Sourdough bread – it’s simple, healthy and made with just three ingredients. Founded in July 2023, Flint Sourdough Co is Flint’s only original artisan sourdough bread company. Owner and founder Alea Orr is passionate about artisan bread! She especially liked sourdough bread and wanted to learn how to make it. “I knew I wanted to get good at sourdough,” she remembers, and she began baking every day. “At first, I was really bad at it,” she says with a smile.
Photos Courtesy of Alea Orr
After learning to make a sourdough starter – a living culture of bacteria and yeast that makes bread rise and adds flavor – and perfecting her recipe, Orr started giving loaves of bread to family and friends. One friend told her she felt bad about taking the bread for free because it was so delicious. “You should sell it,” her friend advised. “That’s when my hobby became a job,” Orr notes. Her home officially became a Cottage bakery; she created a website and social media pages, began marketing her products and started taking orders online. She has decades of experience having worked in the restaurant industry for many years. “Last year, during the holidays, was when Flint Sourdough Co took off,” the baker says.
According to Orr, each loaf of bread takes approximately 24 hours from start to finish. “Every loaf that comes out of my kitchen is made with just three ingredients – flour, water, salt – and of course, love,” she shares. “Sourdough bread is very healthy and is tolerated well by those with gluten sensitivity.”
“Every loaf that comes out of my kitchen is made with just three ingredients – flour, water, salt – and of course, love.”
– Alea Orr
Over the past year, Flint Sourdough Co has continued to grow and the home baker currently produces about 100 loaves a week. And while sourdough is her specialty, Orr has expanded the offerings to include a variety of mini-cakes that are made from scratch, frosted and decorated. She recently made a decadent mini-chocolate cake using a recipe created by Ina Garten (Food Network’s “Barefoot Contessa”). Orr also bakes specialty breads including banana, zucchini and pumpkin. During the holidays, she will be baking cranberry orange and cranberry walnut specialty breads, and a garlic Italian loaf. The breads are festively decorated with Christmas trees and a star pattern. The menu will also include braided challah loaves.
Orr says her standard artisan sourdough bread, in round or oval shapes, and sourdough sandwich bread (baked in a loaf pan) continue to be the most popular. The flavor profile of her sourdough is mild, not sour. “It’s a lot of work!” she exclaims. A self-described “one-woman-show”, she often puts in a 60-hour work week between the baking business and her online clothing business.
“Sometimes, it’s hard to believe I’ve been leading this program for a little more than half my life.”
– Jason Gray
Orr is enjoying the success of Flint Sourdough Co, with thousands of likes on Instagram and Facebook. “I am absolutely elated!” she exclaims. Ninety percent of her sales are to returning customers who share with her how much they enjoy the bread. She also gains new business by word of mouth. “I feel as though I’m being invited into people’s homes. It’s incredibly humbling.”
Originally from Imlay City, Orr has lived in Flint off and on since she was a teen. “I consider Flint to be my chosen home,” she says, “I love Flint.” In her spare time, she and her young son enjoy going for walks, visiting the library and exploring the many cultural opportunities the city has to offer.
During the holidays, she will be baking cranberry orange and cranberry walnut specialty breads, and a garlic Italian loaf.
Orr does most of her baking on Fridays. Orders can be picked up at her Missouri St. home, or at Court Street United Methodist Church on Sundays from 10am-12:30pm. For more information, visit the Flint Sourdough Co Facebook page. To place an order, visit
