Pacific Sourdough

PO Box 54
Waldport, OR 97394
541-563-3044

www.pacificsourdough.com

Pacific Sourdough
Newport

Even after 16 years of baking artisan breads and pastries for sale at the Newport Farmers’ Market, Katie McNeil is still learning. Last winter, for example, she pored through baking books to discover the key to 100 percent sprouted wheat berry bread that is not only healthy, but also delicious.
Now, she’s perfected the technique and has a 100 percent tasty whole grain bread that makes healthy heaven out of the humblest of sandwiches.
“It’s toothsome, and chewy, and sweet from the molasses,” McNeil said. “It makes a fantastic PB & J!”
To explain the ardor that McNeil’s customers have for her wares, exclamation points are often required. Her booth at the Newport Saturday Farmers’ Market, piled high with vanilla cream scones, marionberry muffins, miniature chocolate cakes and sourdough loaves, is always easy to find. It’s the one with the line, which forms half an hour before the 9 a.m. start time and curves around the corner.
McNeil creates it all at her wholesale Pacific Sourdough bakery in Waldport, which supplies bread to some of the finest restaurants on the central coast, and pastries to coffee shops along Hwy. 101. To shake the strong hand of the baker herself, however, you have to meet her at the Newport market on Saturdays, and the Corvallis farmers’ market on Wednesdays.
She likes to have the old favorites on hand, but always tries to introduce new items for people to try. Another innovation has been a healthy whole grain sourdough, with organic seven-grain cereal mix, polenta, wheat berries, flax seeds and sunflower seeds. She’s given it the tongue-in-cheek name of “Sticks and Twigs,” but swears it’s the favorite sandwich bread around her house.
Back for return engagements are her Baker’s Lunch tarts, with hearty fillings like potato-roasted garlic-gorgonzola and artichoke-ricotta-parmesan and sun-dried tomato. They make a splendid lunch along with a market salad or fresh vegetable soup. Add those to her normal spread of sticky buns, turnovers, cream cheese puffs and almond cake, and even oatmeal-raspberry bars.
“After 16 years, I’m still enjoying my customers and making great bread for them, creating fun stuff that people really enjoy,” she said. “People always ask me, ‘Where’s your storefront?’ This is my storefront, and it’s open every Saturday from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.