About Us

The Ultimate Daily Bread
At Crooked Tree Breadworks, we select only the highest quality flours to make our breads. With the help of well water and a pinch of salt, our bakers bring out the natural flavors of the wheat using techniques that have been around for centuries. The breads are shaped by hand and baked in a German stonehearth oven. Whether a crusty, hearth-baked sourdough or a tender sandwich loaf, the result is a bread with flavor and integrity, a loaf to be shared and enjoyed.

History
Greg Carpenter started baking in 1993 after realizing just how rare a scratch bakery is. There was a lot of bread being consumed in his little Northern Michigan town, but none of it had the wholesome aroma and toothsome texture that Greg associated with a well made loaf. By looking at the ingredient list, Greg would soon see why - all of these so-called "artisan" breads were made on assembly lines from low quality flours or pre-made mixes. The resulting loaves were caricatures of good bread, bearing a visual resemblance but completely lacking in the most vital element - taste. Eating such a loaf was an empty experience.

With this in mind, Greg Carpenter formed his mission as a baker - to introduce (or reintroduce) people to real bread and scratch pastries. This mission was expressed in 1996 when Crooked Tree Breadworks opened for business.

Over the years, Cooked Tree Breadworks has grown in measured increments, providing regular customers with old favorites and adding new products along the way. Our commitment to traditional, time intensive baking methods has not wavered. Our philosophy remains the same for every product we sell: Use first-rate ingredients and don't take shortcuts. The flavor will come naturally.