The sourdough goodness of Ovenbird Baking

Happy Thursday, Capital District! Today, we’re introducing you to a local cult favorite—the sourdough goods from Ovenbird Baking. Plus, our Top 5 Weekend is your ticket to a 🔥 January weekend, even if it’s a dry one!

Let’s get that dough, shall we?

—Phat X. Chiem & Karley Sullivan

From pandemic pivot to sourdough success 🥖 

At the height of the pandemic, Eliza Hunter found herself at a crossroads. 

With little income but years of professional baking experience under her belt, she launched Ovenbird Baking from her parents' kitchen, offering handcrafted sourdough loaves to neighbors in Troy. Word quickly got around. What began as a way to survive the pandemic quickly bloomed into a thriving one-woman business.

Blending rustic artistry with a commitment to using locally grown, stone-ground New York grains, Ovenbird has attracted something of a cult following. Her stand at the Delmar Farmers Market consistently sells out, week after week.

Eliza's bread journey started long before Covid. A self-taught baker since 2013, she honed her skills at prestigious kitchens in New York City (at the now-closed Maison Kayser in Manhattan), Vermont and the Hudson Valley. But the pandemic forced her to return to basics—mixing dough by hand and baking bread in a home oven.

Her loaves, leavened with an 11-year-old sourdough starter she affectionately calls Edna, are far from ordinary. From a supple, herb-packed focaccia to a dense polenta porridge bread speckled with pockets of soft, cooked polenta, Ovenbird Baking showcases sourdough's versatility. 

“Sourdough isn't just a San Francisco sourdough,” Eliza says. “Sourdough is more of a technique, not a flavor. I’m trying to educate people about different types of sourdough they might want to try.” 

At her farmer’s market stall, Eliza showcases unique varieties like herbs de Provence, chocolate pecan, and spelt cinnamon raisin.

Eliza and her partner just finished converting half of their garage in Brunswick into a home bakery with an oven capable of baking a dozen loaves at a time. That means she no longer has to spend the night at her parents’ baking bread into the wee hours.

She bakes up to 100 loaves weekly, alongside pastries and cookies. Each product is a testament to her commitment to quality, from hand-mixed dough to locally milled flour.

As for the future? Eliza dreams of expanding her offerings and perfecting her craft rather than rushing into a brick-and-mortar shop. 

“I want the business to grow naturally,” she says. “I'm having fun. I never would have imagined that I would get this far along with the business.”

The deets: Follow Ovenbird Baking on Instagram. During the offseason when she’s not at the Delmar Farmer’s Market (which runs May to November), Eliza makes a post every Monday with the week’s offerings ($9-$11 each). Customers order their loaves via IG and pick up the goods directly from her. Pro tip: First-time customers who mention The 518 will get a 10% discount on their order!

❄️ WEATHER WATCH

A word from our sponsor

Is your local business or nonprofit ready to ignite 2025? Start the year right with a refreshed website, more compelling content, and engaging social media marketing. StoryCraft, a boutique brand storytelling agency in the heart of Albany, can help. Get in touch with us today!

🇯🇲 Marlon Cotterell, a Kingston, Jamaica native with ties to London has opened One Dream Jamaican Cafe & Lounge on Central Avenue in Albany. The TU’s review of the place has us dreaming of slurping on conch soup and sipping Jamaican rum to the sound of reggaeton [Times Union]

🚫 Two vacant buildings within a block of each other in Albany have burned since the beginning of the year. Officials suspect squatters are to blame, but with 880 vacant buildings in this city, it’s a problem that’s not easily solved. The Albany fire chief suggests reporting squatters if you see them. [WRGB News]

🇮🇹 Carm's, an Italian-American restaurant, is closing its doors after 54 years in Glenville. It will reopen later this year in a new location with a streamlined menu of favorites. Third-generation owner James Hart thanked customers for their decades of support. Get it while you can at their farewell celebration buffet on Sat, 4:30—9p, $19.95 adults and $11.95 kids. [Daily Gazette]

⭐️ = The 518 Staff Picks

⭐️ 🧸 Schenectady County Wide Flea Market and Farmer’s Market begins its first monthly indoor/outdoor marketplace at Via Port Rotterdam this Saturday. Get thee to the market for an eye-popping variety of items for sale, including apparel, antiques, toys, tools, books, art and fresh food. Sat, 10a—3p, free.

⭐️ 🎭️ Proctors Theatre in Schenectady raises the curtain on its new musical production, “Parade.” The Tony Award-winning play “explores themes of justice, love, and societal bias, painting a complex portrait of a community grappling with deep-seated prejudices,” says Spotlight News. The show runs Jan. 11-17.

⭐️💃 No Fun gears up for a swingin’ good time with their Dance Series, Vol.1: Swing Night featuring live jams and jive from the Dylan Parillo Quartet and lessons from 🔥 instructors Vance & Sarrah. Sun, 5:30—10p, $13-$15.

⭐️ 🖼️ Margery Ryerson: Art is Contagious opens at the NYS Museum (our favorite history-packed Brutalist gem). Bring the kids for this retrospective featuring poignant, bright watercolors of children drawn from the settlement houses where the artist-printmaker worked, alongside selections from her long career as a working artist. Sat, 2—3p, free.

⭐️ 🔥 The Full Moon Bonfire at Brookhaven Winter Park in Greenfield promises live music, a raging fire, and stars galore, plus miles of free snowshoeing and cross-country ski trails. Pack your winter gear for this cherry-on-top-of-a-🔥-winter weekend in the Adirondacks. Sat, 6—10p, $10.

🎟️ MORE NOTABLE EVENTS

THURSDAY

🐶 Nine Pin in Albany invites you to paint a portrait of your pet at their Craft Night. But don’t bring your actual pup—portraits will be pre-sketched from photos!

FRIDAY

🏕️ 🎸 Rock out and rack up brownie points at the The Camp Rocks Benefit Concert in support of YMCA Camp Chingachgook Scholarships, hosted at Albany’s hip downtown restaurant, The Hollow.

🐈🔮 It doesn’t take a mind reader to know that supporting kitties in need is a fun way to feel good. Go beyond the obvious with psychic Katie Manning at Pretty Paw Lounge, the Capital District’s only cat cafe.

📸 Jules Delorenzo opening at Context Collective is an excellent opportunity to check out this new creative hub in Troy, while appreciating Delorenzo’s lovely images.

SATURDAY

🎀 Come out for a squeaky good time supporting breast cancer survivors as the RPI Engineers basketball teams (men’s & women’s) shoot from the heart at the Hoops 4 Hope Basketball Fundraiser. Show up with a smile and leave with a crush on an engineer 🤓

🧘‍♂️ Bring your mat to a free yoga class at lululemon Crossgates Mall with brand ambassador Karli Taylor.

🔮 Tix for Nine Pin’s Tarot Reading are going fast, so don’t miss your chance for a scrying and a cider.

🥟 It’s already too late to make Chinese pork belly buns and more with Kian Lam Kho, but there’s a waitlist available! We told you about this event on Tuesday when tix were still available, so make sure to open your emails 😂 

🌬️ We’re not quite sure what the Empire State Cannabis Cup is all about, but you’ll be sure to leave in high spirits.

🎸 There seems to be no end to the Tay Tay tributes in the Capital District. Next up is “13: A Celebration of Taylor Swift” at the Glove Theatre in Gloversville.

🤘Wrap up an extremely fun Saturday with the Extreme Music Awards at Empire Live, celebrating the best of the Capital Region’s metal, punk and hardcore scene.

SUNDAY

🎥 Bring the kids to the Glove Theatre in Gloversville for a free screening of Miyazaki’s cult classic animation, “Spirited Away.”

🎸 LIVE MUSIC & MORE

🎸 GET YOUR EVENT ON OUR LIST 🎸

🫵 WE WANT YOUR PICKS

Throughout the year, we’ll be featuring local personalities and small businesses for our “People & Places You Should Know” series. Nominate someone you think deserves some attention in the newsletter. Contact [email protected].