Naturally Leavened Sourdough in Madison
A tiny bakery milling organic local grain into blistered-crust country loaves, fermented 36 hours the slow way — find us at the market Saturday or join the bread CSA.
A Few Dozen Loaves, Done Right
Field & Crumb is a microbakery in the truest sense — a small kitchen, a sourdough starter we've kept alive since 2015, and a stubborn refusal to make more bread than we can make well. We bake a few dozen loaves at a time and sell them at the Dane County Farmers' Market on Saturday, at bakery pickup midweek, and through a bread CSA.
Everything starts with grain. We mill organic wheat and rye from farms within a hundred miles, build our doughs with a natural starter, and ferment them slowly — 36 hours or more — so the flavor is deep, nutty, and a little wild. No commercial yeast, no dough conditioners, nothing you couldn't find in a farmhouse kitchen a century ago. It's slow, it's small, and it's exactly the point.
- ✓Starter kept alive since 2015
- ✓Organic grain milled from local farms
- ✓36-hour natural fermentation
- ✓A few dozen loaves at a time
Real Bread, the Old Way
There are no shortcuts in a good loaf — just grain, water, salt, wild yeast, and a lot of time.
Naturally Leavened
Every loaf rises on our own sourdough starter — no commercial yeast, ever. That's where the flavor and the keeping quality come from.
Organic Local Grain
We mill organic wheat and rye from farms within a hundred miles. You can taste the terroir in a slice, honestly.
A 36-Hour Ferment
Our doughs ferment slowly for a day and a half or more, developing the deep, nutty, tangy flavor a fast loaf never gets.
Baked in Small Batches
A few dozen loaves at a time, by hand, so every one gets attention. When they're gone at the market, they're gone.
Nothing You Can't Pronounce
Grain, water, salt, starter. No conditioners, no preservatives, no mystery ingredients — bread the way it was for centuries.
A Madison Fixture
Eleven years at the Dane County market, a devoted CSA, and restaurants across town serving our loaves. Earned, crumb by crumb.
What Comes Out of the Oven
A short, seasonal list of loaves — plus a few pastries and the bread CSA that keeps you in fresh bread all week.
The Crumb Speaks for Itself
A little bread appreciation. You may find yourself suddenly very hungry.
From Grain to Loaf
Four days, mostly waiting — which is exactly how good bread is supposed to work.
Mill the Grain
We stone-mill organic wheat and rye from local farms, so the flour is fresh, whole, and full of flavor and nutrition.
Build the Levain
We feed our decade-old starter and build a levain overnight — the wild yeast that leavens every loaf, no commercial yeast.
Ferment 36 Hours
The dough rests and folds slowly for a day and a half, developing the deep tang and open crumb that define our bread.
Bake Dark
Into a screaming-hot oven for a blistered, mahogany crust — then out to the market, still crackling as it cools.
Fresh Bread, Every Single Week
The best way to never miss our bread is to join the CSA. Reserve a weekly loaf (or two), pick a plan that fits your table, and we'll have your bread set aside fresh every week — no getting to the market before it sells out, no heartbreak.
Members get first pick of seasonal specials, a standing reservation on the flagship country loaf, and the quiet smugness of always having great bread in the house. Pick up midweek at the bakery or Saturday at the market — whatever fits your week. It's a small commitment to very good bread, and it's the thing our regulars tell us they wish they'd done sooner.
- ✓A fresh loaf reserved every week
- ✓First pick of seasonal specials
- ✓Pickup at market or bakery
- ✓Plans to fit any table
Three Ways to a Fresh Loaf
Come find us, order ahead, or subscribe — whatever fits how you like your bread.
Meet Us at the Market
Find our stall at the Dane County Farmers' Market on Capitol Square, Saturday from 6am until the bread runs out.
Reserve for Pickup
Order ahead for midweek bakery pickup on Wednesday and Friday — the surest way to get exactly the loaf you want.
Join the CSA
Subscribe for a fresh loaf every week, reserved and ready. First pick of specials and never a sold-out Saturday again.
Madison Lines Up for This
Field & Crumb's country sourdough is the best bread in Madison, market or otherwise. That blistered, mahogany crust and the open, custardy crumb — it's the loaf I plan my Saturday around. I'm in the CSA now so I never miss it. Genuinely world-class baking from a tiny operation.
I've bought bread all over the country and this holds its own with any big-city bakery. You can taste the local grain and the long ferment — nutty, tangy, alive. The line at their market stall is long for a reason. Worth getting up early on a Saturday. Every time.
We serve Field & Crumb bread at our restaurant and our guests ask about it constantly. Consistent, beautiful, and clearly made by people who care about grain and fermentation. A dream wholesale partner and a real credit to Madison's food scene. Couldn't recommend more.
The seeded rye and a jar of local honey is my whole personality now. The bread CSA is the best money I spend all week — a fresh loaf every Wednesday, and it's never once disappointed. Real bread, made the slow way, by people who obviously love it. A Madison treasure.
Your Loaf Is Best Reserved
We sell out at the market most Saturdays. Join the bread CSA or reserve for pickup, and never miss the good stuff again.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where and when can I buy your bread?
You'll find our stall at the Dane County Farmers' Market on Capitol Square every Saturday from 6am until we sell out (which is often before noon). You can also reserve loaves for midweek pickup at the bakery on Wednesday and Friday, or join the bread CSA for a standing weekly loaf.
How does the bread CSA work?
You subscribe for a fresh loaf (or two) every week and pick a plan that fits your table. We reserve your bread and you pick it up at the market on Saturday or the bakery midweek — whatever's easier. Members get first pick of seasonal specials and never have to worry about a sold-out Saturday.
Is your bread really naturally leavened?
Every loaf, always — we've kept the same sourdough starter alive since 2015 and use no commercial yeast at all. That natural fermentation, over 36 hours or more, is where the deep flavor, the open crumb, and the keeping quality all come from.
Do you sell wholesale to restaurants?
We do, to a handful of Madison kitchens that care about bread as much as we do. We keep our wholesale list small so quality never slips. If you run a restaurant or café and want to talk, reach out — we'd love to bake for your tables.
Do you have gluten-free bread?
We don't — our whole craft is built on wheat and rye and long gluten development, and we can't make a gluten-free loaf we'd be proud of. As a flour-heavy bakery we also can't promise a gluten-free environment. We keep our list small and honest and do one thing well.
Can I order a specific loaf ahead?
Yes — reserving ahead for pickup is the surest way to get exactly the bread you want, especially for specialty and seasonal loaves that sell out fast. Call or use our form with your loaves and pickup day, and we'll set them aside fresh for you.
Let's Get You Some Bread
Joining the CSA, reserving loaves, or asking about wholesale? Tell us what you need and we'll get right back to you — usually the same day.
- Visit usDane County Farmers' Market · Capitol Square, Madison, WI 53703
- Call us(608) 555-0116
- Email ushello@fieldandcrumb.com