ON THE RISE
By Karen Feldman
Sourdough bread – with its tangy flavor, crisp crust and springy crumb – results from a gradual merging of flour, water and tiny bits of microscopic magic – wild yeast and lactic acid bacteria.
That’s similar to the gradual way in which Jada Wright turned into a baker of all things sourdough, which she produces in her micro bakery – also known as her family’s former dining room at their home in Brambleton.
Wright describes this unexpected culinary turn as “life altering.”
“I always found love in baking, but I had never made sourdough bread,” she said. “Like a lot of first-time moms, I became hyper-aware of what I was putting into my body. I started reading food labels more carefully and quickly realized a lot of what we eat, especially packaged and store-bought options, isn’t always nourishing or simple.”
Her research led her to sourdough and its benefits.
“It felt like a way to return to real food for me and my growing family,” she said.
It took seven attempts for Wright to bring to life her first sourdough starter – a process that requires a precise mix of water and flour, then time for atmospheric microbes to join it, creating the living, breathing culture.
“Jane Dough” – all self-respecting starters have names – was born. (Wright’s other starters are “John Dough” – which is gluten-free and still in development, and “Cocoa Noir” – which is chocolate.)
She made plain and cinnamon raisin loaves the first time. “My first two were perfect,” she said, adding that family and friends pronounced them “delicious.”
“It was wholesome, homemade with no preservatives, no shortcuts, all organic using filtered water,” she said. After a few months of development, she began offering them to family and friends, then neighbors and co-workers, all to more acclaim.
In 2024, she turned her passion project into a business and launched Wright’s Daily Bread – making a wide variety of products: traditional loaves, sandwich and sweet breads, baguettes and bagels, pizza dough, naan, corn bread, cookies, dog treats and even products that help lactating mothers boost milk production. That last one is a subject close to Wright’s heart, she says, because of the distress she felt when it took her two weeks after her son’s birth to produce milk.
She also offers compound butters: blueberry honey, caramelized onion and thyme, pumpkin spice, garlic herb and others as the seasons change.
By day, Wright is an administrative support assistant at the Fort Belvoir Teen Center, a government-run program. Besides the administrative tasks, she views herself as a “big sister” to teens of military families. She’s taught them how to bake, mix flavored butters and even make apple dumplings.
“I aim to be a steady, supportive presence who encourages creativity, confidence and self-expression,” she said.
After work, she makes the hour-long commute to her Brambleton home, spends some time with her son and grabs dinner. Then, she bakes – filling online orders and preparing for the Sunday Brambleton Farmers Market.
She starts baking around 7:30 p.m. and works until about midnight. On dough-making day, it might be 3 a.m.
She is grateful for her mother, a retired veteran who has backed her on this project, and her sister, both of whom join her at night to help. (A growing staff also manages business matters so she can focus on baking.)
Ultimately, she’d like to have a brick-and-mortar bakery – “something old school, with a mom-and-pop vibe where you get to see all they have to offer and a room just for pantry staples – flours, granolas, pancake mixes.”
She’d also like more time with her 2-year-old son, Mesiah. And she is working on a degree in early childhood education, one course at a time. Meanwhile, she has no plans to give up her day job, a role she believes her experiences as a military daughter help to inform.
“I love children,” she said. “I will never not do that.”
To learn more about Wright’s Daily Bread and its products, visit wrightsdailybread.com
WRIGHT’S DAILY BREAD: CUSTOMERS SPEAK OUT
COVID CONNECTION
Cheryl Colbert of Arlington connected with Wright on a baking site during the COVID-19 pandemic. Once Wright began selling her products in 2024, Colbert quickly ordered plain and cinnamon roll loaves, which Wright personally delivered. She’s been a customer ever since.
“I can eat anything that doesn’t have [commercial] yeast,” Colbert said, something many mass-produced sourdough breads contain. “When I realized I could eat her bread, I started adding one piece with butter to dinner every night and two on Saturday.”
It’s also meant the establishment of a treasured family tradition: “My family has cheese fondue every Christmas with her baguettes,” Colbert said. “It’s delicious.”
EATING LOCAL
Traci Evans of Ashburn found Wright’s Daily Bread at the Brambleton Farmers Market one Sunday.
“We are always looking for fresh, minimal-ingredient alternatives to store-bought products,” Evans said. “Our entire family was immediately hooked.”
She loves the rosemary cheddar while her children go for the plain, often with butter or fruit preserves on top. She feels good about buying healthy products for her family and supporting local businesses.
“Jada is a hustler who always has a big, beautiful smile on her face,” Evans said. “We buy four loaves at a time, slice it and keep it in the freezer. Once we are down to one loaf, it’s time for me to place another order. We can truly taste the love in every loaf.”
DOGGED DEVOTION
A pit bull named Diesel brought Jenna Sullivan of Purcellville and Wright together. Wright’s family rescued the dog from a bad situation, and Sullivan’s family adopted it. Then she found out Wright made sourdough bread.
“I love sourdough,” she said. “Jada’s is the best I’ve ever had. Her breads and butters are incredible. My kids are big fans of her bread, cookies and pancake mix, and Diesel can’t get enough of her dog treats.
“Jada is not only a talented chef but also an incredibly kind person whose love for life shines through in her baking.”
Karen Feldman is a career journalist who has worked for newspapers and magazines around the country.