When Stephen Blanchard began baking bread at home in his 20s, he had no idea that the hobby would eventually result in a full-time business. But, as he began perfecting his loaves of sourdough, friends and family took an interest. Blanchard began selling loaves of bread at work.
By 2020, he and his wife Christine Burke had launched Stephen's Breads, a cottage bakery selling breads and other baked goods through farmers markets and pop-ups. The word spread and business grew. By 2023 they were ready to make their next move and establish a commercial kitchen so they could increase production. But when Burke found out she was pregnant the couples’ focus shifted. They took a year off to ensure a healthy pregnancy for mom and baby.
“Our son was born in November, and we’re all happy and healthy,” says Blanchard. “So now we’re trying to rebuild the business.”
Ordering is open
With a few pop-ups under their belts, Stephen’s Breads is up and baking once again with a commitment to using heritage grains from Janie’s Mill (Ashkum, Illinois), Anarchy Acres (Mt. Pleasant, Wisconsin) and Meadowlark Farm & Mill (Ridgeway, Wisconsin) and as many other locally sourced products as possible.
Currently, they’ve relaunched their partnership with both Milwaukee Farmers United and Market Wagon for delivery of their breads. They have also reactivated the Stephen’s Breads website, allowing customers to order baked goods for weekly pick-up. Pick-up takes place on Monday or Tuesday from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. and 6 p.m. to 8:30 p.m.; all orders must be placed at least three days in advance.
They’ve also re-upped their commitment to supporting the community by renewing their commitment to the Artisan Grain Collaborative’s Neighbor Loaves program. Customers can purchase a Neighbor Loaf from Stephen’s Bread and it will be donated to the Bay View Community Center.
“Moving forward we’ll also begin making donations to community organizations as we have in the past,” says Blanchard. “We want to be able to help wherever we can.”
New kitchen coming soon
But that’s not all. The couple has also secured space for a commercial kitchen in the Lincoln Warehouse, 2018 S. 1st St. in Bay View. The space will allow them to operate their business more efficiently and expand production to include wholesale.
Construction has begun on the new kitchen, and if all goes well, they hope to be up and running by mid-September or early October. Once they are established, Blanchard says they will begin selling at local markets, establishing wholesale accounts and hosting pop-ups with businesses in the Lincoln Warehouse, including Component Brewing, New Barons Brewing Cooperative and Twisted Path Distillery.
If all goes well, Stephen’s Breads could even establish a retail space at the warehouse in the next year or so.
If you’d like to support the business’s growth, Stephen’s Breads has launched a GoFundMe to assist in paying for new equipment for their commercial kitchen space.
For updates and events follow Stephen’s Breads on Facebook and Instagram. To order bread or pastries for pick-up, visit Stephen’s Breads online.
Lori is an avid cook whose accrual of condiments and spices is rivaled only by her cookbook collection. Her passion for the culinary industry was birthed while balancing A&W root beer mugs as a teenage carhop, fed by insatiable curiosity and fueled by the people whose stories entwine with each and every dish. She’s had the privilege of chronicling these tales via numerous media, including OnMilwaukee and in her book “Milwaukee Food.” Her work has garnered journalism awards from entities including the Milwaukee Press Club.
When she’s not eating, photographing food, writing or recording the FoodCrush podcast, you’ll find Lori seeking out adventures with her husband Paul, traveling, cooking, reading, learning, snuggling with her cats and looking for ways to make a difference.
