The knead-to-know of Taos breads | Taos News
Loaves of sourdough bread from Wild Leaven Bakery
Arriving as early as 4 a.m., head baker André Kempton works diligently in preparing the day’s goods. Following years of selling bread and pastries at the Taos Farmer’s Market, Wild Leaven opened its Yucca Plaza bakery in 2016. They have a second location in Santa Fe.
“We want a place where people can come by themselves or with friends and family, to come and enjoy a meal,” says co-owner Jessica Kempton. “Let’s enjoy the food, the food is the star.”
Wild Leaven’s core bread offerings include original sourdough, challah (Jewish egg bread), quinoa sunflower sourdough, rye, and a few styles of signature Northeastern European sourdough with sprouted grains, one with pecans and raisins, the other with sprouted rye, sunflowers seeds and oats.
“It all goes back to sourdough bread. Our motto is ‘Wild yeast, better culture’ so the wild leaven is referring to the natural yeast that's everywhere in the air, the grains, on the flour on our hands, that's the wild yeast and bacteria that are used in naturally fermented breads,” says Andre. “We specialize in long fermentation sourdough bread.”
Not just bread makers, Wild Leaven offers an assortment of classic French croissants and pastries including chocolate croissants, cinnamon swirls, almond and chocolate bear claws, apple turnovers, cookies, and savory treats like green chile cheese croissants and a spicy beef turnover.
Half of a sourdough country loaf from Wild Leaven Bakery
When owners André and Jessica Kempton decided to remodel the bistro last year, they reached out to local makers and friends. Carved wooden soupspoons, hand-thrown pottery, and tables made with locally sourced wood add thoughtful details to the warm, rustic atmosphere of their bakery and bistro.
Says André, “We are trying to be part of the bigger local food economy, from the farmer to the customer, we have the miller, baker, brewer, chef and finally the customer who eats the product.”