Business Spotlight: Baked Fresh Sourdough Bakery

Afton Marowelli started Baked Fresh Sourdough Bakery somewhat by accident, as is often the case when someone pursues an interest and finds out that other people share it.  

Marowelli is originally from Wyoming, and moved with her husband to Soda Springs when his job with Itafos brought him to town about five years ago.  Afton has a degree in mechanical engineering from the School of Mines, and spent five years using it as an engineer with Kiewit.  She was also a realtor in Wyoming for a number of years, but she didn’t feel like starting into either of those fields again over here.  “But I wanted to do something else, so I started the bakery.”

The name of the business goes a long way to explaining it.  “Everything I bake is sourdough, from the breads to sweets,” she says.  “From coconut lime zucchini bread and banana bread.  I also make homemade canned jams and cinnamon rolls—that’s a big one.”

For now, her products are sold at Enders, Mocha Man’s in Soda Springs, and 3C Grill in Grace.  People can also pre-order online and Marowelli will deliver them to their homes, or arrange for pickup at one of the locations that sells her products.  Facebook and Instagram are also ways that Marowelli can be contacted.  On both sites, “Baked Fresh Sourdough Bakery” is the name under which she can be found.

Looking toward future expansion, Marowelli is working on converting a horse trailer into a mobile shop, which she plans to take to fairs and other events.  People will be able to walk in and purchase what they would like.

While her physical locations are in Soda Springs and Grace, she has customers all around the county, as well as in the Bear Lake area.  Her social media sites alert interested customers about any plans she has to visit other locations, such as Pocatello or Montpelier, so that they can place orders.  People can also sign up for her email list, where they will receive a newsletter updating them about upcoming plans and items.

“I always have stuff that people can come and grab.  At Mocha Man’s it’s mostly individual items, while at Ender’s it’s full loaves and other things.  At 3C, it’s mostly desserts, and bread and jam,” she explains.

As to why she chose sourdough bread specifically (especially given its reputation as a difficult bread to keep consistent, she explains “I was just kind of bored and somebody gave me a starter, so I just went with it.  I was making bread once or twice a week to keep the starter up, and it was too much bread for our family and I starter giving it away, which all led to this.”  Her friends and family who had been recipients of the bread encouraged her to sell it, and that started the
whole process.

Her start has been around since 2020.  A start is a live culture created from the fermentation of flour and water.  Her breads are entirely organic, and made of flour, water and salt.  She has to feed the start flour and water, which “feeds” the start to keep it replenished.  It is better to keep the start stored with access to oxygen, according to Marowelli.  When she feeds her start, she has multiple Tupperware containers, some of which contain the leaven which is used to make
the bread.

After initially perfecting the bread itself, she began to increase her repertoire. “Every time I made more, I added something else.  Like infused oil and vinegar to dip it in.  And whipped honey.”  Although she doesn’t go as far as to raise her own bees, she does whip the honey herself.  The honey is local Idaho honey, and contains a flavor profile redolent of the plants on which the bees feed.  Much of the local honey contains hints of canola oil from fields of the crop.

Afton is a fan of sourdough not just because of its undeniably great taste, but also its health benefits.  “Sourdough is healthier for you than other yeasted bread. It has no sugar in it, and the glycemic index is lower because of the way that the sourdough yeast breads down the bread makes it easier to digest, increases the nutrients, and the lactic acids can reduce inflammation in your body,” she says.

Staying on top of the business is a time-consuming endeavor.  Marowelli has two children, ages 3 and 5, so her time is a bit limited.  She wakes up early to prep for the day.  In the morning, she shapes the loaves and gets them ready, then they cold-ferment until the afternoon when she bakes them.  In the evening once the kids go down she gets the next batch ready.  During the day she bakes quickbreads and cookies and desserts.  It’s an everyday commitment, other than occasional weekends, although given the nature of sourdough bread the process is more or less constantly in progress.  For Monday’s sourdough orders, for instance, the starter has to be prepped on Saturday in order for it to have enough time for development.  “It’s a two day process for a loaf of bread,” she laughs.

Beyond her business itself, Marowelli is also a member of the Caribou County Women’s Networking Group, which is for women entrepreneurs.  The group meets every third Tuesday at 9:00 a.m. at Enders, and is open to any female entrepreneurs in Caribou County.  The group currently has between ten and fifteen members, and anyone interested is encouraged to attend a meeting.

In every way, Marowelli is in a good place.  For once thing, she enjoys living in Soda Springs.  “We really like it.  We like the area, being in the mountains and the small town feel.”  Her business is also going well, and she looks forward to expanding and continuing to offer a unique, handcrafted product to the community.

For Easter, she plans a special with carrot cake and coconut lime zucchini and banana bread.  She will make family sized portions and expand her hours so that the breads will be available for Easter.  Her social media sites will inform readers about other upcoming events she has planned.

Baked Fresh can take Venmo payments or cash.