Kickstarter

Welcome to Spring! We have lots of good news to share with you.

We have had big fun learning the quirks and nuances of our beautiful oven, Ceres. We spent the winter months letting her cure and settle. Now that the weather makes it inviting, we've been giving her long, slow heats. Last weekend was the biggest burn to date.

After 2 days of steady burning, we were able to really use Ceres and all of her range, from bread to roasted vegetables to cookies. Because of her tremendous insulation, without a proper door, she held temperatures above 350 for at least 12 hours.

We're in the process of having the door fabricated. Once we do, we'll be able to produce high quality, lovingly prepared artisan breads and so much more. We hope this is soon as we are as anxious to deliver your rewards as you are to receive them!

An architect is working on revisions to the shelter design. We are envisioning a modest but welcoming structure that will enhance the garden and allow us to comfortably use the oven 3/4 of the year. We have very little space, so we want it to be expandable to accommodate those who want to bake and learn with us.

And the plants are thriving in these damp days. Those who opted for plants will enjoy healthy, thriving additions to your garden.

We can't thank you enough for believing in our vision and we look forward to breaking bread with you.

Happy baking, Melina and Pete

WHAT WE'VE DONE

We reached our goal, thanks to all of you! When we first launched our project on Kickstarter we were building the core for our oven. That was fun and challenging and we even ran out of places on the dome for our funders' names and inscribed the walls of the core so that everyone got a spot. Once we finished all of the initial brickwork, it really looked like an oven. Two weeks ago, your names were entombed as we wrapped the core in aluminum, insulation and then covered it with reclaimed brick from the Evanston Bank building just down the street. It looks very "Chicago." Finally, we are ready to build small fires to cure the oven.

WHAT'S NEXT

There's a gap of blank concrete showing on the foundation base. We are looking for 8x8” tile to go there or an artistic solution to cover that space. We are trying to locate a gas-filled analog temperature gauge that goes up to 1000 degrees fahrenheit, but may settle for a digital reader. Also, a piece of granite will be cut for the front deck and we need to fabricate an iron door for the mouth of the oven and the ash reservoir. Once these things are in place, if the weather is cooperative, we can fire at will. 

If we can ever find an architect willing to help with our small project, we will build a shelter, hopefully next Spring.

WHAT ELSE

It was exciting to have our project featured in the Skokie Review and that really brought us  attention within our community. Our neighbors have enthusiastically received the project and have been sharing their wood-fired baking experiences with us.

Last month Bootleg Bâtard made our debut at the Streeterville Artisan Market. We featured our homemade jams, brandied fruits and aigre-doux and sold out of almost everything. We were invited to participate in a few other markets as well, but decided it is best to defer those invitations. It was deeply gratifying to be so well received. Next year we plan to participate in more markets and offer bread as well.

YOUR REWARDS

Next up is fulfilling your rewards for helping us get here. We are working on that now and a few of you have started to receive some goodies. We will keep them coming and appreciate your patience. Bumper stickers should be sent out within the next month. Those at the $50 level will get bread, jam and plants in the spring when it is safe to transplant. We'll let you know pick up dates in the future. Parties will also be held in the spring and summer. 

We will post community bakes on our facebook group and twitter feed, so if you haven't joined them yet, please do. We can't wait to bake with you soon!

All you've done:

In just three weeks, you and other good people like you have turned Bootleg Batard from an idea into a community of caring, sharing, inspiration and excitement! From Maine to California, more than 125 caring people like you joined us in reaching the first goalin the journey to build this oven. We are so grateful that you believe in the vision of sharing a traditional oven and helping to forge a community centered on naturally good, real food. 

 The first $11,000 that you helped us raise allows us to complete building the oven. We've finished the heart of that work, and hope you can stop by and check it out. Volunteers of all ages and sizes are welcome - whether it's to move bricks, clean tools, or "supervise." Just drop us a note at info@bootlegbatard.com, and we'll let you know when we'll be working on the next parts of our mutual project and show you our progress.

The next jobs involve building the external brick facing and insulating the oven. Then, we need to locate a competent designer to plan a shelter that the Village of Skokie will approve.  Once that shelter is built, funding for tools and structures to increase our capabilities of the over for our community are needed.

                  * Professional peels and brushes for loading doughs and cleaning the hearth will set us back about $500                

                  * A wood proofing cabinet to house rising loaves will cost about $1,000.

                  * Stainless steel work surfaces and vermin-proof flour storage bins meeting National Sanitation Foundation Standards will require about $1,500.

                 * Ouftitting the bake lab to make our prep kitchen Code-compliant will enable us to sell bread to more folks. That could cost another $6,000.

What Can You Do? 

Please continue to let your friends, neighbors, family and colleagues know about Bootleg Batard: share our page on Facebook or Twitter, send an email or two with a link here, or just talk about us over dinner. The more people who join us, the more people we can share with.

 If you already  made a donation and would like to add funds to sponsor any of the items listed, you can make a directed donation of any amount. If you already made a donation and want to add generally directed funds to increase your support of the community and the speed at which we can increase our capabilities, we welcome your deeper support. We will add more bricks - if you already have your name on one, you can choose a friend, child, or pet to honor!

Ovens have been a meeting place for thousands of years. For centuries, neighbors brought their meals or their dough to the village baker to use the retained heat of their oven. We look forward  to the day when Bootleg Batard community members can revive this tradition.

Friends, colleagues, supporters and prospective backers,

We are energized and inspired by the support you've shown, but we still have a long way to go to reach our goal. Please remember, if we don't meet our $11,000 minimum, we don't get any of the funds pledged. Feel free to share this link with anyone you believe may be interested. Your support drives our vision.

Although there is always a possibility that we may not meet our goal, the seasons don't follow fundraising cycles. If you are in Chicagoland and have pledged $100, you are entitled to 3 plants (if we meet our goal). Ever the optimists, we plan on crushing our goal, and are happy to dig up those three plants for you now, if you'd like. Options include: raspberries, strawberries, garlic chive, oregano, tarragon, purple cone flower, comfrey, gooseberries and more. Just send us a note and we can coordinate times. If you prefer to receive your plants in the spring, that's fine too. Jam and bread will follow, once as per the dates in the awards section.

One last note: We still have room for a few more names on the dome bricks. How cool would it be to have your support forever memorialized? Once we receive your pledge, I'll send you a picture of your brick through Facebook. PLEASE let me know if you haven't received your image.

Happy baking!

Melina and Peter

We are placing the last bricks on the core of the oven!. We are positively giddy! Now we need to raise funds to insulate and face the oven and build a structure around it.

We are so touched by the outpouring of support. In less than 24 hours, we are 25% funded, thanks to the generosity of friends, family, colleagues, former students and even strangers. You are growing our community and we feel so gratified. Please continue to nurture this network by sharing our project with your friends and family. 

Happy baking!

Pete and Melina

PS Pictures to follow once Melina figures out these "plug-in failures" or Pete gets his hands out of the mortar.