Artisan Bread Delivered to Your Door
Meet the creators of Hudson Baking Co., the Treasure Valley’s newest sourdough micro-bakery
Story by Lex Nelson
Photos courtesy of Leslie Rodriguez of Leslie Rodriguez Photography
How would you like to open your door to a basket of local artisan bread, bagels, raspberry kolaches, and sourdough cinnamon rolls? Not only is that carb-fill fantasy possible, it’s been a reality for households across the Treasure Valley for the last five months. The treats come straight from the ovens of Hudson Baking Co. in Kuna. Twice a week, husband-wife team Anna and Aaron Hudson make the doughy deliveries to their buyers and subscribers.
“We’re passionate about being able to make healthy food affordable and accessible,” said Anna, who owns the company. “That was one of the reasons we built a delivery system into our product.”
Hudson Baking Co. doesn’t charge delivery fees, although tips are welcome. The bakery’s offerings range from $20 per week family pack subscriptions to individual orders of breads and pastries. All of the breads are made with natural and organic ingredients without preservatives, additives, or chemicals.
The Hudsons’ obsession with sustainable agriculture started years ago, when they were studying food policy at Evergreen State College in Olympia, Washington. The pair attended a health conference with one of their classes. There, they were exposed to a dazzling variety of produce, along with the baking philosophies of Dr. Stephen S. Jones, the Director of The Bread Lab at Washington State University.
“The conference really opened our eyes. We saw that carrots came in multiple colors — almost the entire rainbow! — and how many plant varieties out there have high nutrition content. We got really passionate about being able to volunteer on a local organic farm and support a local community-supported agriculture (CSA),” Anna recalled.
Aaron channeled his locavore fervor into baking in Dr. Jones’ style. At Hudson Baking Co., Anna is the business mastermind while Aaron is the head baker. He produces the bakery’s naturally-fermented sourdough loaves and pastries using carefully selected regional flours and a process that takes more than two days.
“All of our breads are water, flour, salt, and whatever various starters we’re using,” Aaron said. “The cool part about that is that while it’s simple in its ingredients, it becomes complicated in technique: the pre-shaping, folding, hydration, and some of the science that goes into bread.”
Hudson Baking Co. has already surpassed the Hudsons’ expectations. They met their initial goal of 10 orders in their very first week, and although they’ve successfully ridden the wave of the pandemic sourdough bread craze, they have even bigger plans for the future.
Aaron plans to collaborate with two other local food companies, Molly’s Mills and Ballard Family Dairy and Cheese, on a pickled jalapeno and cheddar loaf, and Anna hinted that something even bigger and more exciting is in the works. Eventually, the Hudsons hope to play a bigger role in the local farm-to-table movement and, as Anna put it, “grow a business that can do more than just bread.”
To find out more about Hudson Baking Co. visit HudsonBakingCo.com or @HudsonBakingCo on Instagram.
