Today we’d like to introduce you to Pheonix Jones
Hi Pheonix , please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
Culture & Crust Sourdough has been my dream for a few years. When the pandemic started, like a lot of folks, I got really into sourdough. My husband’s family has been making sourdough for generations and I wanted to follow that tradition and also be able to create that tradition for my side of the family as well. So, over the last year I have curated my own starter and made strides towards creating artisan style Dutch oven loaves to share with others. Starting this year, I finally was able to make it through the process with Utah Department of Agriculture to become a micro-bakery. Since then, I have continued exploring recipes and flavors that can be combined to make my sourdough unique from other bakeries.
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
I have probably tried creating a starter a dozen times before finally coming up with one that was effective enough to ferment a loaf properly.
The hardest part was definitely figuring out the correct ratios for my style of baking and the flavors I wanted to sustain. There is so much science behind every step of the process.
The hurdle I am currently struggling with is getting the word out. I’ve attended a few events that have been successful, but outside of those, it’s been really slow going.
Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
I specialize in Dutch oven sourdough breads. Every loaf is long fermented for around 16 hours using a local blend of 3 flours and traditional sourdough methods. Each loaf is unique with specialty scoring and we were touted as ‘the bread lady’ at this year’s Ft. Buenaventura Rendezvous.
I am most proud of the heartiness and softness of our breads and being a one man band that has been able to grow our business in only a few months
What are your plans for the future?
Currently, Culture & Crust is a side business for me, with my standard job being software engineering. I am hoping that in the next few years, I’ll be able to grow the business to be full time and have a brick and mortar building here in Ogden. There’s nothing I love more than hearing people’s reactions to our bread and the feedback we receive on our web design and process.
Pricing:
- Full loaves (24oz) $11-$15
- Half loaves (12oz) $6-$8
- Sandwich loaves $7-$10
- Dips $7
- Crackers $9
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.culturencrust.com
- Instagram: @culture_n_crust
- Facebook: @culturencrust
- Other: https://utahsown.org/profile/culture-crust-sourdough
