Today we’d like to introduce you to Kaley Casenhiser.
So, before we jump into specific questions about the business, why don’t you give us some details about you and your story.
I never conceived of having a right relationship to bread, one marked by understanding, connection, and enjoyment. For most of my life, at best, I viewed bread as the backdrop for better things: the base of great toasts, sandwiches, or crostini. At worst, I saw it as no more than a commodity of empty carbs. I hadn’t considered that grains, like all ingredients, have a story and unique history. In my head, bread was bread was bread and it was pretty boring…until it wasn’t. Consciously tasting real bread for the first time at Dan Barber’s restaurant, Blue Hill, transformed my entire way of thinking about it. It opened my eyes to a whole new realm of taste and tuned me into the reality that bread at its best can be a catalyst for great nutrition.
That initial encounter in 2016 at Dan Barber’s table was the beginning of my journey back to bread.
A year later, I found myself standing among fields of wheat in central California inquiring about how it was grown, where it came from, and its current presence in the marketplace. After hours on the farm, I went home and bought some books. It was time to learn how to make great bread.
I’ve come to believe that at the source all great bread are three simple things: wheat grown well, a live sourdough starter, and a handmade touch.
With that standard in mind, I set out on my journey. After many weeks of trial and error, and my fair share of inedible doorstops, I finally made my first successful loaf of sourdough bread. What a thrill! That first (and long-awaited) success opened the door for further baking joys and was hooked.
As I continued baking, I learned more and eventually mustered enough confidence to begin sharing these ancient grain loaves with my friends. Almost instantly, I started receiving questions about the process. People were drawn to making something nourishing and delicious with their hands and wanted to know how. They were interested in slowing down and learning a new skill that could feed their spirit and stomach. In the face of all of these questions, I realized there was a great need for making traditional bread baking accessible. There was a lot of interest but limited resources. So, as an ordinary bread consumer turned ancient grain enthusiast and home baker aficionado, I started Crumb Crafters. created Crumb Crafters in hopes of de-mystifying the art of baking sourdough bread without losing the magic.
We have simplified the process as much we know how, but we also hope that as people bake with their kits, you begin to gather a palette of tools to take with you into all of your bread baking ventures. Because we believe bread should be good on multiple levels, our Crumb Crafters flour mix is a specially curated blend of ancient grains grown by farmers we love with unparalleled flavors and nutritional profiles. This is bread you can feel good about making and great about eating.
Has it been a smooth road?
Oh, certainly not. Since I was essentially self-taught, the beginning weeks of my sourdough bread journey was frequented by flat, dense and completely inedible blobs instead of lovely risen loaves. And, I wrestled with more questions about the complexities and mysteries of organically fermented, wild yeast-leavened bread than I thought I would ever be able to wrap my head around. It was a new language, and it took time, practice, a fair share of failed attempts, and the willingness to ask questions and trying again and again until it worked.
But as with any great story, in the midst of the struggles, continued to enliven my pursuits. I had discovered a deep passion in my own spirit, and time and time again, that love, and tenacity led me to benevolent, generous mentors who kindly shared their knowledge and experience and helped shape me into the baker I am today. I have deep gratitude to them for all of the conversations they had with me about bread baking, ancient grains, and the advice they shared when I needed it most.
I recently learned that the Latin root of the word “amateur” means “love for one’s subject”. I resonate with that definition profoundly and I am proud to say I am an amateur sourdough bread baker–a continual student to this ancient craft.
We’d love to hear more about your business.
We are a small, local, family-owned company that sells organic DIY sourdough bread kits. We are passionate about demystifying the art of making bread the old-fashioned way and making it fun, accessible, and delicious while telling the story of grains that are endangered and in need of a local economy to revitalize their presence in our culture.
This company was founded from the beginning with a desire to be good on multiple levels: good for the farmers, good for the customers, good for the environment, good for the makers, good-tasting, and good across time. This framework informed and continues to inform each decision we make as a company from decisions around growth, to packaging, to which farmers we form relationships with.
To speak to a specific example, the way the value “good for the environment” manifests itself practically is that there is no plastic in the kits. All of our packaging is recycled or biodegradable, and I even had the opportunity to co-design organic cotton bowl covers to cover the bread as it rises with another small company, Dot & Army. Ultimately, we are hoping to become completely zero-waste, so we are actively working towards that goal.
Another huge way the value “good for the farmers” manifests itself in our company is that the farmers we partner with are our friends–beautiful people who are actively working to revitalize our local economy and create a market for grains that were lost in the industrialization that occurred after WWII. Both of the ancient grains highlighted in our DIY sourdough kits are on Slow Food’s Ark of Taste and have flavor and nutritional value that reminds you of how bread is supposed to taste.
Our ancient grain flour highlights two ancient varieties of wheat: Sonora & Turkey Hard Red. These special grains are featured on Slow Food’s Ark of Taste, a program whose aim is to preserve the taste and traditions of endangered ingredients. We see working with these varieties as an opportunity to partner with Slow Food in telling their story and reminding communities of their vital importance to our cultural history and future longevity.
These grains are as delicious as they are nutritious. When thoughtfully milled and left un-sifted, they are a great source of protein, fiber, vitamins, and minerals. They can also be easier to digest than modern varieties because our bodies are familiar with their structure. We have been eating daily bread with these grains for hundreds of years; it is only within the last fifty years that their presence has been lost in our marketplace. Our hope is that by working with these grains, we play a small part in revitalizing the market for these beautiful varieties by re-introducing them to communities around the country.
Is our city a good place to do what you do?
Absolutely! I think urban spaces have a huge need for and interest in returning to artisan work that is done with one’s hands, in community, and has a tangible impact on the betterment of your mind, body, and spirit. I think great companies can emerge anywhere, so what I would recommend is that each person starts in the place they know and feel native to. I got to know the LA community by going to the Santa Monica Farmer’s Market each Wednesday in college. It was a micro-picture of the macro LA community and it gave me an opportunity to get to know the farmers I now call dear friends. Farmer’s markets are a great place to start.
Pricing:
- Affordable (each kit is $24.99)
Contact Info:
- Website: To Shop: https://crumbcrafters.myshopify.com/ and for step by step videos: http://www.crumbcrafters.com/breadvideos/
- Phone: 714-316-3062
- Email: [email protected]
- Instagram: crumbcrafters
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/186582415600895/
Image Credit:
Jacob Grant
Getting in touch: VoyageLA is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you know someone who deserves recognition please let us know here.
