Why open a cottage bakery?

For those who don’t know me well, ever since my son was born in late September of 2023 we’ve seen our share of complications. After spending 17 days in the hospital for pre-eclampsia with severe features, I was induced at 34 weeks. Born at 4lb 11oz, he spent 10 days in the NICU, which is actually a short stay compared to what it could have been! After getting home it was clear to my husband and I that this journey would look nothing like the path we walked with our daughter. He was diagnosed with colic early on, and was having issues latching. We had him assessed for lip & tongue ties which we had corrected. It was successful in that he could eat better from the bottles, but was still unable to latch without me experiencing severe pain and bleeding. I in turn began exclusively pumping to provide his milk. He was only pooping once every 10 days or so, and just seemed miserable. Those early months I don’t recall him being happy for more than a minute at a time. He was only sleeping 45-60 minute intervals at night, and in order to eat he needed to be in a specific room, in a specific chair, being held a specific way and with a loud box fan and sound machine on. After doing some research I cut dairy 100% out of my diet and in 4 weeks time he was sleeping 4-5 hour chunks at a time and was needing infant suppositories less and less! But I knew there was something else. Turns out egg is another protein I consume that he just can’t tolerate. So I removed that, too!

He’s a much happier baby, but I began needing to make most of our foods at home from scratch as the risk of getting dairy or eggs accidentally was just too great. Grabbing foods at the store seemed impossible. And if I looked for vegan foods I felt like I was spending an insane amount of money. And let’s be honest, some of those substitutions are just 🫢 So, me being the stubborn woman I am, started a sourdough starter from scratch and began baking. After lots of trial and error and trying different dairy & egg substitutes, I finally found my groove with baking. And surprisingly my creations hit the spot for all my cravings I couldn’t satisfy with store bought! Not to mention I’m having a blast 😁

But it wasn’t until I went out for brunch for my birthday that I decided to start Black Sheep Bakery. The fear and anxiety surrounding finding a good safe place, then scouring the menu was exhausting. I finally found a dairy free restaurant and their labeling and knowledgeable staff literally made me cry in the middle of their bakery 🤦🏼‍♀️ I felt this push to provide the same thing for others in my area with common baked goods. Everyone should be able to get yummy treats despite allergies or diet restrictions. At Black Sheep Bakery, I am willing - within reason - to substitute allergens with other products to create a safe product you can feel confident in eating. All products are dairy & egg free, and the website will include a list of my common ingredients and their labels so you can check for yourself. If I use anything not on that page, I will clearly state this fact and provide further information.

My hope for this business is to help others in similar situations have access to delicious baked goods. A safe place where their dietary needs are understood and easy to navigate. And a way for me to help support my family with income while being able to stay home with our children and homeschool them when the time comes.

Please note: I do not claim to be a vegan bakery. Since this is not a dietary preference I personally hold, I’m not familiar with all the nuances. A lot of the products I use are vegan, but - out of respect - I don’t want to make those claims. A few of my recipes use honey as a sweetener, I could easily swap maple syrup instead. But for instance the Just Egg product does not claim to be vegan because they did at one time feed a component to animals for testing, and they therefore do not certify as vegan. If you are a vegan and are comfortable with the adaptations I can make, I would love to have you as a customer; I simply do not want to mislead or misrepresent.

February Flavor of the Month: Chocolate Covered Strawberry! (January Coconut Cream extended!)

Black Sheep Bakery

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