Bread Thoughts


Longer than an Instagram caption, shorter than therapy.
The Parts You Don’t See 🍞
A lot of what I do doesn’t really show up in pictures. Most of the time, what you see is the finished product, bread out of the oven, cookies cooling, something that looks simple and ready to go. What you don’t see is everything that happens before that, which is honestly a pretty big part of it and something I’ve come to really enjoy. Especially with gluten-free baking, the process looks a little different. I have a completely separate section of my baking cabinet just for gluten-free ingredients, and when... Read more...
That Back-to-School Feeling 🎒
There’s a very specific moment every summer when it feels like things start to shift. Growing up, that moment always came earlier than it needed to. Target would start putting out back-to-school displays sometime in July, and I remember being irrationally annoyed about it every single year. Where I grew up, we didn’t go back to school until after Labor Day, so it felt like they were trying to rush something that wasn’t even close to happening yet. It felt like summer was getting cut short before it was actually... Read more...
Late Summer Is Weird ☀️
Late summer always feels a little strange. It’s still hot, obviously, that part hasn’t changed at all, but something about it feels different from the beginning of summer. It’s less exciting, less planned, and a little more like you’re just moving through it without thinking too much about what comes next. The big trips are mostly over, the “start of summer” energy is gone, and everything settles into this in-between space where nothing is really happening, but everything is still going. I’ve noticed my routine shifts a little during this... Read more...
Sabre’s Late Summer Kitchen Rules ☀️
(a blog post by the cat who continues to run everything)Hello. It’s Sabre. Chief Crumb Supervisor, Professional Observer, and the only one here with a consistent schedule. We are now fully in what I would describe as “too hot” season, which means it’s time for an updated set of rules for how this operation will continue. Please review carefully. 1. I will not be hot.  The outside is unacceptable. The inside is acceptable. I will be positioning myself directly in front of any available air vent, tile floor, or shaded... Read more...
Hurrication ☔️
There’s a certain point in the year in Florida where everyone just quietly acknowledges that it’s hurricane season. Not in a dramatic way, just in a “we’ll keep an eye on it” kind of way. People check the weather a little more often, maybe grab a few extra things at the store, and then mostly go about their lives unless something actually turns into something. I didn’t grow up with that. I had been through Hurricane Sandy when I was living on Long Island, and that was its own kind... Read more...
Why I Don’t Do It All (And Don’t Want To)
aka: How Rest, Boundaries, and Saying “No” Make My Bread Better   If you’ve ever looked at Bread by Blaze and thought, “Wow, she must be doing everything,” I’m here to lovingly and crustily tell you: I’m not. And I don’t want to. I have a full-time job. I have a wonderful husband. I have a life group on Tuesdays, choir on Wednesdays, D&D whenever we can fit it, and I try to rest every Saturday or Sunday. I also have a cat named Sabre who supervises everything, including my... Read more...
Summers Like That ☀️
Summer always makes me think about the same few places. Growing up, we would spend a week every summer at Hither Hills in Montauk, camping right by the beach. It wasn’t anything fancy, but it didn’t need to be. Most days were some version of sand, water, and figuring out what we were doing next without too much of a plan. The setup was always the same. There was the boys’ tent, the girls’ tent, and then the tent where we ate breakfast every morning. For a long time, we... Read more...
It’s Hot. That’s the Post. ☀️
There’s a point every summer in Florida where it stops feeling like a season and starts feeling like a full-time condition. You walk outside for two minutes and immediately regret it, and somehow it’s still humid even when it’s not raining. It’s the kind of heat that makes you question every decision that led you to be outside in the first place. I’ve noticed that everything starts to adjust around it. You plan your day a little differently, you think twice before leaving the house, and you start appreciating anything... Read more...
The Kind of Food That Works for Days Like This
The Fourth of July always feels like one of those days where the plan is simple, even if the details aren’t. There’s usually some version of being outside, being around people, and eating at some point in between everything else. Sometimes it’s more organized, sometimes it’s just whoever shows up and whatever ends up on the table, but either way it tends to work itself out. I’ve noticed that the food that actually gets eaten on days like this is never the complicated stuff. It’s the things people don’t have... Read more...
Somewhere Between Plans and Reality 🍞
There’s always a version of the week that I think I’m going to have, and then there’s the one that actually happens. In my head, everything is spaced out nicely. I know what I’m making, when I’m making it, and how it’s all going to come together. It’s very organized, very efficient, and honestly a little unrealistic. In reality, it usually looks a little different. Something takes longer than I expected, something else gets moved around, and there’s almost always a moment where I realize I probably should have started... Read more...
Why I Can't Sell You Cheese Bread :(
Florida Cottage Food Law: The Rules Behind the Rolls Running Bread by Blaze isn't just about flour, faith, and figuring out how many focaccia cups I can fit in the oven at once. It also means following Florida's Cottage Food Law -the legal framework that allows me to operate a home bakery and sell directly to customers without a commercial kitchen. It's one of the reasons Bread by Blaze exists at all. So what is Florida's Cottage Food Law, what does it allow, and why do home bakers spend so... Read more...
On Dads (and the Very Specific Ways They Show Up) 👟🍩
Father’s Day always makes me think about how different dads can be, and how somehow they still show up in really similar ways. My dad is the kind of person who is always moving. He’s into triathlons, The Beatles, alt rock music, and supporting his kids in whatever they want to do - especially if it’s sporty. You can also usually find him on Facebook sharing sunrise or sunset pictures, or posting a reel with a bad dad joke that he absolutely thinks is funny. My father-in-law is different in... Read more...
Happy Birthday, Sam 💛
Today is Sam’s birthday, and I just wanted to take a moment to say how thankful I am for him. He’s smart, supportive, funny, and genuinely the best husband. He’s the kind of person who shows up consistently, encourages me when I need it, and somehow manages to make even the busiest or most chaotic days feel a little lighter. Bread by Blaze wouldn’t be what it is without him. He’s been there through every idea, every late night in the kitchen, every “I think I can make this work,”... Read more...
What I End Up Bringing 🍞
I’m not usually the person who shows up empty-handed, and honestly, I don’t think I was ever really given the option. I’m Italian, Irish, and German, and especially growing up with an Italian grandmother, showing up without something in your hands just wasn’t how things were done. There was always something to bring, something to share, something that made you part of what was happening before you even walked in the door. That habit stuck. My dad had his own version of it too. He would bring an Entenmann’s bakery... Read more...
Making Space for It ☀️
I’m not always very good at slowing down. I like having things to do, things to work on, something moving in the background. Even when I tell myself I’m going to take it easy, I usually end up finding something to fill the time with anyway, because apparently sitting still is a skill I am still developing. But every once in a while, something comes up that feels worth making space for, and this week is one of those times. We’re celebrating Sam’s birthday a little early, and instead of... Read more...
On Celebrating (and Why I Love It So Much) 🎉
I’ve always loved celebrating people, and I don’t really think I fall cleanly into one category with it. I love the small, intentional things that make someone feel seen, but I also love going a little over the top when I can. There’s something really fun about putting extra thought into a moment and letting it feel bigger than it technically needs to be. A lot of that probably comes from how I’m wired. Gift giving has always been one of my love languages, and hosting is right up there... Read more...
A Quick Pause (For Something Really Special) ✨
There are some weekends that you know are going to be special before they even get here, and this is one of those for me. At the end of this week, I’m going to be taking a short break from baking because my family is coming into town for my brother’s ordination, and I couldn’t be more excited about it. We don’t get to have everyone together like this very often, so I’m really looking forward to slowing down, being present, and just enjoying the time we have. I’m especially... Read more...
Sabre’s Summer Kitchen Rules ☀️
(a blog post by the cat who is once again in charge) Hello. It’s me again. Sabre. Chief Feline Operations Manager of Bread by Blaze, Professional Supervisor, and now… Seasonal Director of Summer Activities. We’re entering a very important time of year, which means it’s time to review updated policies for the kitchen. Please read carefully. The windows will not be opening. Don’t ask.I am aware that some people enjoy “fresh air.” I am also aware that I am an indoor cat with very important health considerations. So while Florida... Read more...
On Moms (and the Ways They Show Up) 💐
Mother’s Day always makes me think about how different moms can be, and how they each show up in their own way. My mom is someone who loves being part of the world I get to work in. She’s always excited about the theme parks, about visiting, and about sharing with other people what rides I’ve gotten to be a part of. She’s also a teacher, and from what I’ve seen and heard, she’s always singing to her students, sometimes for laughs, sometimes to get their attention, and sometimes just... Read more...
A Week in My Apron
People often ask me, “How do you have time to do all this?”And the answer is: barely. With vibes. And a timer that’s always going off. Bread by Blaze isn’t my full-time job - I work a somewhat normal 9 - 5 during the day. And beyond that, I’m also living life: choir practice (alto!), Life Group, the occasional D&D night, updating something around the house, and trying to honor a day of rest weekly. So all the baking? That starts only when orders come in, and happens in the... Read more...
What I’ve Been Growing (and Struggling With) 🌿
Lately, I’ve been spending a lot of time out in my gazebo working on a little garden setup. I’ve got a couple of raised beds in there along with a few planters, and for the most part, it’s been really fun to build out. There’s something about checking on things every day, even when nothing looks different, that I’ve really been enjoying. I actually had a similar setup last year, but the problem then wasn’t critters. It was the soil. I had the idea to use ground tree mulch from... Read more...
It’s Starting to Feel a Lot Like Spring🌷
Even though Florida doesn’t really do spring the way other places do, I still know when it shows up. It’s not the leaves changing or the air getting crisp - because that simply does not happen here. It’s more subtle than that. It’s the few weeks where the weather is just right, where I could open the windows without immediately regretting it, and where the kitchen feels bright instead of just warm. It never lasts very long. Florida kind of skips over spring like it has somewhere else to be. But... Read more...
It’s Beginning to Smell a Lot Like Christmas… (In My Kitchen Too!)
For those who don’t know, I have a little tradition: every Halloween night, I patiently wait until 10:00 p.m. sharp before I let myself start putting up Christmas decorations. Yes - you read that right. While most people are still finishing their candy, I’m untangling lights and pulling out boxes of decor. Christmas is my favorite time of year. There’s something about the glow of twinkle lights, the smell of spices, and the feeling of coziness that just fills my heart (and my kitchen!) with joy. It’s a season that... Read more...
Sabre’s Seasonal PSA
Hello, it’s me again. Sabre. Your favorite fluffy enforcer of household rules. First, I must address the absurdity of October 31st. Strangers in costumes everywhere and not one of them is here to admire me. Tragic. But just when I think I’ll never survive, something magical happens (or at least, magical for Blaze). At exactly 10:00 p.m. (yes, I can read clocks), Blaze starts putting up twinkle lights, hauling out bins of Christmas decorations, and suddenly the house transforms. And do you know what that means for me? Garland. So much garland.... Read more...
Baking with Love (and a Few Box Mixes)
Growing up, a couple of my family members were diagnosed with Celiac disease and another with a gluten intolerance, which meant gluten was off the table for them. As a little kid, I had a hard time understanding what that really meant - why they couldn’t share the treats I had, and why there were always separate boxes of snacks in our pantry. Over time, I began to understand the differences. I realized that many of the meals we did make were already plenty yummy and naturally gluten-free, and I... Read more...
Falling for Fall
Even though Florida doesn’t exactly give me the crisp, golden-leaf kind of autumn I grew up with, I still find ways to make it feel like fall. The heat sticks around, the palm trees don’t change, but that won’t stop me from creating my own little slice of the season. For me, it all starts with a batch of pumpkin apple butter. The spices, the warm smell drifting through the kitchen, the cozy glow of fall-scented candles - it’s how I trick myself into believing the world outside looks like... Read more...
Sabre’s Kitchen Rules (a blog post by a cat who definitely runs the place)
Hi. I’m Sabre. I’m the Chief Feline Operations Manager here at Bread by Blaze. You may know my human, Blaze - she bakes the bread. I supurrvise the bread. Let’s be clear: I don’t knead the dough or shape loaves, but I do watch - always. And I have some thoughts.  So for anyone curious about what it’s like to run a bakery with a cat in charge, here are the non-negotiables: 1. I’m not in the way - I’m supervising. Whether Blaze is mixing dough, bagging biscuits, or just breathing... Read more...
The Bread Breakdown: Which Loaf Is Right for You?
aka: A highly unscientific but delicious guide to picking your carb soulmate.   Choosing between biscuits, focaccia, Hawaiian rolls, and the ever-iconic basic artisan loaf is not for the faint of heart. I know. You stare at the Bread by Blaze menu and think, “How am I supposed to decide when everything looks like a warm hug?”Don’t worry - I’m here to help. Below is your official, extremely biased Bread Personality Guide, designed to help you find your ideal match (or matches - no one said you had to be... Read more...