Statement of Purpose

Charm of Finches Bakery provides delicious, good for your body, whole food and wild fermented baked products to Olympia and beyond. We see it as critical to be accountable to the needs of communities particularly those most marginalized, and we strive to be a socially conscious and actioned company, including for our worker owners/employees, communities at large and the environment.

History

Hi, I’m Rowan and I started Charm of Finches Bakery because I knew I could make better bread than what was available, more efficiently and with more respect for workers. I initially  learned how to bake from my mom Kay, also a professional baker, who employed me during summers when I was a kid.

My understanding of conventional bread making was turned upside down in 2011 when I discovered the modern developments of today’s master by reading Tartine Bread and then many other books. In 2012 I started baking and selling bread to friends and family. I would mix, turn, form and ferment the dough all day then bake in the evening and deliver it on my bike to friends houses around Olympia.

Later that year I spent two months at the Tassajara Zen Mountain Monastery in California and was gifted a recipe for gluten free bread by a monk. This recipe convinced me that bread can be both gluten free and delicious. I spent the next several years developing the recipe to make it my own and to convert it into a sourdough. Again I started a bread delivery service via bike. Since then I have been developing and perfecting new techniques to take my bread production to a new level.

In 2016 I took the next step by getting commercially certified and vending at local farmers markets to a very positive reception. Next I hope to expand into retail outlets. I hope you can try my bread soon!