Local Artisanal Sourdough Baker Embraces Domestic Germination of Wheat
Home-Grown Sourdough Bread Takes Ulm, Wyoming by Storm
Karis Prusak's sourdough bread business in Ulm, Wyoming, is making waves in the community with its unique approach to baking. Prusak, who lives with her husband, Matthew, and three youngsters on the family ranch near Ulm, uses home-grown, chemical-free wheat to produce flour for her bread.
By controlling the entire process—from growing the wheat to milling the flour—Prusak enhances the nutritional quality of her bread. Freshly milled flour retains more nutrients compared to commercially processed options, making her bread a more natural, nutritious choice.
Prusak uses an electric stone grinder to mill the wheat into flour. This method helps maintain more nutrition value compared to a steel burr mill. She uses 20-25% of her own milled flour in her bread, with the balance being commercially milled.
The bread freezes well and can be kept in the refrigerator to extend the life of the loaf. Prusak's new oven, equipped with soap stone, can bake up to 12 loaves of sourdough bread at a time, ensuring a steady supply for her customers.
Prusak bakes about 120 loaves of sourdough bread per week, which sells out rapidly. She sends her bread to Cross E Dairy & Freedom Foods store in Sheridan on Tuesday and Friday mornings. In addition to selling her bread, Prusak also sells natural beef tallow skin creams through Freedom Foods, Cottonwood Kitchens, and leulmmarche.com.
Prusak thanks her husband, Matthew, her father-in-law Robert Prusak, and neighbor Jim Baumgartner, who helped to build the granary and fill it with wheat. She also offers special orders with a couple days' notice and has a shifter for the flour, which she may sell to other bakers in the future.
In November of 2023, our platform ran a story about Karis Prusak's sourdough bread business. Many individuals who are gluten sensitive can eat sourdough bread, making it a great option for those with dietary restrictions. Prusak's mill can process up to 60 pounds of wheat per hour, but she doesn't mill that much in a day. The wheat is stored in a clean, rodent-proof granary until needed.
Prusak's dedication to using home-grown, chemical-free wheat and her commitment to producing high-quality sourdough bread have made her a standout in the community. Her business is a testament to the power of locally sourced, natural ingredients and the importance of supporting small businesses in our communities.
- Prusak's approach to her home-grown sourdough bread business in Ulm, Wyoming, aligns with the health-and-wellness lifestyle, as she focuses on using chemical-free wheat and enhancing nutritional quality.
- With her dedication to home-grown, freshly milled flour, Prusak's bread falls into the category of healthy-diets, providing more nutritional value compared to commercially processed options.
- Along with her sourdough bread, Prusak offers natural beef tallow skin creams, which tie into the food-and-drink and home-and-garden aspects, as they are related to cooking and skincare products, respectively.
- Prusak's focus on using locally sourced, natural ingredients and her support for small businesses aligns with the lifestyle of those who prioritize food and drink choices for the betterment of health, fitness-and-exercise, and overall wellness.
- Prusak's business exemplifies the importance of healthy-cooking, as her sourdough bread caters to various dietary needs, such as those with gluten sensitivity, promoting inclusion and nutrition for all.
