The Tennessee Bakery Still Baking Bread Like It's The Early 1900s - Tasting Table

"The motto of this bakery is, "If it ain't broke, don't fix it" and the old way of doing things is clearly still working for the place. The bread recipes and most of the equipment are still the same as they were in 1902, when Swiss immigrants John and Louise Baggenstoss first opened Dutch Maid Bakery. The oven and some of the mixers, for example, date back to 1919 and are part of what makes the bread at this bakery so special."

"Another thing is the patience and craft of bread making that has certainly gotten lost in our modern fast-paced culture. At Dutch Maid Bakery, prep begins four days before the loaves are ready to bake, and the large Hobart dough mixers would be considered antiques by most. This slow-cooking system creates a greater appreciation from the customers who can nostalgically indulge in the exact type of bread eaten in the distant past - for example, yeast-free salt-rise bread, eaten by American pioneers."

Dutch Maid Bakery in Tennessee operates using original recipes and much of the same equipment from its 1902 founding by Swiss immigrants John and Louise Baggenstoss. The bakery's oven and some mixers date to 1919, and the operation follows a slow four-day preparation before baking. Large Hobart dough mixers remain in use and the bakery produces traditional breads, including pioneer-era yeast-free salt-rise bread. The bakery was family-owned for generations and was owned by the Baggenstoss family until 2003, when it closed and was put on the market. The bakery's motto is "If it ain't broke, don't fix it."

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