Baking bread, bringing joy

NEW RICHMOND, Wis. — A sourdough starter given to Rikki Van Dyk a year and a half ago has sparked a new-hobby-turned-side hustle.

“A friend said she had sourdough and told me I should try it,” Van Dyk said. “At first, I said no because I didn’t need another thing to take care of. She told me I would like it — so I tried it, and she was right.”

Van Dyk and her husband, Chris, and their sons, Landon and Lane, milk 65 cows at West Croix Holsteins and Jerseys near New Richmond.

Using the starter, Van Dyk, who works part time off the farm as a registered nurse, began experimenting with baking sourdough bread. She took bread to work with her and shared with co-workers. They encouraged her to try selling her bread and through that Farm Fresh Breads was born.

Entering the world of sourdough baking was a new experience for Van Dyk.

“Everything you hear about sourdough is intimidating — you have to let it sit, feed it, knead it a certain way,” Van Dyk said. “What I have learned is it’s not quite as intimidating as everyone makes it look on TikTok or YouTube.”

Van Dyk said a year and a half later, she is still working off that original starter from her friend, and in turn, she has given the gift of sourdough to eight of her co-workers and friends.

“Of those eight, four of them have kept their starter alive and are still baking bread,” Van Dyk said.

Over time Van Dyk has learned how to work with the starter and become more comfortable with the process.

Making sourdough bread is a process that takes several days to complete. The day before she plans to make bread, Van Dyk feeds her starter with unbleached flour and water.

After the starter ferments and grows, Van Dyk uses it to make dough. Van Dyk kneads the dough four times, stretching and folding it to strengthen it. This is done every half hour, letting it rest each time.

The dough is then proofed, and after it has doubled in size it can be made into bread.

Each recipe usually calls for a cup of starter. What is not used can either be fed again or discarded.

A day or two after she makes the dough, Van Dyk spends an entire day baking bread. She typically bakes the day before a market, so the bread is fresh, and then bags it and labels it the morning of the market.

A plain loaf of sourdough bread consists of starter, flour, water and salt; but Van Dyk enjoys experimenting with a variety of flavors and textures when baking her bread.

Van Dyk has found recipes online, but she also enjoys creating her own combinations. Jalapeno cheddar is one of her best sellers. Other popular flavors include blueberry lemon, s’mores, wild rice cranberry and caramel apple.

“I came up with the s’mores recipe and that worked really well,” Van Dyk said. “A lot of times I just try things I think would be good. One time we had Cajun cheese curds on hand, so I put them in bread and that turned out pretty good.”

Van Dyk uses TikTok for inspiration and also works with customers to add new creations to her repertoire.

“A neighbor wanted a weekly order of bagels, so I started making those,” Van Dyk said. “I’ve also tried English muffins and pretzels, and I’ve thought about doing noodles, but doing those things is all more work and more time.”

Van Dyk sells her breads under Wisconsin’s cottage food law, which requires her to include a label that discloses her breads are made in a private home and lists ingredients. For the time being, Van Dyk is content selling bread on a small scale under those provisions.

“I don’t want this to become a job,” Van Dyk said. “I want it to stay a hobby, at least for now.”

Van Dyk first started marketing her bread by approaching a nearby greenhouse, Erin Prairie Plant Co, about selling her products there.

“I started out taking 10 or 15 loaves down there,” Van Dyk said. “It usually sold out, and I was really surprised by the response.”

From there, Van Dyk began attending local farmers markets to purvey her breads. As she built up a following of customers, she began taking direct orders.

“I never really thought the sourdough would come to this — selling bread, people wanting to buy bread,” Van Dyk said. “I like pleasing people. Making bread for others to enjoy brings me joy.”