Muddy Fork Bakery

For Indiana residents who appreciate the art of true artisan baking, Muddy Fork Bakery in Bloomington is far more than a simple local shop—it is a destination. This bakery has rightfully earned its reputation as a singular culinary institution in Central Indiana, largely thanks to its dedication to ancient traditions, exceptional ingredients, and a truly unique baking method.

Muddy Fork Bakery is home to Indiana's only wood-fired, solar-powered brick oven. This commitment to traditional methods, where the bread is baked directly on the brick hearth, coaxes out a level of flavor, crust quality, and keeping ability that is simply unmatched. The bakery is renowned for specializing in naturally-leavened, or sourdough, bread, a process requiring patience, time, and a deep understanding of the wild leavening culture.

Beyond the impressive oven, their commitment to quality begins at the source: they use exclusively organic, stone-milled grains, mostly sourced from Janie's Farm in Illinois, with much of it milled in-house fresh for each bake on their dedicated stone mill. This attention to detail is evident in every bite, from the crackling crust of a rustic sourdough to the pure joy found in their world-class pastries. Customers rave about the authenticity and superior quality, noting, "I don’t think I’ve had this flaky of a croissant even with all of my travels to Europe!" Muddy Fork Bakery is a genuine Hoosier gem that elevates simple baked goods into a profound culinary experience.

Muddy Fork Bakery operates primarily from its homestead in northeast Monroe County, providing products to the wider Bloomington community through multiple accessible channels.

Address: 4595 Earl Young Rd, Bloomington, IN 47408, USA

Phone: (812) 624-1104

Mobile Phone: +1 812-624-1104

While the main bakery is located on Earl Young Road, offering direct in-store pickup on certain days, Muddy Fork has created an accessible system to get their fresh goods to customers across the region. Their primary distribution point is often the popular Bloomington Farmers' Market every Saturday, but they also maintain an online store that facilitates convenient pre-ordering.

For ease of transaction, the bakery accepts modern payment methods, making the process smooth whether you purchase online or in person:

• Credit cards
• Debit cards
• NFC mobile payments

The combination of direct delivery, on-site pickup at the bakery, and multiple neighborhood pickup locations (including at Bloomingfoods East) ensures that their world-class bread and pastries are remarkably accessible to customers throughout Bloomington and beyond.

Muddy Fork Bakery provides a wide range of services and products that go well beyond a typical bakery counter, reflecting their deep engagement with the local food system and community education:

• Takeout and In-Store Pickup: Customers can pick up orders directly from the bakery on designated days, typically Saturday mornings, following the Friday night/early Saturday bake schedule.
• Home Delivery Service: Offering convenient delivery options for pre-ordered goods to get the freshest bread and pastries right to your door.
• Multiple Neighborhood Pickup Locations: Utilizing several strategic pickup points across Bloomington, including local markets and partner stores like Bloomingfoods East, for increased convenience.
• Special Event/Celebration Baking: Providing specialty items like decorative four-strand and triple-decker challahs for bar/bat mitzvahs, weddings, and other major events.
• Hands-On Baking Workshops: Regularly hosting popular workshops (such as Croissant Making and German-Style Soft Pretzels) to teach customers the authentic craft of artisan baking, which includes a wood-fired pizza lunch.
• Sale of Organic Flours: Offering a selection of their high-quality, stone-milled organic flours (including Whole Wheat, Rye, and Kamut) for home bakers.
• Mail Order Granola and Muesli: Allowing customers outside the immediate delivery area to purchase their fire-toasted granolas and muesli for shipment.
• Gift Certificate Sales: Providing physical gift cards and gift bundles, perfect for treating a fellow Hoosier to a culinary delight.

Muddy Fork Bakery is a standout business due to its specialized features, which have cemented its status as a Bloomington favorite:

• Indiana's Only Wood-Fired Brick Oven: This signature feature imparts a unique, superior flavor and a distinctive crackling crust to all their baked goods, utilizing an ancient, traditional method.
• Solar-Powered Operation: The bakery is fully powered by a modern solar array installed in 2020, demonstrating a powerful commitment to sustainability alongside tradition.
• World-Class Croissants: Customers consistently praise their croissants as being among the best in the US, known for their incredible flakiness, flavor depth, and creative seasonal fillings (e.g., rhubarb, pumpkin pie, ham & cheese).
• Stone-Milled Organic Grains: They mill their own organic wheat, rye, and kamut fresh for each bake, a dedication to quality that enhances the flavor and nutritional value of their sourdough breads.
• Naturally-Leavened Sourdough Expertise: Specializing in long, slow fermentation processes, resulting in superior flavor, a moist crumb, and bread that stays fresh for days—including varieties like Rustic Sourdough, Jewish Rye, and Whole Kamut.
• Commitment to Community Service (Neighbor Loaves): The bakery runs an extensive "Neighbor Loaves" project, committing to baking and donating dozens of nutrient-dense loaves each week to Mother Hubbard's Cupboard, a vital community food pantry.
• Educational Workshops: The opportunity to attend hands-on baking workshops offers a unique chance for local enthusiasts to learn the secrets of their craft directly from the experts.

Indiana residents can easily connect with Muddy Fork Bakery through the following channels to place an order, inquire about workshops, or visit the Bloomington location:

Address: 4595 Earl Young Rd, Bloomington, IN 47408, USA

Phone: (812) 624-1104

Mobile Phone: +1 812-624-1104

The best way to explore their rotating menu, place pre-orders for delivery or pickup, and register for their popular workshops is through their online store, with new baking schedules posted weekly.

Muddy Fork Bakery is unequivocally worth choosing for any Indiana resident who seeks the absolute highest standard in baked goods. The decision to purchase from Muddy Fork is a vote for quality, tradition, and ethical business practices.

Firstly, the superior product is a compelling reason alone. The use of Indiana’s only wood-fired, brick oven, combined with freshly stone-milled organic flour, results in a final product that customers consistently describe as "a culinary experience." Whether you are an enthusiast of naturally-leavened sourdough with a crust that crackles, or you seek the best, flakiest croissant you can find outside of Europe, Muddy Fork delivers.

Secondly, choosing this bakery supports a unique and responsible local business. Their operation is fully solar-powered, minimizing their environmental impact, and their long-running "Neighbor Loaves" initiative provides essential, high-quality nutrition to the community's less fortunate. When you buy a loaf of bread, you are contributing to a meaningful local cause.

Finally, for the ambitious home baker, Muddy Fork offers more than just finished goods; they offer education. Their popular, highly-rated baking workshops provide an invaluable hands-on opportunity to learn the intricacies of fermentation and lamination directly from the owner, Eric Schedler, and his team. This combination of exceptional, world-class products, ethical and sustainable practices, and community engagement makes Muddy Fork Bakery a truly essential and rewarding choice for anyone in the Indiana region.

Muddy Fork Bakery

4595 Earl Young Rd, Bloomington, IN 47408, USA