We recently connected with Morgan Mueller and have shared our conversation below.

Morgan, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today How did you learn to do what you do? Knowing what you know now, what could you have done to speed up your learning process? What skills do you think were most essential? What obstacles stood in the way of learning more?

My maternal grandmother, Novelle, taught me how to bake fresh bread from scratch (I specifically remember delicious apricot loaves) when I was so young that I needed a large stepping stool to reach the mixing bowl. When I got married at the age of 22, she visited me at our new home and gifted me a mason jar of her own sourdough starter, which she had maintained for at least 20 years at the time. She taught me how to “feed” the starter with fresh flour and water, and from there I just fell in love with sourdough. I fell in love with the taste, the ritualistic approach to maintaining the wild yeast, and the magic of baking a loaf of bread with just starter, flour, water and salt. In 2020, when covid struck, I spent many weeks in quarantine with my son, who was 2 years old, and we baked to pass the time. Making loaves of sourdough became such second nature to make that I found I didn’t need to look at the recipe anymore as I mixed together ingredients. The beauty of sourdough is that you can’t speed up the process — each step requires time. The starter needs to sit overnight after you feed it before the yeast is fully developed enough to be able to leaven bread. After adding the starter to flour and water, the dough needs to bulk ferment on the counter for 6-8 hours, and then after shaping the loaves, it proofs in the fridge for another 12 hours before it is ready to bake. There are no shortcuts. In a world that values convenience, sourdough offers the chance to slow down and lean into the required step of waiting. I’ve made nearly 500 loaves of bread to date, and each one is a learning opportunity. I get more comfortable and gain more experience one loaf at a time. There is no way to speed up that process, which I find very unique and rewarding.

As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?

My name is Morgan, I’m 29 years old. I married my best friend, Michael, when I was 22 years old, and we have two beautiful children. I learned to bake bread in my grandmother’s kitchen as a child and have slowly learned more and developed my craft over the last 20 years. I bake small-batch, long-fermented sourdough loaves from my home kitchen, without using commercial yeast. People who have gluten sensitivities or are looking for ways to remove preservatives from their diets are able to enjoy my sourdough because the only ingredients are flour, water, and salt. I’m proud of the way that this side gig has continued to be my hobby, and the joy I get from sending out these loaves to feed my customers and their loved ones is so rewarding. I really enjoy teaching my 2 year old daughter and 4 year old son this craft as we bake together in my kitchen, just as my grandmother did with me. Sourdough is, to me, a conscious step towards a slower way of life that used to be the norm.

What do you find most rewarding about being a creative?

Seeing something that I made with my hands, with quality ingredients, going into homes across our town is a really wonderful feeling. I have high standards for what I feed my own family, and to share loaves of bread that meet that standard with other families is incredibly satisfying.

In your view, what can society to do to best support artists, creatives and a thriving creative ecosystem?

Anytime our family can shop small or local, we do. Even with limited time and resources it is possible to choose to purchase some foods from local farmers, especially if you have a thriving farmers market. There are so many people right now who are returning to our roots — farming, baking, homesteading. So many craftsmen making furniture with their hands. Supporting these people with our dollars is helpful not just for the individual being paid, but for an entire “ecosystem” of artisans who can offer quality products in place of the shortcuts we have become accustomed to.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: @barnhousebread