From Heart to Oven: The Story Behind Flour & Rise Bakery

Hi there, I'm Shaylene, the founder and baker behind Flour & Rise, a micro bakery I started in November 2024. Baking has always been a part of my life, shaped by my mom and grandmother in an old farmhouse where the kitchen was the heart of everything. I’ll never forget the sight of chocolate pies and dinner rolls emerging from my grandmother’s pastel pink kitchen, filling the house with the most comforting smells. Those memories are a big part of why baking feels like therapy to me—it's a way to connect with my past and create something beautiful with my hands.

But my journey to sourdough baking is tied to something more personal. After I was diagnosed with PCOS (Polycystic Ovary Syndrome), I had to take a hard look at what I was eating and how it was affecting my body. Having worked in healthcare for nearly 15 years, I knew how important it was to understand how inflammation and diet played a role in my health. I started talking to other women who had PCOS and did a lot of research. I soon realized how much of what we eat today is packed with additives and preservatives—and I knew I needed to make a change for the sake of my health and my family’s.

That's when I turned to sourdough. I’ve always loved baking, so it felt like a natural step to start making bread from scratch. But the first year was tough. I had a lot of flat, gummy loaves, and honestly, I almost gave up. I even put my starter in the fridge and just fed it every so often for a while. But with time and patience, my starter matured, and when I finally got back into baking, something magical happened. The bread came out crispy, light, and fluffy—just the way I had dreamed. It was like a weight had lifted, and I realized this was exactly what I had been looking for.

Encouraged by friends who loved my bread, I decided to turn my passion into a dream and launch Flour & Rise. It’s been a beautiful journey, and every loaf of bread is made with love and care, with the goal of sharing something wholesome and delicious with our community. I’m so grateful for your support as Flour & Rise continues to grow, and I can’t wait to share more of our story with you.

Thank you for being part of this journey and letting us bring a little warmth into your homes with every loaf.