Abby Jane Love’s culinary career in Austin began working as a pastry chef at Dai Due Butcher Shop ten years ago. It was there she met James A. Brown, the owner of Barton Springs Mill, and pitched him the idea to put a bakery in his mill. The rest is history. We talked to Abby to learn more about her bakeshop – that also sells beer, wine and espresso. Making it a great stop for afternoon lunch when in the Hill Country.
Do you exclusively use grains from the Barton Springs Mill?
Yes, we built this business with a desire to serve high-quality baked goods, and to me, that starts at the source. We hope our customers can taste the difference in the flours we use in every bite.
What’s the most popular item at your bakeshop?
We have a couple of sweet fan favorites like our oversized cinnamon rolls, our Texas pecan bar and our stone-milled croissants, and our Big Country sourdough loaf is always flying off the shelves. Our sourdough pizza is a sell-out every time we make it and our ham and cheese croissants--made with ham from Belle Vie Farm and stoneground mustard is just *chef's kiss*!
Where did you learn to bake?
I took a part-time job baking in a mom-and-pop shop while I was in graduate school in Boston for library science. Baking captured my enthusiasm so much I quit school and never looked back. Since then, I have learned on the job from whomever was willing to hire and teach me. Turns out, showing up on time and working hard can get you a very, very good (free) education.
And you donate anything left over?
Yes, we wrap up every loaf we don't sell, freeze it, and it all goes to Dripping Springs Helping Hands.
What makes your wedding cakes special?
Abby Jane excels at small-scale custom cakes that focus on high-quality seasonal ingredients that are sourced locally. We don’t use fondant icing or artificial food colorings at the bakeshop, but we’ve had fun coming up with creative ways to achieve colored effects with naturally-sourced food dyes. We also offer fresh and hand-pressed flowers as decoration, which adds a signature touch.
Details:
Address: 16604 Fitzhugh Rd Unit C, Dripping Springs, TX 78620
Hours of operation: Thursday - Friday: 8am-3pm, Saturday - Sunday: 9am – 3pm
Website: abbyjanebakes.com/
Instagram: Follow @AbbyJaneYall for events and specials