The Fresh Loaf

A Community of Amateur Bakers and Artisan Bread Enthusiasts.

Home Micro Bakery Growing Pains

HearthandRyeBakery's picture
HearthandRyeBakery

Home Micro Bakery Growing Pains

Hello, 

I am in the midst of trying to expand my home bakery to meet a farmer's market demand. I currently bake 20-30 loaves a week out of my home oven. I want to increase baking capacity to 100 loafs a week, really 100 loaves in about 5-6 hours. Thus, bakes with ~20 loaves/bake. 

My biggest challenge is oven choice. Currently, the leading plan is to install 2 double decker home ovens, for a total of 4 ovens, and outfit them with stones and replicate the faux-deck oven situation I've created using stones and lava rocks. 

I don't have 3-phase so any commercial oven is out of the question. 

Does anyone have and suggestions? Tips? Experience in this matter? Any advice will be greatly appreciated. 

MichaelLily's picture
MichaelLily

I just need to ask if gas is an option, and also point out that there are plenty of single phase commercial ovens available (although perhaps they are gas ovens).

HearthandRyeBakery's picture
HearthandRyeBakery

I don't have gas at all in the house.

Filomatic's picture
Filomatic

This might not work if you have no access to gas, but someone I know had a gas-heated brick oven built in his backyard.  He steams with a pressure cooker that feeds from the bottom.

He services about 50 customers a week on a subscription basis.  Sounds about the scale you're looking for.