The Sourdough Boulangerie brings back holiday favorites
When Ranch Foods Direct moves into the new retail store at 1228 E. Fillmore, baker Shawn Saunders will be move into the adjacent space and ramp up his bakery business. Here, he talks holiday bread offerings and more.
Q. When it comes to food at the holidays, are you personally more traditional, unconventional or a combination?
Probably a little bit of both. I really like turkey and, for Christmas especially, a prime rib. I’ve done that for the last two years in a row, and I really liked it.
Q. Is there a special food you can’t do Christmas without?
My dad and I are both the same about this. I hate to say this, but canned cranberry sauce is like my poison. My mom – or now it’s my sister-in-law, because that’s where we’ll be having Christmas this year – she makes sure to have the canned cranberry sauce for my dad and I. It just reminds me of old times. But I do like homemade cranberry sauce too.
Q. Are you making any unique specialty breads during the holiday season?
I’ll be doing grandma’s butter rolls again, a pumpkin brioche and challah. Those are the ones I’ll do for sure. I also want to do a mint chocolate bread for Christmas. Mint just goes hand in hand with Christmas.
Q. As you move into your new commercial baking space, are you changing up your offerings?
I’ve had people requesting my bagels for years, ever since I stopped doing them. I’ll have a steam kettle to boil them and do them right, so I’ll be making bagels again. I’m bringing in at least one person to help me do some pastries. We’ll have danishes, croissants and that sort of stuff. I want to start doing brownies and assorted dessert bars, and in the future we’ll be able to keep up better on the sweet breads, the muffins, cinnamon rolls and that kind of thing. Whomever I bring on board, I want them to bring new ideas to the table too.
Lots of exciting new products, services and offerings to come at the new RFD retail store, scheduled to open at 1228 E. Fillmore in January!
