Leaven & Love Organic Bakehouse: Bread Worth Gathering Around

Leaven & Love began with a family trying to find bread everyone could enjoy. Their youngest could not have dairy. Ashley could not tolerate gluten. Their oldest needed to eliminate it entirely. Bread was a small part of the shopping list, but a surprisingly difficult part of the family table.

What they found too often felt like a compromise: dry, dense loaves that met a dietary requirement without delivering the pleasure of good bread. They wanted something different. Not simply a substitute, but bread worth looking forward to.

A Farmers Market Connection

A friend was baking gluten-free sourdough for a Central Oregon farmers market. The family bought her recipes and customer list, then began rebuilding the formula from the ground up.

That starting point gave them something valuable: a connection to real customers and a belief that gluten-free sourdough could be more than a workaround. In early 2023, they made Leaven & Love official.

Today, the small family bakehouse works from a licensed commercial kitchen in Oregon. The purpose remains close to home: make bread with ingredients they believe in, without giving up the flavor and texture that make a loaf welcome at the table.

Let The Starter Set The Pace

The collection begins with a live organic brown rice sourdough starter. Wild fermentation and an overnight rest are central to the bakehouse’s approach, giving the dough time rather than rushing straight to the oven.

Freshly milled whole grains bring their own character. Sorghum, oat, and millet flours appear in the loaves, alongside ingredients such as tapioca starch, psyllium husk, flaxseed, and extra virgin olive oil. The recipes are gum-free, with no xanthan gum.

Those choices are deliberate. The family has continued refining the balance of grains and starches in pursuit of a loaf that slices well, toasts beautifully, and belongs in everyday meals.

A Little Sweetness, Chosen With Care

When a recipe calls for sweetness, the bakehouse chooses organic coconut sugar, maple syrup, or unrefined organic cane sugar rather than refined white sugar. The Cinnamon Raisin loaf uses coconut sugar, as do the sourdough bagels.

It is not about turning every loaf into something sweet. It is about choosing each ingredient for the recipe in front of them, from a savory rosemary slice to a cinnamon-scented breakfast.

A Sourdough Start To Bagel Morning

The Gluten-Free Sourdough Bagels use the bakehouse’s organic brown rice starter and an overnight cold fermentation. Offered as a four-pack, they bring another shape to the same patient approach.

Split and toast one for breakfast, build a sandwich, or add a favorite dairy-free spread. There is no need for an elaborate occasion. A good bagel can make an ordinary morning feel a little more considered.

Know Your Loaf

The bakehouse describes its breads and bagels as vegan, gluten-free, and made with certified organic ingredients in a dedicated gluten-free facility. It also identifies them as free from the nine major allergens and low FODMAP.

For specific allergy or dietary needs, review the current product label and ingredient information. Oat flour is included in these recipes. Low-FODMAP suitability depends on serving size and individual needs; a dietitian can help with a prescribed diet.

Why We Carry Leaven & Love

We appreciate a food story that starts with a real family need and stays focused on the eating experience. Leaven & Love did not set out to make bread that merely checked a box. They wanted something their family could share and genuinely enjoy.

That care comes through in a focused collection: one Classic foundation, two flavorful variations, and sourdough bagels for a different kind of breakfast. Pick the one that sounds good to you, put the kettle on, and make room for a slice.