May Microbakery Recap: What Worked, What Shifted | Episode 86

mikalonte
Jun 5
4 min read

May was one of those full, steady months. It wasn’t chaotic, but it was definitely busy with all the end-of-school-year events, Mother’s Day, family birthdays, and the usual work rhythms of running my microbakery. I love using these monthly recaps to reflect on what worked, what shifted, and where I’m adjusting as we head into summer.

This post will walk you through my bakes, revenue, experiments, and business updates — exactly as I experienced them in May.

My Baking Rhythm in May

In May, I followed my usual rhythm:

Two porch pickups on Thursdays (except for the fifth Thursday, which I took off).
Two markets on the second and fourth Saturdays.

On months with a fifth Thursday, I like to pause and take a reset week. This helps me rest, test recipes, and catch up on behind-the-scenes work.

Revenue Overview

Total gross revenue for May: $4,375
This breaks down to around $1,000 per week.
While not my biggest month, it was steady and intentional as I scaled back in some areas.

Note: This is gross revenue — before factoring in expenses like ingredients, packaging, overhead, and assistants.

Porch Pickups: Scaling Back with Simplicity

For my first porch pickup:

I offered regular breads, two inclusion flavors, one sourdough flavor, and cookies.
I intentionally kept the quantities manageable for me to handle solo.

For the second porch pickup:

I scaled back even more and offered my core lineup:
- Original loaf
- Sandwich bread
- Focaccia
- Cookies

Both porch pickups generated about $700 each, which felt steady and solid. Keeping things simple worked, and customers still showed up even without the extras like English muffins or scones.

Markets: Mother’s Day, Brunch Boxes & Burnt Bakes

Market 1 (Mother’s Day weekend):

I added Mother’s Day Brunch Boxes:
- Included brioche knots, muffins, and a mini chocolate loaf.
- Priced at around $20.
- Initially labeled as “Breakfast in Bed Boxes,” but once I changed the sign to "Mother’s Day Brunch Boxes," sales picked up quickly.
This was a great example of how much wording and signage can impact sales.
I also brought individual blueberry muffins.
- I made a huge batch (20x my usual) and froze the scooped muffins in tulip liners for easy baking directly from frozen.

Market 2:

This one was a bit lighter due to a few mishaps:
- My oven overheated to 600°F and burned a batch of chocolate loaves.
- I also accidentally burned a tray of muffins after forgetting to set a timer.
While those burnt batches lowered my revenue slightly, the market still went well overall.

Product Experiments: Blueberry English Muffins

I experimented with adding blueberries to my English muffin recipe.
Used frozen blueberries, which added a lot of liquid, so I compensated with extra flour.
They turned out soft and delicious.
Customers loved them, and I plan to explore more flavored English muffins in the future, especially once I have a commercial space.

Equipment Upgrade: My New Dough Sheeter

I started testing my Broad & Taylor 15.5-inch manual dough sheeter.
Used it to roll rough puff pastry for pop-tarts.
The cinnamon pop-tarts made with Sunrise Flour Mill’s heritage whole wheat pastry flour were some of the best things I’ve baked.
I’m excited to continue experimenting with different fillings and flavors.

Market Display Refresh

I’m updating my market display with a rectangular cake tray (clear cover, wooden base) to better showcase pastries like:
- Cookies
- Scones
- Muffins
- Pop-tarts
This will declutter the table and help customers clearly see what’s available while keeping the wrapped products behind the display for easy purchase.

Personal Note: A Much-Needed Reset

My husband gifted me a two-night solo hotel stay for Mother’s Day.
I used the time to rest, catch up on emails, and enjoy some quiet.
I started watching Clarkson’s Farm on Amazon, which gave me new appreciation for small-scale food production.

This reset helped me recharge before heading into the busy summer season.

Retail Bakery Update: Crowdfunding Considerations

Still working through finalizing funding and lease details.
I’ve started exploring crowdfunding as a way to involve the community in raising up this space.
I’m excited about building a community hub that supports other local bakers and serves as part of our local food economy.

Supporting Other Bakers: Upcoming Texas Cottage Food Law Changes

Starting in September, Texas cottage food laws will allow home bakers to sell wholesale.
This opens the door for partnerships where I can carry products from other home bakers in my future store, offering items I may not have capacity to produce myself.

Closing Out May

May was a month of steady, intentional growth. Not a record-breaking month, but one designed with margin in mind. I’m stepping into June feeling energized instead of worn down—and that’s exactly where I want to be heading into summer.

Resources & Links

Join my email list here: https://carolinebower.myflodesk.com/newsletter
Join the Bread Winner Network: www.carolinebower.com/bwnetwork
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!