Didn’t jump on the sourdough-making train during the pandemic? Here’s your chance— with a little help from a pro: The Bread Brick from The Hudson Oven. “The Bread Brick ($25) is not ‘instant bread’ like many of the products you see in markets today. It utilizes our very own sourdough starter that has been dehydrated and stabilized as the leavening agent,” explains founder Chase Harnett, who started The Hudson Oven as a hobby in 2016 before jumping in full-time in 2020. All you have to do is add water and, as the package points out, “mix and wait.” (But don’t worry, included is a QR code with a link to a how-to video.)
“Sourdough breadmaking and holistic ingredient sourcing can be complex,” explains Harnett, who plans to also introduce a Pizza Brick to make pizza dough. “We handled the complexity so you can make the bread.” You can buy the Bread Brick on their website. Prefer a loaf already made?
Sign up for a monthly membership, or order online and pick-up at a designated spot. Or, for something even more interactive, take part in their Sourdough Sunday Hunt: A vintage filing cabinet filled with loaves is placed in certain places along the Hudson River. Then, an email is sent out that day to let you know where it is, with a first-come, pay-what-you-wish model. Since starting the hunt, Harnett says, “The bread has gotten better, I have developed a humble following and this cabinet attracts the right kind of person. You know, the kind of person that enjoys zipping out to an unknown location to search for a cabinet full of artisanal sourdough.”
Sara Luckey 
Sara Luckey
