At Rabble & Rise, we frequently use organic and local ingredients, but not exclusively. Sometimes those ingredients are too difficult to source or too expensive. While we are willing to pay more for quality, we make these decisions carefully to ensure we can keep our prices reasonable. We also pay close attention to the labels on all of the ingredients we bring into the kitchen, to purchase cleaner, more wholesome ingredients. 

 

We currently use organic, American-grown flours milled by Lindley Mills in Graham, NC for 99% of our flour. We pick up 500-700 pounds of various flours every 6-8 weeks in 25 and 50 lb. bags. We also pick up 5lb bags to retail to our customers.

 

We frequently use local fruits and vegetables from our local farmers in our baked goods. You'll find lots of strawberries in our baked goods in mid-late spring, followed by blueberries and blackberries, then summer vegetables like tomatoes, corn, and squash. Of course, not all ingredients are grown locally—or even in the U.S.—so we choose high-quality, organic brands where available for ingredients like chocolate and vanilla beans. 

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Concerned about allergens? All our baked goods contain wheat/gluten, and our kitchen is not set up for gluten-free baking. While sourdough fermentation can make bread easier to digest for some people, it is not gluten-free. Most of our breads contain no added sugar - just flour, water, salt, and starter or yeast. Some Italian-style breads contain olive oil. Some sandwich breads contain sweeteners and/or dairy to make them softer. Please check all labels and ask questions if you have any concerns about ingredients.

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We do our best to avoid ultraprocessed foods as ingredients. We choose products with subingredients we can pronounce and identify and do our best to include those on our own labels. For example, we grate our cheese from whole blocks rather than purchasing shredded cheese that contains potato or corn starches or cellulose (wood pulp) to prevent caking. But again, we aren't all-or-nothing  . . . We include Oreo cookies or M&M candies in our brownies, which are considered ultra-processed foods.

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We don't add preservatives to our baked goods; we rely solely on baking techniques and packaging to preserve freshness.  Our yeast and sourdough breads are best eaten within 3-4 days of purchase. Quick breads and desserts will often last up to a week, depending on temperature, humidity, and storage in your home. With some products like crackers and biscotti, we will often add a dessicant pack and heat seal the envelope to help them remain crisp as long as possible. 

 

We focus on wholesome, better ingredients, and we still use a lot of sugar. And we always will! We're not interested in diet culture or making anyone feel guilty about what they eat. Food is about nutrition, but it's also about joy, pleasure, family, and community. We bake both wholesome sourdough and indulgent sweets because life needs both. A cinnamon roll on Saturday morning isn't the enemy of health - rigid thinking is. Balance means room for nourishment and room for joy, and we're not interested in making anyone feel guilty about either one.

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Yes, you can freeze what we bake. Because our products have a relatively short shelf-life compared to grocery-store items packed with chemical preservatives and stabilizers, we ensure that all of our recipes freeze well. If you won't finish your Rabble and Rise baked goods within our suggested times, simply wrap them well in cling wrap or foil and place them inside a ziploc freezer bag (or use a double plastic bag for larger bread boules), squeezing out as much air as you can. Defrost for 4-6 hours, and you'll be fine!

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I'm a native Californian who was used to eating fresh, regional, and seasonal food because it was so easy to do, without much thought. While it's harder to do that here in North Carolina, it gets easier every year as more of our local farmers pursue season extension strategies to grow fresh produce year-round. We are proud to be a part of the local food scene in Davidson County and statewide Got to Be NC communities.