W
hen you pick up a
Upper Crust takes online orders early in the
was kind of the perfect storm; finally it just
however, are the more unusual loaves such
just-baked loaf
week; pickup is Saturday afternoon at Moll’s
came to a head [during the pandemic], like, let
as paprika-rosemary, turmeric-poppy seed
from Upper Crust
apartment in South St. Louis. Text him when
me see if it’ll work. I’ll give it a shot.”
and walnut-black sesame. You’ll also find
Bread in St. Louis,
you’re there and he’ll appear in his driveway,
it feels like you’re
masked up, toting a bag of bread scorched from
Moll launched Upper Crust Bread in early 2021,
the oven and wrapped in parchment paper.
offering naturally leavened sourdough loaves
grabbing a treat from an especially talented friend. Although for years Jeffrey Moll has
compound butter, sauerkraut and Japanesestyle milk bread on the menu.
that are baked in his apartment once a week.
“It’s actually starting to get away from me a
been best known as the lauded mixologist
“I started making bread a couple years ago,”
He has classic options such as country loaf,
little bit, which may be a good problem,” he
behind the bar programs at Planter’s House
says Moll. “People at Planter’s House have
Turkey wheat and focaccia, plus specialty flour
says with a laugh. “All in all, it’s been pretty
and the now-shuttered Randolfi’s, he recently
been telling me to start selling it for a while,
loaves, including buckwheat, sesame-semolina
good and a lot of fun – a lot of lost sleep,
added a new title to his résumé: cottage baker.
[saying] ‘You’re getting really good at this.’ It
and rye with caraway. Most intriguing,
but it’s very rewarding.”
sh . ip
C
s r o tt e k a age b e m food l o aws give h
a p ew n a
entrepreneu o t r th
Written by nancy stiles
pies and pick them up, but she can’t sell at Kansas City, Missouri, farmers’ markets, for example.
oll was able to start Upper Crust thanks to Missouri’s cottage food
law, which went into effect on August 28, 2014, giving home bakers
a new path to entrepreneurship. Missouri Senate Bill 525 specifies
“[In Kansas,] cottage bakers fall under the same regulations that somebody selling at farmers’
that Missourians can sell baked goods that are made in their
markets would; we’re not required to be licensed,” says Brumm. “But there are strict criteria that
residence – as opposed to a commercial kitchen – directly to
we have to abide – we have to include ingredient labels in a specific format, that sort of thing.”
consumers. Many states have similar laws, though Missouri does have a few very specific restrictions on the practice: Baked goods are defined as “cookies, cakes, breads, Danish, donuts,
Brumm had to consider the regulations her state does have when she began to think seriously
pastries, pies and other items that are prepared by baking the item in an oven,” with an additional
about Pie Goddess in 2020. Like many, she began baking more during lockdown last year and
stipulation for “canned jam or jelly” and “dried herb or herb mix.”
started posting her decorative pies on Instagram and baking for local fundraisers. Soon, friends and friends of friends were asking if they could buy her pies. After investigating the cottage
Although the cottage industry has been on the rise for years, the pandemic has led to a renewed
food law in Kansas, with some guidance from the Kansas Small Business Development Center at
interest in the business model. With countless chefs and bakers furloughed from full-time
Johnson County Community College, Brumm launched the business in October.
restaurant jobs and others stuck at home during quarantine, many turned to a favorite pastime: baking. The cottage model allows these home bakers to turn a profit from their sweet and
Pie Goddess serves up classic pies such as apple, blueberry and cherry, plus other baked goods, including
savory treats, albeit with a few other constraints.
double chocolate, peanut butter-chocolate and Kahlúa-espresso brownies. Brumm has garnered a lot of acclaim for her custom pies, which feature intricate crust designs – imagine Kansas sunflowers, a dolphin
Cottage businesses must sell directly to consumers for delivery or pickup or at outlets such
jumping out of the ocean and even Kansas City Chiefs star quarterback Patrick Mahomes.
as a farmers’ market, and annual gross income must not exceed $50,000. Sales in restaurants, grocery stores and online are strictly prohibited, though customers can place an order online or
The ability to operate under
through, say, an Instagram DM and then pick it up in person.
cottage law was key for Brumm, as it’s a part-time gig –
The FDA regulates interstate food sales and only allows home kitchens to be used for
she has continued her career
charity bake sales. States can then choose to expand upon that allowance – and almost all
as a nonprofit management
have – so cottage food laws can vary widely by location. That makes things tricky for bi-state
consultant. Pie Goddess would
communities such as St. Louis and Kansas City, where bakers have to take into account the
likely never have come to
cottage food laws in Illinois and Kansas. “As a cottage business [in Kansas], the pies I make are
fruition if she would have had
required to be shelf-stable,” explains Kristin Brumm, owner of Pie Goddess in Olathe, Kansas.
to rent a commercial kitchen
“So that limits me a little bit. I can do all manner of fruit pies; I’m just not able to do custard-
space and pay for health
based pies.” Brumm is also unable to sell across state lines; Missouri customers can order her
department inspections.
PICTURED from top to bottom: Kristin Brumm, Pie Goddess strawberry-rhubarb pie photography by lisa corson
ellen Neville-Verdugo, midsommar gardens kaffekaka (coffee cake) photography by cheryl waller
J’llysa Dobson, Bread of the Month Club Raspberry Brioche Babka photography by lisa corson
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