Company description

Small State Provisions is an independent, organic bakery and café based in Avon, Connecticut, with a second location in West Hartford. Our work is rooted in naturally leavened bread, thoughtful pastry, seasonal food and a deep belief that good food businesses can also be good places to work.

We work with regionally grown and milled regenerative organic grains, and we care deeply about the connection between sourcing, flavor and the quality of the food we make.

Craft, consistency and hospitality are at our core, but we are equally focused on building a sustainable business where people can grow, take ownership and do meaningful work. Our bakery continues to evolve as we expand production, develop new programs and create more opportunities for our team.

At the center of Small State is a simple idea: make really good food, treat people well and build something that matters to the community around us.

Job description

The Lead Bread Baker is a hands-on production and shift leadership role working directly with the Head of Bread. This person will help lead the day-to-day execution of the bread program while remaining fully engaged in mixing, shaping, baking, packing, and production. The right candidate should be capable of independently running a bread shift, keeping the team on schedule, maintaining quality standards, and identifying production issues before they become larger problems.

This role is designed to add depth and leadership to the bread team as Small State Provisions continues to grow. The Head of Bread will continue to own the overall bread program, including formulas, standards, production planning, training, development, and department direction. The Lead Bread Baker will be a trusted partner in executing that plan and will provide the day-to-day leadership needed for production to run smoothly when the Head of Bread is focused on other areas of bakery production.

Core responsibilities:

• Lead day-to-day bread production in conjunction with the Head of Bread and ensure the production schedule stays on track.
• Independently mix, divide, shape, score, bake, and pack naturally leavened breads to Small State Provisions standards.
• Provide hands-on leadership to the bread team during production shifts, helping assign priorities, maintain pace, and keep the team organized.
• Work directly with the Head of Bread to execute production plans that maximize yield, labor efficiency, oven capacity, and product availability.
• Ensure all bread being produced consistently meets or exceeds established quality standards.
• Monitor fermentation, dough condition, starter health, bake quality, and production timing; troubleshoot issues in real time and communicate concerns to the Head of Bread.
• Ensure starters are maintained and active for bakes while minimizing unnecessary discard.
• Support accurate production counts, packing, wholesale fulfillment, and handoff of finished product.
• Help train and develop bread team members in production technique, organization, quality, and food-safety standards.
• Communicate ingredient, supply, maintenance, or equipment needs that could affect production.
• Collaborate with the Head of Bread on seasonal breads, process improvements, and scaling production as the bakery grows.

What success looks like in this role:

• The bread shift can run smoothly and on schedule without requiring constant direction from the Head of Bread.
• The team knows what needs to happen next and has a reliable production lead on the floor.
• Quality remains consistent across mixing, fermentation, shaping, scoring, baking, and packing.
• Production problems are noticed early, communicated clearly, and solved calmly.
• The Lead Bread Baker is equally comfortable leading the work and doing the work.

The special sauce this candidate has:

• Is passionate about sourdough baking and genuinely enjoys the repetition, precision, and problem-solving of production baking.
• Is a strong communicator who can give clear direction while contributing positively to a collaborative team.
• Is organized, dependable, and capable of keeping multiple breads and production timelines moving at once.
• Can troubleshoot on the fly and understands that dough does not always follow the spreadsheet.
• Is curious about the science of bread and wants to keep improving technique, consistency, and efficiency.
• Leads from the bench: willing to jump into whatever part of production needs attention.

Qualifications:

• Professional bread or bakery production experience; strong sourdough and naturally leavened bread experience preferred.
• Strong understanding of fermentation and the sourdough process.
• Ability to mix dough and independently manage dough through bulk fermentation, dividing, shaping, proofing, scoring, and baking.
• Experience working with commercial bakery equipment and deck ovens preferred.
• Demonstrated ability to manage multiple products and production timelines at once.
• Strong time-management, communication, and organizational skills.
• Comfortable working early-morning bakery production shifts.
• Ability to safely lift and move 50 lb bags of flour and other bakery ingredients or equipment when needed.

Reporting structure:

Reports to: Head of Bread
Works closely with: Bread production team, pastry and bakery leadership, and ownership

Compensation

this position is: hourly, $20/hr +

Application instructions

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Deadline

no deadline