HEIRLOOM AND HEART. Jen Monroe, pictured above, displays their cottage baked goods at a recent pop-up market with River Bend Winery & Distillery in Chippewa Falls. With a specialization in sourdough, Monroe offers a wide variety of baked goods at her “mobile bakery." (Image via Facebook)

Eating local is something a lot of folks strive to do. Whether it’s buying produce at a farmer’s market, meat from a nearby butcher, or eggs from a local farm — staying in touch with local food sheds is something near and dear to a lot of hearts. For Jen Monroe, owner of Two Ovens Cottage Bakery, these values are paramount within both her business and her everyday life.

Specializing in sourdough, Monroe offers a wide variety of baked goods at her “mobile bakery,” which she regularly sets up at markets and small businesses around the Chippewa Valley. The bulk of her ingredients are sourced nearby — from her own farm — or from other Wisconsin farmers she knows.

“I think it's really important to source locally and just support the local food chain in general,” Monroe said.

Monroe sources her grain from Heartland Craft Grains near Madison, and from Meadowlark Organics near Ridgeway, Wisconsin. Additionally, Monroe exclusively uses local eggs, and often bakes with fruits and veggies harvested from her own farm.

"I want my products to be priced fairly so they can be accessible to a diverse group of customers. So people have the opportunity to feed their family something wholesome and delicious."

JEN MONROE

owner of two ovens cottage bakery

The eye-catching Inca Red loaf, made with hearty red quinoa and two heritage grains, is Monroe’s number one seller. She offers a meticulously-crafted array of items year-round, including sourdough scones, granola, cookies, muffins, and 14 flavors of sourdough bread – with gluten-free options.

Monroe, who is a self-taught baker, began Two Ovens with a friend in the spring of 2022. She said the business hit the ground running that first season.

“We started off full time and I have been ever since,” Monroe said. “We just kind of went for it.”

Now the sole owner of Two Ovens, Monroe has remained deeply committed to her cottage bakery and designs her menu to suit varying consumer tastes.

“Some of my customers are on the gluten intolerant spectrum,” Monroe said. “They keep coming back because they tolerate my bread. Thanks to the quality grains and the fermentation, it's the only bread that they eat.”

"There are only a few of us in the area that are using these incredibly nutrient dense heirloom and heritage grains."

JEN MONROE

OWNER OF TWO OVENS COTTAGE BAKERY

In the months between November and April, sourdough loaf varieties — and more baked goods — are available for purchase through Monroe's pop-up markets at Lot 3 Mercantile in downtown Eau Claire. (Image via Facebook)

All Two Ovens products are made with regenerative ancient or heirloom grains. These types of grains are grown sustainably and look different from modern-day grains, according to Shipton Mill. Heirloom grain seeds are passed down generationally over long periods of time, while ancient grains — which tend to grow with tougher husks — are grown from plants that were cultivated before the common era.

“Those of us in the cottage bakery scene who use (these grains) are bringing the highest quality products that you can get in the Valley when you're talking about bread and goods,” Monroe expressed. “There are only a few of us in the area that are using these incredibly nutrient dense heirloom and heritage grains.”

As Monroe described, cottage bakers work from their home kitchens under Wisconsin Cottage Food Guidelines, meaning their items must be shelf stable and sold directly to consumers.

“It’s just so obvious how much she cares,” Foster said. “The customers just adore her and her products.”

"It's just so obvious how much she cares. The customers just adore her and her products."

KERSTEN FOSTER

LOT 3 MERCANTILE OWNER

Cottage bakers can typically be found holding pop-ups at local markets and businesses, or selling products online, Monroe shared. Frequent Two Ovens customers are accustomed to checking her Facebook page for the upcoming menu, which she typically creates about a week before each market.

Monroe observed the majority of cottage bakers work solo, and many of them are women, like herself.

“It's me making my products and hand selling face-to-face direct to consumer, which is also a key component to cottage baking,” Monroe said. “We're not allowed to sell in retail spaces without a commercial license kitchen, so I have built my business by personally selling every baked good I've created to my customers.”

Rising grocery costs, Monroe commented, have barely impacted her small business — an added benefit to sourcing local. For this reason, she has not raised her prices at all since Two Ovens began.

The Two Ovens logo, pictured above, adorned on their market display. (Submitted photo)

“I want my products to be priced fairly so they can be accessible to a diverse group of customers,” Monroe said. “So people have the opportunity to feed their family something wholesome and delicious.”

Monroe sets up her stand in locations around the Chippewa Valley, including weekly farmer’s markets and local businesses like The Brewing Projekt. Between the months of November and April, Two Ovens frequently collaborates with Lot 3 Mercantile in downtown Eau Claire, where Monroe holds a pop-up bakery in the store on the third Thursday of every month.

Kersten Foster, owner of Lot 3 Mercantile Co. (205 Gibson St., Eau Claire), said the collaboration blossomed about a year ago, when the two business owners first connected.

“We clicked almost instantly — we are both just so dedicated and excited about what we do,” Foster said. “We both have a commitment to providing the highest quality product we can to our customers. At the end of the day, it makes us feel good as well.”

Foster said one of the biggest things that sets Two Ovens apart as a business is Monroe’s clear passion and meticulousness surrounding her craft.

“It’s just so obvious how much she cares,” Foster said. “The customers just adore her and her products.”

Monroe recently received a foodshed grant from Menomonie Market Food Co-op to update some of her three-year-old kitchen supplies, allowing for a refresh on her commercial-hybrid baking equipment. In anticipation of the coming market season, she expressed excitement about what’s in store.

“I just feel beyond grateful and honored every time I come to market with my products and the support that I receive when I'm there,” Monroe said. “A huge thank you to the (Chippewa Valley) community.”

HER BUSINESS RISES. Monroe became one of several localized businesses to receive a foodshed grant from Menomonie Market Food Co-op to update some of her three-year-old kitchen supplies and commercial-hybrid baking equipment. (Submitted photo)

To learn more about Two Ovens and its cottage bakery, visit their website or follow along with the business Facebook page (@2ovensbread).