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This week on Saving Bread, Allison sits down with Jon and Amanda of Proof Bread in Arizona.

Proof began in 2017 with hand-mixed dough, one farmers market, a few wholesale accounts, and a home bakery. Today, Proof has grown to five locations, nearly 100 employees, an in-house milling program, relationships with local grain producers, and an entirely sourdough menu.

Jon and Amanda share what that growth has actually looked like behind the scenes, including hiring their first employees, investing in equipment, building systems, developing an efficient menu, scaling production across multiple locations, and learning when holding onto control can eventually hold a business back.

They also discuss Proof's transition toward locally grown and house-milled grain, how they work with farmers to plan future wheat crops, and why creating a stronger local grain economy has become such an important part of their work.

The conversation also gets into the Proof Intensive, their hands-on program for bakers. Rather than presenting one version of what a bakery should become, Jon and Amanda give bakers an opportunity to see what growth can actually look like and decide for themselves where they want to land.

And ultimately, the conversation comes back to something much bigger than scaling a bakery: bread as craft, tradition, community, and something worth preserving.

In this episode:

• Growing from a garage bakery to five locations
• Hiring and learning to let go of control
• Choosing equipment that actually gives time back
• Building a more efficient bakery menu
• Scaling sourdough bread and pastry
• Milling flour in-house
• Working directly with local grain producers
• Building a stronger regional grain economy
• The Proof Intensive and education for working bakers
• Why bigger isn't necessarily the goal for every bakery
• Bread, community, and preserving human craft

Find Proof Bread

Proof Bread
https://www.proofbread.com/

Instagram
@proofbread

Proof's bakery locations, classes, and additional resources can be found through their website and Instagram.