Our Story

Appalachian Sourdough Co. has its roots in Serenity Now Homestead — our family homestead in Chuckey, TN, where we grow and preserve our own food. From a large garden to backyard chickens, to homemade jellies and jams, living close to the land has always been at the heart of what we do.

In January 2024, our founder — Tess, a bedside RN at the time — created "Stewart," our sourdough starter, out of a simple frustration: the bread on grocery store shelves just wasn't good enough for our family. Filled with preservatives, seed oils, and ingredients we couldn't pronounce, we knew there had to be a better way.

After six weeks of daily feedings and a whole lot of patience, she baked her first decent loaf. Mike took one bite and said, "You could sell this."

So she did. She brought samples and an order form into work — and sold 30 loaves of bread in a single day. From that moment, there was no looking back.

That summer, Serenity Now Homestead made its debut at the Jonesborough Farmers Market. In March 2025, she left bedside nursing to bake full time. Today, we're proud to be found at 3 farmers markets and 7 retail locations across Northeast Tennessee.

As our bread business has grown, so has our vision. In May 2026, we are officially rebranding to Appalachian Sourdough Co. — a name that reflects where we come from and where we're headed. But our roots at Serenity Now Homestead aren't going anywhere. We'll still have our garden, our chickens and eggs, and seasonal preserved goods like jellies, jams, and pickled vegetables available when in season.

Same family. Same values. A bigger vision.

A True Family Operation

None of this would be possible without our whole family. While the bread is baking, Mike is out maintaining the homestead — raising chickens, tending a large garden, and keeping everything running with the (sometimes reluctant) help of our two kids.

Every egg that goes into our baked goods comes from our own hens, most of which were hatched right here on the homestead. We use lard from our own hogs in our sandwich bread, and when we run out, we source from other trusted local farms. Our jalapeño cheddar loaf features jalapeños we grow ourselves, and we always use local honey.

What Makes Our Bread Different

We believe real bread takes time — and we don't cut corners.

• Minimum 36-hour fermentation — this breaks down gluten more thoroughly and makes our bread easier on your gut.
• Locally sourced ingredients — eggs from our chickens, lard from our hogs, homegrown jalapeños, and always local honey.
• No preservatives. No seed oils. No artificial sweeteners. No food dyes. Ever.
• Never pre-sliced — we sell our bread whole to preserve its integrity and keep it fresher longer on your shelf.

If we wouldn't serve it to our own family, we won't serve it to yours. That's our promise.

Find Us

We're at farmers markets across the region and in local retail stores throughout Northeast Tennessee. See all our locations →

Want to place an order ahead of time? Pre-order here →