HAINES — Sara Benjamin-Kennedy was surprised when the 10 cyclists pulled into her driveway.

Surprised, but pleased — and ready with fresh baked goods.

“They were so excited to have carbohydrates,” Benjamin-Kennedy said with a laugh.

That day, Oct. 5, was her grand opening of WildFlour Bakery, a small venture stocked once a week with sourdough bread and other treats.

She sold out in four hours.

WildFlour Bakery is open on Saturdays only from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. — or until the goods are gone.

“I wanted to provide an exciting Saturday adventure,” Benjamin-Kennedy said.

Although she’s located about 12 miles outside of Baker City, she sets signs along Pocahontas Road early Saturday morning to direct customers to WildFlour Bakery.

Which is how the cyclists found their way to the cinnamon rolls.

And, once a car gets close, it’s easy to spot the bakery — it’s in a shiny metal silo.

“I wanted something unique,” she said.

She and her husband, Brian, found the silo about a year ago.

“The roof was caved in. It was in terrible shape,” she said.

The silo sat in their barn over the winter, and this spring the project started with pouring a concrete pad, thanks to local help.

“The community around here was totally onboard with the idea,” Benjamin-Kennedy said.

A silo must be built from the top down, starting with the roof, which required a wooden tripod and three-point system. It’s shorter than typical grain silos around Baker Valley — this one has only four rings, plus the roof.

Once secured to the concrete, the interior work began to add electricity, insulation, door, windows and light fixtures.

“It’s completely finished, like a house,” she said.

Inside, the table is from her childhood home, and both the door and fridge were donations.

“It’s very much a community project,” she said.

A new routine
Benjamin-Kennedy is a nurse at Saint Alphonsus Medical Center-Baker City, where she works three days a week. Then her other work begins — Thursday is for prepping bread and cookie dough, and Friday is her baking day. On Saturday, she welcomes customers.

Her experience with sourdough is fairly new, and she credits a book titled “The Sourdough Whisperer.”

“It’s step-by-step with pictures, which is what I needed,” she said with a smile.

She’ll offer sourdough bread every week, along with cookies and cinnamon rolls.

“And I plan to have a seasonal menu and change it up,” she said.

She posts each week’s offerings on Facebook, at WildFlour Bakery.