FAQs
What is a cottage bakery?
“There is a growing movement in California to support community-based food production, sometimes referred to as “cottage food,” “artisanal food,” “slow food,” “locally based food,” or “urban agriculture” movements. These movements seek to connect food to local communities, small businesses, and environmental sustainability.” The Cottage Food Operation Assembly Bill allows low-risk food products to be prepared and packaged for consumers at a private residence. Wild Bread is a licensed Cottage Food Operation with permits issued by San Bernardino County.
can i change/cancel my order?
Need to change your pick-up location/pick-up day? Drop us an email (using the ‘Contact Us’ button at the bottom of this page) and we will make this happen as long as you let us know at least 24 hours before your original pick-up day. For cancellations, we require 48 hours notice.
I didn’t place an order, can i still get bread this weekend?
Yes! Desierto Alto in old town Yucca Valley carries a selection of our bread and buns every Saturday. No pre-order necessary. Available from noon until they sell out. Roadrunner Grab ‘n’ Go at the Joshua Tree Visitor Center stock our bread on Saturdays too. Hot from the oven and on the shelves at 8am until they sell out.
I’m interested in making sourdough where do I start?
Wild Bread sourdough starter is available to purchase via our online shop (pick-ups only, we do not ship at this time). Rehydrating the starter and strengthening it to make bread takes about a week. There are tons of resources available online to guide you through the bread-making process. The Perfect Loaf is dedicated to all things sourdough with how-to guides, recipes, troubleshooting and more. And, there are endless books on sourdough too. A great place to start is with Chad Robertson’s Tartine. For more advanced recipes with amazing flavor combinations try Vanessa Kimbell’s The Sourdough School. And for bread and pastry using whole grains we recommend Roxana Jullapat’s Mother Grains.
do you have a shop?
We do not have a shop. We bake everything in our licensed micro-bakery located on our property in Pioneertown, California.
i’ve made an order, where do i collect my bread?
As you add items to your cart, you will be prompted to select your pick-up day, and your pick-up location. We offer three pick-up locations on Saturday in the Hi-Dez so choose the one that best suits you. Once you have placed your order, you will receive a confirmation email with any further instructions you’ll need for pick-up. If you’re not sure you’ll make a pick-up window, we always suggest opting for pick-up at Wine and Rock Shop in Yucca Valley on Saturdays - they will hold on to orders all day until they close at 7pm.
Are any of your products vegan?
Many of our breads are vegan. We label all our products as to whether they are vegan friendly and list all ingredients so do check out our shop for full details. None of our sweet buns are currently suitable for vegans.
Who are you?
Lara and Lis moved from London to Pioneertown in 2019 and established Wild Bread in 2020. A couple of years prior to their move, Lis made a career change and went to work at a sourdough bakery in London - making bread for a dazzling array of restaurants and stores including José Pizzaro, Sketch, and Fortnum & Mason. Today, Lis is the baker at Wild Bread. You’ll likely meet Lara at pick-ups as she is our delivery driver extraordinaire. Lara takes care of the day-to-day running of the bakery and is taking on more and more of the baking as Wild Bread grows.
Where do you source your flours & Grains?
We opt for the finest ingredients we can source. Many of our flours, grains, and seeds are organic. We never use enriched, bromated, or bleached flours. Our whole wheat flour comes from Camas Country Mill in Oregon. We use local citrus and local, free range eggs whenever possible.
how should i store sourdough bread?
On the first day of purchase, your sourdough loaf will be just fine kept cut-side-down on your cutting board. The loaf will retain its crisp crust and its soft interior. You may wish to pop it in a zip lock bag overnight/on the second day. This will keep the bread fresh and will soften the crust. If you still have bread at the end of the second day you may want to freeze it. Sourdough bread freezes really well. Just slice and pop into a ziplock bag and freeze. Take slices out as needed and thaw on the counter for a few minutes or toast straight from frozen.
Can i store and refresh baguettes?
Yes! Baguettes are great eaten on the same day as purchase. However, they also can be stored and refreshed into crisp crusted, tender, soft baguettes with not too much trouble. On the first day of purchase wrap the baguette tightly in cling wrap. You can store baguettes this way on the counter for a couple of days, or in the freezer for a week or two (max). To refresh, thaw on counter in cling wrap if frozen, pre-heat the oven to 350F, spray the baguette with fresh water or run under the faucet to give the bread a good douse of water. Pop in the oven for 5 minutes until crisp on the outside. Serve immediately!
do you make gluten free bread?
We don’t make gluten-free bread. As a micro-bakery, we do not have the space to safely make gluten free products without potential cross contamination from wheat flour.
why am i charged a shipping fee for pick-up?
The ‘shipping fee’ you see at checkout is our transaction fee. It helps cover the costs associated with online sales and credit card fees.
Who took the amazing photos on your site?
Most of the beautiful photos you see on this website were taken by our friend, Fern Wilder. She captured our bread perfectly and we think she’s amazing. Check Fern out on instagram @fern.wilder
CAn you recommend a good bread knife?
We love our bread knife from Opinel. And we’ve had this Kuhn Rikon bread knife for years and years - it’s long and sharp and cuts perfectly.
DO YOU OFFER SOURDOUGH BREAD MAKING CLASSES?
We do! Lis (our baker) teaches hands-on bread making classes to small groups (max 5 people). With 15 years of teaching experience before she became a baker, you’ll be in good hands. We bring everything needed to mix, shape, and bake a loaf in your own kitchen. For more details, send us an email wildbreadbakery@gmail.com