From Burnout to Boundaries: How Christa Hanna Rebuilt Her Microbakery with Intention | Episode 78

mikalonte
Apr 21
4 min read

Running a microbakery can be both beautiful and overwhelming. In this conversation, I sat down with Christa Hanna of Burnt Toast Bakery, who opened up about her journey through burnout, motherhood, and running a bakery with an ADHD diagnosis. Christa's story is deeply relatable, especially for bakers who’ve found themselves stretched too thin while trying to do it all.

She shares what it was like to go from casually gifting loaves to building a fast-growing business, how that rapid growth led to exhaustion, and what finally helped her reset. From taking extended breaks to reworking her systems and learning how to protect her energy, Christa offers encouragement and honest insight for any baker trying to build a business that fits real life.

Starting Fast—and Hitting a Wall

Christa's microbakery began like many others do—sharing loaves with friends. But things escalated quickly.

She went from gifting bread to having a bakery name, social media, and an order form in a matter of weeks.
Within two months, she was receiving more orders than she could handle, often working deep into the night to fulfill them.
With three young kids at home, including a newborn, it became clear something had to give.

What started out as joy and creativity soon felt unsustainable. She described her business as something that had “snowballed,” and eventually, it took a toll on both her mental health and her family life.

Burnout and the Break That Changed Everything

Christa didn’t just feel tired—she hit a wall.

She experienced significant burnout, accompanied by intense anxiety and postpartum depression.
At her lowest point, she described crying at the mixer and dreading baking.
Her doctor suggested ADHD testing, which eventually led to a diagnosis and a better understanding of how her brain was operating in her business.

She took an extended break—eight months off from baking for customers—which gave her space to reset. During that time, she started sourdough again from scratch. She let go of the pressure and got reacquainted with baking for herself.

A Trip to England and a Fresh Start

One of the turning points in Christa's journey was a trip to England, where she took a class with Richard Burrett.

This trip reminded her of why she loved baking in the first place.
Being surrounded by other bakers who shared her passion helped her return with new inspiration.
She came back ready to build her bakery differently—with boundaries, intention, and sustainability in mind.

She rebranded, built a new menu with fewer items, and approached her business with fresh eyes.

Systems That Protect Energy and Support Consistency

Christa now bakes twice a month and runs workshops—both of which give her creative fulfillment and structure.

Here’s what’s helped her make that shift:

A fixed bake schedule: She bakes on the second and fourth Friday of each month.
Limiting offerings: She sticks to about six menu items to keep things manageable.
Prepping intentionally: She pre-measures ingredients and does smaller batches of things ahead of time to avoid burnout on bake day.
Using a content planner: A tool that helps her plan social media content in advance, so she’s not trying to post in real time while baking.

These systems have helped her build a rhythm that works for both her brain and her life.

Why She Loves Teaching Workshops

One of Christa's biggest surprises has been how much she enjoys teaching sourdough workshops.

She’s run multiple workshops in collaboration with other local businesses.
Teaching allows her to connect with her community and talk about sourdough in a way that lights her up.
She encourages other bakers to try hosting a small workshop—even informally—because it can be both fulfilling and profitable.

She finds it’s a great way to expand your brand and income without overloading your

baking schedule.

Letting Go of Comparison

Krista talked honestly about how comparison was a major challenge in her early days.

Seeing other bakers post pictures of their perfectly styled bakes and high volume made her question her own pace.
She reminded herself (and all of us) that she doesn’t need to be a “breadfluencer”—she just needs to show up as herself.
She now avoids making decisions based on what others are doing and stays focused on her values and capacity.

She’s found peace in doing less, doing it well, and keeping her business aligned with her life.

Final Thoughts

Christa's story is a powerful reminder that success in a microbakery doesn’t have to mean more, faster, or bigger. Sometimes success looks like taking a break, scaling back, or choosing sustainability over hustle.

Her honesty about burnout, ADHD, boundaries, and resetting her business is something so many of us need to hear. If you’ve ever felt like you lost your joy in baking—or like your business took over your life—this conversation offers both permission and a path to come back to what you love.

Resources & Links

Follow Christa on Instagram here.
Learn more about Burnt Toast Bakery here.
Find links to all of my sourdough microbakery favorites including packaging, pans, and more here!
Follow me on Instagram for more microbakery tips: @carolinebower_sourdough
Download the FREE Guide and Checklist, Your First Steps to a Successful In-Home Bakery at https://www.carolinebower.com/checklist to begin building YOUR thriving microbakery!