Today we’d like to introduce you to Kaitlin Zimmerman.
Hi Kaitlin, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
The Wandering Loaf started during a difficult season of my life. I’ve always loved baking, but while dealing with grief, loss, and some really hard days, I found myself turning to the kitchen more and more. Baking became therapeutic for me. There was something about slowing down, working with my hands, watching dough rise, and creating something from simple ingredients that brought me peace when I really needed it.
My faith was a big part of that season, too. The kitchen became a place where I could pray, process, and trust God through things I didn’t always understand. Looking back, I truly believe baking was one of the ways God helped me heal and find joy again.
I never planned on starting a bakery. I was simply baking because I loved it and because it made me feel good. Then people started asking if they could buy what I was making, and eventually I decided to take a chance on myself. In 2025, I officially started The Wandering Loaf.
I began small, working from a commissary kitchen, doing local events and online drops while working a full-time job. I learned almost everything as I went pricing, marketing, bookkeeping, wholesale, events, production, and all the behind-the-scenes work that comes with running a small business. It has definitely come with stressful days, late nights, early mornings, mistakes, and plenty of moments where I wondered if I was really capable of doing it. But there has been so much joy, too. I love creating something with my own hands and then getting to send it into someone else’s home. Knowing that something I made might become part of someone’s breakfast, family gathering, or special moment means so much to me.
I’ve also fallen in love with the small business community. The friendships, collaborations, encouragement, and support from other local businesses and customers have been such an unexpected and beautiful part of this journey. I’ve learned that you don’t have to build something alone.
Today, The Wandering Loaf has grown into something much bigger than I ever imagined. I’m doing local events, monthly drops, and wholesale orders, and I’m working toward having my own dedicated commercial kitchen.
When I look back, it’s pretty incredible to see that something I started during a difficult chapter became a business that brings me so much happiness and allows me to create something meaningful for other people. For me, The Wandering Loaf is about so much more than bread it’s about faith, healing, community, family, taking a chance on yourself, and finding pure joy in something you love.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
Honestly, no it definitely hasn’t been a smooth road. I’m still trying to figure out how to manage it all, and I’m learning and growing as I go.
One of the biggest challenges has been balancing The Wandering Loaf with working a full-time job , comanaging another small business part time and all of the other responsibilities that come with life. There are a lot of early mornings, late nights, weekends spent baking, and times when I feel like there simply aren’t enough hours in the day.
I’ve also had to learn how to actually run a business while I’m building it. Baking is the part I love, but there’s so much more behind the scenes like pricing, finances, ordering, marketing, scheduling, wholesale, events, production, and figuring out how to grow without getting completely overwhelmed.
There have definitely been moments of self-doubt and times when I’ve wondered if I’m doing things the “right” way. The truth is, I’m still learning. I don’t have everything figured out, and I’m constantly having to adjust, try new things, and give myself grace when something doesn’t go as planned.
Growing into a dedicated commercial kitchen has also brought a whole new set of challenges and decisions. It’s exciting, but it’s a big step, and there’s a lot to figure out along the way.
I think that’s probably the most honest part of my story I’m still in the middle of it. I’m still learning how to balance it all, still growing as a business owner, and still figuring out what works best for me and for The Wandering Loaf.
It hasn’t been easy, but I’m proud that I’ve continued to show up, learn from the hard days, and keep moving forward. I’m taking it one day, one bake, and one step at a time.
Appreciate you sharing that. What should we know about The Wandering Loaf LLC?
The Wandering Loaf is my small-batch bakery, and honestly, it’s become so much more than I ever expected it to be. I specialize in sourdough breads and homemade baked goods, including classic and specialty loaves, focaccia, rolls, bagels, English muffins, cookies, and seasonal treats. I also do wholesale orders for local businesses, online drops, and local markets and events.
I think what makes The Wandering Loaf different is that it’s very personal. I’m not a huge bakery pumping out hundreds of loaves a day. I’m a small business owner who genuinely enjoys what I do, and I love being able to make things in small batches, try new flavors, and get creative with what I offer.
I also really value the people behind the business. I love meeting my customers at events, seeing familiar faces come back for another loaf, working with other local businesses, and being part of the small business community. The friendships and connections I’ve made along the way have been one of the biggest surprises and blessings of starting this business.
I’m probably most proud of the brand itself and how naturally it has grown. The Wandering Loaf started from something I turned to during a difficult time in my life, and it has become something that brings me so much happiness. The name, the look, the products, and the feeling behind the brand all feel very much like me.
I want people to know that when they order from The Wandering Loaf, they’re supporting a real person who is still learning, growing, and figuring things out as she goes. I put a lot of myself into this business, and I genuinely get excited when I see people enjoying something I made.
At the end of the day, I’m just really grateful that something I started because I loved baking has turned into a way for me to connect with people, support my community, meet other small business owners, and do something that brings me so much pure joy. I’m excited to see where I can take it next while still keeping it personal and true to who I am.
What does success mean to you?
For me, success is being able to look at what I’ve built and know that I didn’t give up on myself.
The Wandering Loaf came from a really personal place in my life, so success isn’t just about how much money I make or how big the business becomes. Of course, I want it to grow and eventually be something that can fully support me, but I want to be proud of how I got there, too.
Success to me is being able to do something I genuinely love and have it bring me the same kind of joy that baking brought me when I first started. It’s having the freedom to create, connect with people, support other small businesses, and bring something I made into someone else’s home.
It’s also being able to build a life that feels fulfilling not one that looks successful from the outside but leaves me exhausted and unhappy. I want to grow The Wandering Loaf while still having time for my family, my faith, and the things that matter to me.
And honestly, if one day I can look back and say, “I started this during one of the hardest seasons of my life, and somehow I turned it into something beautiful,” I think that would be success to me.
I don’t need The Wandering Loaf to be the biggest bakery. I just want it to be something that allows me to keep creating, keep growing, and keep finding joy in what I do.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.hotplate.com/thewanderingloaf
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/the_wanderingloaf?stkn=MTBycXBkeThqOHEzaw==
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/share/1GTckPBdk5/?mibextid=wwXIfr
