I've had a love for cooking and creating since I was a child-- most of my memories involve music and cooking or quietly crafting something with my hands. Initially, I didn't pursue either of those things professionally, but continued to craft and cook during my limited free time. After my move to Granite Falls about seven years ago, my free time increased. During this transition I found myself craving dishes I now had to travel many miles for a taste or mere whiff of. This led me to recreating the dishes at home, which later turned into making most of the foods I consumed from scratch. What I didn't know how to do already, I researched and studied.
Of late, I've been fascinated with the science and history of natural fermentation. I noticed that consuming these fermented products produced positive results in my overall health. I created flavored fermented probiotic drinks like kefir water, Kombucha, ginger beer and kefir milk which I had to eventually gift because their colonies of bacteria and yeast multiply with every feed. I began advocating for fermented foods and drinks to my family and friends, overly encouraging them to try my concoctions. I also began to ferment my vegetables to reduce waste and costs. When I noticed the breads I consumed contained lots of preservatives, lacked in flavor and were hard to digest; it was time for change there too. For me, it had become important to create preservative-free food made with quality, organic, ingredients and love. I began making my own sourdough bread with any ingredients that happened to be in season, on sale or in my pantry. I realized how versatile the bread was and that it can be eaten for breakfast, lunch, dinner and dessert. Consumption became a tasting experience--my bread wasn't just for sandwiches anymore. I enjoyed French toast, croutons and bread crumbs for starters.
My inspiration for Doughp Creations came from a desire to maintain integrity through producing homemade products that evoke both inner and outer beauty within its consumers. I'm a product of the 90's and resonate with the popular music of that era. My brand mostly stems from hip-hop culture, where dope means good/fresh and that's exactly the kind of bread I create. I've added a new school flava to an old school product. I mill my own flour using organic ancient grains, but add nontypical ingredients to the dough. My process is by hand and takes about 3 days to complete. The sourdough boule comes in 3 sizes, ranging from 6-10 inches in diameter. The customer plays the role of "Mix Master" choosing from three base styles: spicy, sweet or savory, tweaking the recipe to their preference by adding a variety of seasonings and toppings of their choosing. So far the majority of my sales are for my sweet loaf which includes a mix of cranberries and walnuts. The herbed savory loaf follows in a close second. I also have orders for plain loaves with varying flours. The possibilities are countless.
For the past few years I've been delivering loaves locally, but the operation has grown, enabling me to sell nationwide on Etsy. I hope to market Doughp Creations’ products (I’ve recently added fresh-milled flour and French macarons) to local markets and bakeries and also wish to expand my handmade loom beaded jewelry selections.