Handcrafted artisan sourdough made in small batches with organic flour, a living sourdough starter, time, patience, and care.
Preorder approximately 48 hours in advance. Available on selected bake days and at upcoming San Diego farmers markets.
A new chapter
Bread Lovers began in 2017 with a simple idea: to bring the flavor and feeling of good European bread to America. What followed was a journey across the country, six original bread creations, farmers markets, local retailers, and placement in Whole Foods stores throughout the Pacific Northwest. Today, Bread Lovers begins a new chapter in San Diego—returning to where the passion started, but this time with freshly baked artisan loaves.
Read the Bread Lovers Story
Our breads
Every loaf is mixed, shaped, and baked by hand with organic flour, water, salt, and a living sourdough starter.
![[GRIZZLY BREAD IMAGE] – round wheat sourdough loaf on linen](/__l5e/assets-v1/5c93b2b4-8ebb-4d28-ba96-d9125e87d916/bread-grizzly.jpg)
The Everyday Classic
A classic German-style wheat sourdough with approximately 90% wheat flour and 10% rye flour. Made with organic flour, water, salt, and a fresh sourdough starter. Simple, balanced, and wonderfully versatile.
Pairing: Perfect for breakfast, sandwiches, soups, or simply with butter.
![[EAGLE RYE BREAD IMAGE] – dark rye sourdough loaf](/__l5e/assets-v1/36bf5c92-7988-48c7-b9c8-0b61728244e3/bread-rye.jpg)
Bold, Earthy and European
A deeper, more robust sourdough loaf made with a higher proportion of rye and a smaller amount of wheat flour. Rich in character and inspired by the darker breads enjoyed throughout Europe.
Pairing: Excellent with savory toppings, cheese, smoked foods, soups, and hearty meals.
![[FRENCH QUARTER IMAGE] – walnut and herb sourdough, sliced](/__l5e/assets-v1/17459cc6-c8aa-4c12-a8e9-e2e27076ab07/bread-french-quarter.jpg)
Savory and Aromatic
An aromatic wheat-and-rye sourdough with walnuts and Herbes de Provence. Savory, fragrant, and full of character, French Quarter brings together European breadmaking and the flavors of the French countryside.
Pairing: Wonderful with cheese, charcuterie, olive oil, spreads, and savory meals.
![[MISSOULA NUTS IMAGE] – Kamut sourdough with hazelnuts and chia](/__l5e/assets-v1/ff4434ff-6efe-42a6-84b4-1cab50c1abb3/bread-missoula.jpg)
The Original Bestseller
Created in Missoula, Montana, this distinctive sourdough is made primarily with organic Kamut®, an ancient wheat known for its rich and naturally buttery flavor. Hazelnuts and chia seeds add texture and a memorable nutty character.
Pairing: Delicious with butter, preserves, honey, or lightly toasted.
Our breads are handmade in small batches. Exact appearance may vary slightly from loaf to loaf—that is part of the beauty of handcrafted bread.
Best enjoyed fresh within two to three days. For longer storage, slice the fully cooled loaf, freeze the slices, and toast them whenever you are ready to enjoy them.
Our story
Bread Lovers started in Charlotte, North Carolina, in 2017, when a friend in Germany mailed Sascha's wife a bottle filled with the dry ingredients for a single loaf of bread. It was a small gift, but it raised a much bigger question: why was honest, European-style bread so hard to find in America?
That summer, while the kids were out of school, the family hitched up their trailer and spent roughly two months driving across the United States. Between campsites and kitchens along the way, Sascha and his wife developed six original bread recipes entirely from scratch.
The names came from the road. Grizzly Bread was tied to Yellowstone. Eagle Rye Bread was inspired by an eagle they spotted along the way. French Quarter came together with walnuts and Herbes de Provence. Missoula Nuts was created in Missoula, Montana, with Kamut, hazelnuts, and chia seeds. Recipes, names, brand, packaging—they built all of it themselves.
They moved to Portland, Oregon, for its food culture, and the bread mixes quickly found shelf space at regional retailers including Market of Choice and New Seasons Market. Sascha then pitched Bread Lovers to Whole Foods Market in person. Within about six months the products were on shelves throughout the Pacific Northwest—an extraordinary validation for a small family operation.
It also asked everything of them. Several mornings a week they were up before dawn baking for in-store demos, driving between Whole Foods, Market of Choice, and New Seasons locations, sometimes sampling in four stores in a single day. Weekends meant fresh bread for farmers markets—as many as 120 loaves for a single Saturday.
Demand outgrew what two people could sustainably carry. The next step required far greater production capacity and outside investment. Without that capital, and physically and emotionally exhausted, they made the hard decision to pause the business. After moving to California, and as the COVID period began, the remaining bread mixes were sold online. Bread Lovers went quiet—but the recipes, the customer response, and the original vision never went away.
Today Sascha is bringing Bread Lovers back in a new form. Instead of leading with bread mixes, the new Bread Lovers focuses on freshly baked artisan sourdough loaves. This is not an untested idea. It is a new chapter for products that customers, farmers-market visitors, regional retailers, and Whole Foods Market had already embraced.
The original recipes never disappeared. Neither did the vision. Now, Bread Lovers is returning to the oven—one handcrafted loaf at a time.
2017
Bread Lovers founded in Charlotte, North Carolina
American Road Trip
Six original breads created
Portland, Oregon
Brand and production expanded
Regional Retail
Market of Choice and New Seasons
Whole Foods Market
Pacific Northwest distribution
California
The business pauses, but the vision remains
San Diego
A new chapter begins with freshly baked sourdough
![[SASCHA PORTRAIT] – Sascha Menesi holding a fresh sourdough loaf](/__l5e/assets-v1/1ab57571-6bcc-4fee-9643-bd0a821b3271/sascha-portrait.jpg)
The baker
Born in Croatia and raised in Germany, Sascha grew up in cultures where bread is far more than something served alongside a meal. It is part of daily life, hospitality, family, and tradition.
Sascha's personal baking journey began with the creation of Bread Lovers in 2017. He was not formally trained as a baker. Instead, he taught himself through research, books, videos, experimentation, and countless hours of hands-on experience.
Over time, he learned that while good bread may begin with only a few ingredients, the result depends on much more: a healthy living starter, the correct sequence, careful timing, patience, observation, and experience.
For Sascha, baking is both demanding and deeply calming. There is something special about creating a loaf from simple ingredients, watching it emerge from the oven, smelling the fresh crust, and seeing someone enjoy the first bite.
After 25 years of entrepreneurship and a period working in the corporate world, Sascha felt the desire to build something of his own again. Instead of starting with an unfamiliar idea, he chose to return to a proven product and a passion that had never truly left him.
Today, Sascha personally prepares and bakes the first Bread Lovers loaves in small batches in San Diego.
“Bread is made from simple ingredients—but truly good bread also needs patience, timing, care, and love.”
How ordering works
01
Explore the current selection and choose your favorite loaf.
02
Because every loaf is prepared and baked in small batches, advance ordering helps us plan the fermentation and baking process.
03
Select from the available pickup or local delivery options shown on the Square ordering page.
Bake days, pickup options, delivery areas, and current availability may vary. Please check the Square ordering page for the latest information.
Find us
Bread Lovers is preparing to appear at selected farmers markets throughout the San Diego area. Confirmed locations, dates, and market hours will be announced here soon.
Want to know where we will be next? Check back soon or contact us directly. Contact us
![[FARMERS MARKET IMAGE] – artisan bread baskets at a sunny farmers market stall](/assets/farmers-market-DeVFMyTG.jpg)
Coming Soon
Market locations and dates are being finalized.
Looking ahead
The long-term Bread Lovers vision is a welcoming place where customers can purchase freshly baked bread, discover the original Bread Lovers baking mixes, and enjoy open-faced breads with thoughtfully selected toppings such as avocado, smoked salmon, cheese, and seasonal ingredients. One day, this may become a physical Bread Lovers store—and perhaps a concept that can grow into new communities.
Contact
Questions about our breads, upcoming markets, local availability, or a possible collaboration? We would love to hear from you.