Meet Mama Crumb: Andrea Kempf
Hey Friends!
My name is Andrea. I am a wife to my wonderful husband of *almost* four years, Bryant, and a momma to two amazing kiddos.
My love for baking started when I lived with my grandparents in Windsor, IL when I was 16 years old. My grandfather was the owner of local favorite Charlie's Bar and Grill, alongside all of his other businesses he had. To know him was to love him (or hate him lol he had no filter and if you knew him, I can guarantee you just laughed).
He taught me how to run a kitchen and I have such fond memories of spending time in his kitchen, even the lectures on how to properly slice a cucumber.
When he passed away in 2019, I found my dream of carrying on his legacy through what’s grown into Mama.Crumb.
Social media and perfectly dressed influencers have made SO many people scared to make homemade bread, and specifically sourdough. My passion is educating busy parents, professionals, and anyone who will listen, assuring you that:
You DON'T need to take that dough with you to the park so you don't miss a stretch and fold
You DON'T need all the fancy tools to make good nutritious bread
You DON'T need to hire a sitter for your starter while you are on vacation
Most importantly though, I am here to walk you through the steps of creating sourdough that works for YOU.
While I "specialize" in sourdough, I have a passion for getting others back into the kitchen and I hope to share a variety of recipes on my blog and social media accounts with a dash of daily life and motherhood moments.
I am so happy that you are here and I hope that you find the inspiration to fall back in love with bringing back the lost art of authentic homemade desserts, breads, dinners, and more!
Why Sourdough?
Sourdough is more than a trend.
If you ask 3 friends if they have tried to make sourdough, the answer is probably yes. But sourdough isn’t just “that viral thing everyone’s been doing lately”—it's beneficial to our digestive system.
While I am not a medical professional, I can speak on the facts that the unique fermentation process of sourdough and the starter's wild yeast break down the starches found in the grains (flour), which allows our bodies to digest it more easily.
Because of the unique fermentation process gluten sensitive people (NOT folks with Celiac or wheat allergies!) tend to be able to handle eating sourdough without issues. Of course, we always recommend to try in small amounts and in consultation with your medical advisors since ultimately, that risk impacts nobody more than you!
Sourdough bread tends to also have a lower glycemic index (GI), which then, in return, causes a slower rise in one's blood sugar levels. Because sourdough also contains beneficial bacteria, it can promote a healthy gut microbiome.
There are ways to make sourdough even more effective and beneficial to your health, including using fresh milled flour from high quality grain, but I try to show that whatever your access to ingredients and tools, there’s a way to make sourdough that will work for you.