beginning, was that we were passionate about making delicious, artisan sourdough and sharing it with our community. Our journey started small, with just 30 loaves of bread at our very first market, and it’s been an incredible ride ever since.
The Humble Beginning: 30 Loaves at Rolling Bean’s & Mamarita’s Fate Food Haul Market
It feels like just yesterday that we were baking our first batch of sourdough. We started with just 30 loaves of bread, hoping to sell them at Rolling Bean’s & Mamarita’s Fate Food Haul Market. To say that we were nervous would be an understatement. The idea of putting ourselves out there, meeting customers, and hoping our bread would be well-received was a bit overwhelming. But there was one thing we knew for sure: we were doing what we loved.
At the time, we didn’t have much—just our trusty home oven, a few heavy Dutch ovens, and a whole lot of hope. Our home oven could only bake 4 loaves at a time, so you can imagine how long it took to prepare enough for a market. We’d load up the oven, bake the first four loaves, then carefully rotate them every 5 minutes to ensure each loaf got the same amount of heat. It was time-consuming, labor-intensive, and to be honest, SO heavy on my back. Not to mention, we had to manually add steam to the oven to help get that perfect, crispy crust. But every moment, every loaf, was worth it because we knew we were creating something special.
The First Market Experience: A Lesson in Patience and Community Support
The first market was a whirlwind. We had a small table, our loaves neatly arranged, and a sense of excitement and nervousness all mixed together. And, guess what?! People loved it! They loved the tangy, chewy texture of the sourdough, the crispy crust, and the simple, wholesome ingredients. It was beyond humbling to see the community embrace our bread so warmly.
I’ll never forget the feeling when we sold our first loaf—there was this instant connection with the person who bought it. It was more than just a sale; it was a moment of shared joy over something we had put so much love into. That moment gave us the confidence to keep going, and keep baking.
But as much as we were blessed by the community’s response, the work was physically demanding. Baking those 30 loaves in our home oven, one batch at a time, took hours, but we kept pushing forward because we believed in what we were doing, and we were determined to make it work.
The Big Leap: From Home Oven to Commercial Oven
As we continued to sell at markets and grow our customer base, something amazing started to happen: our community’s support poured in. They kept coming back for more of our sourdough, and word spread fast. It became clear that we needed to scale up to keep up with the demand, and so, after much prayer and thought, we made the leap: we upgraded to a commercial oven!
This upgrade was a game-changer. Instead of baking 4 loaves at a time, we could now bake 12 loaves per batch! This made a huge difference in our production time, and the quality of our bread just kept improving. The commercial oven was a huge blessing, not just because it allowed us to bake more, but because it symbolized how far we’d come—from baking in our tiny kitchen to having the equipment that could meet the growing needs of our business.
But the best part? With the new oven, we were finally able to stop rotating loaves every 5 minutes and adding steam manually. I could breathe a little easier (literally!), and we could focus more on perfecting the bread rather than working around the limitations of our old oven.
From 30 Loaves to 200: Rockwall Farmers Market and Beyond
Fast forward to today, and we’re now baking up to 200 loaves for the Rockwall Farmers Market every week during the summer and for nearly every other market we attend! It’s hard to believe how far we’ve come! Our oven hums along, cranking out delicious, golden loaves, and we’ve learned so much along the way. From those first 30 loaves at our tiny market to baking 12 loaves at a time and now serving hundreds of customers at a bustling market, it’s been a journey of faith, hard work, and a whole lot of love.
We’ve been blessed by the loyalty of our customers and the encouragement of our community. Every market, we get to share our passion with people who appreciate the care and craftsmanship that goes into every loaf of bread. We’ve even expanded our offerings, adding different sourdough varieties, baked goods, and seasonal treats—but no matter what we bake, we always strive to stay true to the roots of our journey: creating high-quality, wholesome bread with love.
Looking Ahead: Gratitude for Every Step of the Journey
Looking back on our journey, we’re overwhelmed with gratitude for the support we’ve received. Every market, every order, every word of encouragement has helped us get to where we are today. From a humble start with just 30 loaves of bread to a growing micro-bakery, we know we’ve been blessed in ways we can’t even fully express.
We’re so thankful for the Rockwall community, for the farmers markets that have welcomed us, and for the people who believe in the story behind our bread. It’s not just about the loaves—it’s about the connections we’ve made and the joy we’ve shared with others. And most importantly, it’s about knowing that with every loaf we bake, we’re doing something we love, and we’re sharing that love with everyone who takes a bite.