Producer

Robert Ahrens started Kalama Sourdough Bakery in 2011 as a 13-year-old homeschool project. His mom taught him to bake, his grandpa helped him build the original 200-square-foot bakery, and he sold his first 10 loaves at the downtown Kalama Shopping Center. Fifteen years later, he’s still going, and the process hasn’t changed all that much.

Every loaf is fermented for three days with a true sourdough starter, made without any preservatives. They bake it fresh and get it to customers within hours of it coming out of the oven, because that's the only way to actually taste the difference.

Most people wouldn't guess it, but they still touch every single loaf they make. They work hard to keep their process the same as it was when Robert was baking with his mom—nothing about that has changed as they've grown.

For years, they mixed everything in a big mixer and then pulled the dough out by hand which was tedious, backbreaking work. Upgrading to a spiral mixer with an automatic bowl dumper three years ago was a game changer. They're also proud to offer tours to anyone who stops by during business hours. They love meeting their neighbors and showing them what we're up to.

Kalama bakes year-round, and the Food Hub has been a great connection point for getting their bread into people's homes and staying tied to the local community they bake for.