May 2021 Feast Magazine

Page 41

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

/ may 2 02 1

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