Cola Bread Co. started in 2019, a year before the rest of the country discovered sourdough.
Anne Spencer began baking that year with a single jar of starter, mostly to see if she could. The first loaves went to friends. Then those friends asked for more, and their neighbors asked, and a quiet hobby turned into a standing weekly rhythm.
It has grown a good deal since then, but it is still a home-based bakery run out of our own kitchen. Every loaf is naturally leavened. No commercial yeast, no dough conditioners, no shortcuts. Just flour, water, salt, and a starter that gets fed more reliably than most houseplants. The long, slow rise is what gives the crumb its open structure and the crust its deep color.
We keep the batches small on purpose. It means Anne Spencer can still shape every loaf by hand, still know most of you by name, and still care how each one turns out. Thanks for supporting a very small bakery.
Anne Spencer, Cola Bread Co.