I finally sold 50 loaves at my first farmers market stand

I've been baking sourdough out of my apartment for about a year, mostly giving loaves to friends. Last Saturday I rented a $30 table at the local market in Eugene and brought 40 loaves, thinking that was overkill. By 10am I was down to 12 and had to race home to bake two more batches from my backup starter. Ended the day at 50 sold, which shocked me since I usually only make 4 at a time. It felt good to see strangers actually pay for my bread, not just my mom's polite comments. Has anyone else hit a first market number that surprised them, and how did you plan your bake schedule for the next one?

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alice80826d ago

That line about racing home to bake two more batches from your backup starter is exactly where most first-timers get caught. I went through the same thing my first year, and what saved me was writing down how many I sold in each hour instead of just the day's total. That tells you where your busy window is, so you know if you need to bring more at open or keep a cooler for the back half. For your next market, bake to about 1.5 times what you sold, and keep your starter fed on a schedule so you always have a batch ready to go the night before. Also look into your state's cottage food rules if you haven't yet, since Eugene may cap how much you can sell without a licensed kitchen.

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