Baking is her love language; so much so that she utilizes it to make a positive impact on the community above anything else.
Karen From was 10 years old when she knew she loved baking. Growing up in California, she used to make lunch and bake cakes for her father and his employees, as he ran his own custom cabinetry business. She never stopped baking for her family, and eventually her passion grew.
From opened her business, A Bit of Leaven Artisanal Bakery & School, Oct. 1, 2024. In her custom bakery haven, she focuses a lot of time making sourdough bread and croissants. She also bakes other products like biscotti and scones, and offers monthly classes where she teaches visitors how to make a variety of her products as well.
“Sourdough is a science and a skill,” From said. “When you do croissants, they’re the same way. Croissants are about a two-and-a-half day process. My sourdoughs are — once I get the leavens and the starter going — it’s another day-and-a-half to a day to make; so it’s a passion and a love. You gotta enjoy it.”
From has studied the art of sourdough bread making for 14 years. She attended professional sourdough bread training at the San Francisco Baking Institute twice, a private three-day lesson at the International School of Baking in Bend, Oregon, and a five-day intensive course in Louisville, Kentucky. She said she found it important to have perfected recipes and professional training prior to opening A Bit of Leaven.
From said 90% of the time, her baked goods turn out how she wants them to; however, when they do not, she gives them to her customers for free.
Kim Stiens, one of From’s customers, said From is focused on providing the highest quality baked goods.
“She’s very worried, making sure she always has the best products for her customers and giving the best customer service and works with you, and…she's just amazing,” Stiens said.
Stiens has been coming back to A Bit of Leaven for about a year. She said what keeps her coming back is the friendly service and the quality of the bread. Stiens described From as friendly, outgoing and full of love for her community.
Another of From’s customers, Amie Harris, described A Bit of Leaven as a peaceful place where she can go to get away from the business of her life. She said she likes that From is knowledgeable of the health benefits that come from sourdough.
From grows many of her own ingredients or buys them based on how they were made.
“I try to use everything fresh that I can that’s…organic,” From said. “All my milled flours are organic and glyphosate-free. That’s that spray they put on to kill weeds, and it’s really toxic that they use it right here, and then I’m not dogging farmers, I know they have to use it, but if I can get something that doesn’t have it, yeah, and it’s not that much more expensive.”
Harris said she appreciates that the products are healthier than what is otherwise found in grocery stores.
“I love Karen,” Harris said. “She is fantastic. She makes phenomenal bread. She’s a retired dietitian who knows her stuff, and she makes the true healthy sourdough bread, like the true fermented good for your gut bread. She uses quality ingredients, and that’s what made me start going to her.”
Harris said her favorite baked goods are the almond croissants. Out of the offered breads, she said she buys the “Simply Sourdough” frequently, because her family loves it. However, a personal favorite is the “Kalamata Olive and Rosemary” sourdough bread because of the kalamata olives.
From said this is also one of her favorite breads.
Prior to building her business, From was a Northwest professor and director of the dietetics program. She said she loved running the program for 14 years. However, she said she had always wanted to start a bakery.
“I love my students,” From said. “They called me their Northwest mom. I’m still good friends — some of them come to get their bread from me. They talk to me. I mean, your age group is my favorite age group; they’re so fun and (have) so much energy and a love and a passion, and that kept me there for so long; and I love teaching, but I just knew it was time.”
From fully designed her bakery space once she had enough money saved to purchase it. She said this process was easy because she knew exactly how she wanted it to flow.
Eventually, her daughter-in-law and her daughter-in-law’s sister offered to paint the mural that sits on the large wall facing the front door. This mural depicts multiple different flowers, wheat stocks and the business name.
From said she wanted to make sure she could fully purchase her bakery space so that she could give more back to the community as her business grows.
From donates all of her profits — minus the cost of ingredients — to BackPack Buddies, Meals on Wheels: America and the Nodaway County Senior Center.
BackPack Buddies provides healthy meals to children who need the extra support while away from school on weekends. She said her customers have given her a lot of positive feedback about this, and they enjoy knowing the profits are going to children at risk of food insecurity.
“I think giving back is always a good feeling for anyone, but I think it’s the community involvement that gives back, and I get to be a part of it, and God’s leading the way,” From said. “It’s just a joy thing, like it feels really good. I mean, anyone — if you give back to anyone, it feels good, doesn’t it?”
She said during the holiday season, customers often pay extra for their bread so more money can be donated.
From said, for her, baking feels peaceful. She said she enjoys the multiple aspects that come with balancing baking and owning her business.
“It just brings me a lot of peace and a lot of joy and content,” From said. “It's fun. I like it. It's also a challenge, so my brain is always working, and I have to keep track of everything.”
This story comes from our partners at the Northwest Missourian, the campus newspaper of Northwest Missouri State University.