Rutherford has officially welcomed a new bakery.
Living Bread, an organic, artisanal sourdough bakery, is now open at 19 Franklin Place, bringing stone-milled grains, traditional techniques, and slow fermentation to the heart of town.
This isn’t your average bread counter. Living Bread mills its own organic wheat, rye, and specialty grains in-house—a rare practice that allows complete control over flavor, freshness, and integrity.
The bakery’s roots are deeply personal. The owner, originally from Ukraine, grew up in a culture where bread is treated as sacred and says real, long-fermented bread was difficult to find locally—often requiring trips to Brooklyn for a quality loaf.
That search ultimately led to baking at home, researching flour quality, and transitioning to organic, unbleached, unenriched grains before eventually investing in a small countertop mill to preserve the full nutritional value of the grain.
What began as home baking in Rutherford evolved into weekly sales at the local farmers market, where lines grew longer and loaves consistently sold out.
The steady demand for organic sourdough inspired the move to a permanent storefront, culminating in the opening of the brick-and-mortar bakery this January after a year of preparation and equipment upgrades, including a larger stone mill imported from Austria and expanded production capabilities.
Every loaf is handcrafted and hearth-baked, rooted in ancient sourdough traditions that prioritize time, intuition, and respect for the grain.
Production remains intentionally limited, a reflection of the bakery’s continued commitment to fresh milling, high-quality ingredients, and bread designed to be both flavorful and easier to digest—made with the same standards the owner holds for her own family’s table.
Living Bread
19 Franklin Place
Rutherford, NJ
Website
[photo source: Living Bread]
