Photo via Facebook / Stephen's Breads
It’s been said that true artisan bread is like a fine wine. The precisely controlled fermentation yields unique flavor profiles with a crackly crust, open crumb (the bread’s interior) and a subtle tang. But in today’s demanding world, most of us don’t have the time or patience to pursue such perfection. Enter Stephen Blanchard, of Stephen’s Breads.
Blanchard lives in St. Francis and bakes artisan breads like country wheat, dill and cheddar and seasonal varieties from his home kitchen, which is permissible under Wisconsin’s “cottage baker” rules. While there’s currently no official “cottage food” law, home bakers may sell low-moisture, “non-potentially hazardous” goods like cookies, bread and cakes directly to consumers.
Several years ago, Blanchard started making quick breads like cinnamon raisin and banana. He later experimented with yeasted breads and eventually, sourdough. “I learned how to use starter instead of yeast, which adds a whole new dimension of baking,” he says. He’s been using the same sourdough starter for eight years.
Sourdough starter is flour and water that’s left to ferment, he explains. “As it ferments over the first few days, it starts building bacteria. At first, it’s bad bacteria that you don’t want in food. But the goal is to let that bacteria build up, and you will get wild yeast from that bacteria. That yeast is from the fermented flour and water. From there, you gradually discard old portions and add new until all the old bacteria is gone.”
Blanchard says the difference between a young starter or a mature starter is how often it’s refreshed with flour and water. A young starter is less acidic, giving the finished bread a slight tang versus an overwhelming sour flavor. Quality flour is considered an important part of artisan bread baking. Blanchard uses flour from local mills like Anarchy Acres, which grows wheat varieties traditionally grown in Wisconsin like Marquis and red fife.
Blanchard offers about 13 sweet and savory breads, including Country Spelt. His most popular varieties are Cinnamon Raisin; Garlic Parmesan; Dill and Cheddar; and Sweet Cherry Pecan. Customers can order from an online menu. The weekly specials are his experiments where he wants to try a new flavor. Fall specials include a red wine blend with raisins. “I soaked the raisins overnight in the wine and braided them into the bread. My caramel apple bread is made with apples from a local orchard.”
He’s inspired by ingredients sold by fellow farmers market vendors. Blanchard takes custom orders and gets requests for varieties such as Lithuanian Rye. He makes gluten-free bread upon request (his kitchen is not a gluten-free environment).
Photo via Facebook / Stephen's Breads
Launching a business during the pandemic
Blanchard’s bread became popular among family and friends. Co-workers started placing orders, and he considered farmers markets. In March, he was invited to be a vendor at the Milwaukee Winter Farmers Market, held every Saturday at The Domes. After making 70 loaves, he got a call on Thursday, informing him that the market had been cancelled due to COVID-19.
His wife, Christine Burke, posted their plight on the Facebook group Bay View Town Hall. “Within an hour, we sold 70 all loaves,” Blanchard says. “And within a couple of hours, we had a week’s worth of orders.”
Blanchard eventually left his job in the mortgage field to operate Stephen’s Breads full-time. He belongs to the Artisan Grain Collaborative, through which he participates in the Neighbor Loaves program that allows customers to buy a loaf of bread to donate to a food pantry. Blanchard and Burke grew up in Bay View and partner with the Bay View Community Center’s food pantry.
For the remaining summer farmers market season, Blanchard will be at the South Milwaukee Downtown Market, Fondy Food Center and Tosa Farmers Market. He hopes to participate in the Milwaukee Winter Farmers Market; it’s still pending if it will again be held at The Domes greenhouse annex. Customers can order online and pick up bread from a contactless pickup box. For winter, Blanchard may offer a CSA-style subscription box of breads of pastries.
For more information, visit stephensbreads.com.
