Ony natural ingredients are used—stone-milled grains, pure water and salt. Some breads have added fruits, nuts, or seeds. Hillside specializes in whole grain, naturally leavened bread.

The grain is stone-milled before each bake ensuring only the freshest flour is used in our breads. Hillside breads are made with whole wheat, wheat, whole rye, barley, and spelt flour and various seeds and whole grains.

Once the flour, water, natural leavening (sourdough) and salt is all mixed together, the dough is left to rise for several hours and then the dough is folded over. After a rest following the folding, the dough is weighed and divided, pre-shaped, and left to rise on the bread table.

The dough is shaped into a final form and placed on covered racks either in individual baskets or on a linen couche, away from air drafts, for the final rise. Seasonal temperature variations and humidity are strong factors influencing the long fermentation time for naturally leavened breads.

Our Le Panyol French oven core was purchased through Maine Wood Heat Company, Inc. The oven was built in February 2004 by Timothy Seaton, a member of the Masonry Heaters Association.  Our oven is heated with fallen wood from our land and other local hardwoods.  All fire and ash is removed after a long, slow burn directly on the oven floor.  The heat that is retained in the Terre Blanche stones is ideal to give the dough the push it needs for the bread’s rise, crust and flavor development.  All our breads are baked directly on the hearth (oven floor).  Hillside granolas and muffins are pan baked on the hearth floor.