120 Years in the Making
A legacy carved from ice, gold, and flour.
The history of The Bake Shop is the history of Girdwood itself. From prospectors to a 9.2 magnitude earthquake, discover how one sourdough starter survived it all.
The Gold Rush Settlement
James E. Girdwood, an Irish immigrant, stakes four claims on Crow Creek. His hydraulic mining operation becomes wildly successful, bringing in $106,000 per year. The town of Glacier City is renamed Girdwood in his honor.
The Miner's Treasure
A gold miner near Fairbanks gives a batch of living sourdough starter to the owner of the Sourdough Lodge on the Richardson Highway. This living culture would survive for over a century.
Alyeska Takes Shape
Eleven local Girdwood residents pool their resources to build rope tows at the base of Mount Alyeska. French investor Francois de Gunzburg later finances the first chairlift.
The Great Quake
A magnitude 9.2 megathrust earthquake strikes—the most powerful in North American history. The original Girdwood townsite sinks 8 feet and is destroyed by tidal action, forcing a complete relocation inland. That same year, Werner Egloff receives the legendary sourdough starter from the Sourdough Lodge.
The Bake Shop Opens
Werner Egloff leases a small space in the original Alyeska Hotel (now The Sitzmark). Originally a sporting goods store lacking toilets and ventilation, Werner transforms it into a bakery. The staff motto becomes: 'If the place goes up in flames, grab the starter. Let everything else burn.'
The Flynn Era
Mike and Stefanie Flynn purchase The Bake Shop. With Mike's executive chef background and Stefanie's hotel management experience, they elevate the bakery while fiercely protecting its traditions and the sourdough lineage.
The Kari Era
Brian and Isha Kari take the helm. Their philosophy is simple: 'What's working now, we don't want to break.' Today, the 120-year-old starter still bubbles in the kitchen, feeding thousands of skiers, hikers, and locals every year.
Our sourdough start
Almost a hundred years old.
And still rising.
Ours is a true sourdough — originally mothered from a gold miner who worked this valley a century ago. For over forty years we've fed it, doubled it, and listened to its temperament every morning.
It's a labor of love we're happy to share with you.