Harriet “Hattie” Willis is the baker and owner of Hattie’s Bread Box Bakery. A native of New Orleans, Hattie has called Central Pennsylvania home for decades. Hattie’s Bread Box Bakery and the ‘Bread Box’ pick up station is located in the charming borough of Mechanicsburg, nestled at the base of the Blue Mountains.

It is said that “bread is the staff of life”. Sourdough fermentation is a process of making bread the way our ancestors did many years ago. Nature’s gifts are used to produce flavorful, healthy bread with no commercial yeast or dough conditioners, which are often found in the commercial breads of today.  

Sourdough breads are often enjoyed by those with sensitivity to commercially-yeasted baked goods. The fermentation process breaks down gluten, and develops natural probiotic properties which may be better tolerated by those with gluten sensitivity. Note: Hattie’s bakery does not provide gluten-free products, as it cannot be done safely in a kitchen that processes flours with gluten.

The process of preparing the bread is one of patience. Sourdough baking is as much an art as it is science. It takes two days to produce the proper sourdough loaf.  Hattie’s Sourdough Starter is named “Maxine”, and has been developed over the years through the natural yeasts found in the environment of the bakery. The starter is managed through careful feedings with bread or rye flour, and pure, fresh water.