NEW VENDOR: Sourdough Bliss

We welcome baker Emily Locke to Full Farm CSA. Her company, Sourdough Bliss, is offering seven products, all made with organic ingredients and locally grown organic flour from Camas Country Mill.

In the store, search for "Sourdough Bliss" to locate all her products.

Most of us think sourdough is delicious, but there are also very real health benefits to eating it. Sourdough bread goes through a fermentation process which gives the product a lower glycemic index and lowers the gluten content, making it more tolerable for people with gluten sensitivity.  Also, the fermentation process enhances nutrient absorption, and contains beneficial bacteria to promote gut health. 

Emily is a Junction City native who raised her kids nearby in Santa Clara. She moved back to JC when the kids were older and they are all graduates of Junction City High School. She believes strongly in local community having volunteered in the kids' schools for many years. She is now, as a new business owner, a member of the Lions Club and will soon join the Chamber of Commerce.

After their three kids left home, Emily and her husband cared for her grandmother who has since passed away. Now she has the time and energy to start a new project, one that she feels continues her engagement in the community.

"I needed a new purpose," she said. "I have baked for many years for family and friends but after grandma passed away I started a sourdough starter and began down this path. I was giving it to everyone I knew and everyone said 'Wow - You could sell this!'"

She tested that suggestion with a week-long pop-up store hosted by 448 Fitness in Junction City. She sold out all week and decided to give Sourdough Bliss a try.

"My son said “Mom you're finally doing something we've known all along you should be doing!" she said proudly. "When the kids were growing up I'd jokingly say “Welcome to Emily’s diner” when everyone would sit down to eat!!"

She has seven products in the store:

• Two round loaves: Artisanal Sourdough Wheat and Sourdough Honey Oat Artisan

• Two sandwich loaves: Sourdough Honey Wheat and Sourdough Seed Bread

• Two sweeter Loaves, which still work great as sandwich bread: Molasses Brown Sourdough Loaf and Sourdough Cinnamon Swirl Loaf

• One dessert: Mini Sourdough Glazed Lemon Loaf Cake

At the Wayte household, we enjoyed the mini lemon cake after dinner last night. It was the perfect size for three people to have two slices to round out the evening. In the morning the cinnamon swirl was delicious with our fried eggs and coffee.

Here are Emily's tips for how to store and use your sourdough:

• Enjoy for 2-3 days for optimal freshness & flavor 

• Freeze bread for up to 6 months. Slice before freezing for easy portioning 

• Store in a paper bag or bread box to preserve crustiness 

• Revive stale bread by sprinkling with water & heating in the oven at 375 for 5-10 min 

• Avoid storing in refrigerator as it can dry out bread 

• Refresh frozen bread by thawing at room temperature or toasting in toaster on defrost setting