I’m Sophie Jeffery, owner and sleepy baker at Spread the Loaves. I’ve been cooking and baking since my teenage years, but my one New Year’s Resolution in 2020 was to learn to bake bread. Thanks to COVID, I had plenty of time to practice while we tried to navigate our new normal. Bread-baking was my calm during that tumultuous time; I don’t know what I would have done some days without dough to stretch and fold or shape. Even now, thousands of loaves later, I still find such peace in the rhythm of baking a loaf of sourdough.

I decided to open Spread the Loaves after the Texas winter storm in 2021. My neighbors were having trouble finding bread on the shelves, and I had a pantry shelf full of flour and an overwhelming sense of helplessness. Once we had power restored to our home, I got to work. I baked dozens of sandwich loaves for our friends, neighbors, and coworkers, asking for nothing in return but some extra flour or salt if they had it. Being able to provide my neighbors with the nourishment they desperately craved during such a trying time was truly magical.

Initially baking to order, we quickly transitioned to farmer’s markets and even had a brief stint in a shared commercial kitchen. Towards the end of 2023, I felt a little overwhelmed with how much the business had grown, and knew I either needed to slow down or take a leap and dive all in. It was just getting too difficult to manage the scale I was producing at out of my home any longer. Luckily, the perfect little spot in Old Town Helotes became available and I couldn’t be happier with the decision to take that leap.

The business has grown and changed immensely over the years, but I still have a hand in every step of the process, even as I build up a team to help run this tiny little bakery. I think I always will. My team and I share the same vision: a cozy space where everyone leaves with a smile on their face, a full heart, and arms full of bread we baked just for them.

I hope to see you at the bakery soon!