The bakery was built in 1864 from the local brick. In 1921 it was raised from a 1 1/2 story building to a full two story building. One can see the different brick atop the building.
It is currently The Baeckerei. This is a beautiful Bed and Breakfast run by the Pasbrigs. They have several rooms and are great cooks!. For reservations call (319) 622-3597. You won't want to stay anywhere else!
The baker would make bread every day but Sunday. This he delivered to each kitchen. One delivery could be from 5-12 loaves per kitchen. A loaf might weigh 4-5 lbs! He drove a horse and wagon. The wagon was covered with canvas to shelter the bread from weather and other things that might have ruined it. He also carried a small hand bell that served as a signal for the kitchen help to come and get the bread.
Every other Saturday, the baker would make coffee cake. He also sometimes made treats for the children. A favorite of my oma was the "appleloaf". The baker would wrap a fresh apple in dough and bake it. I bet it was delicious! He also made the special communion bread for the village. It is said that the communion bread will never get moldy.
The hearth that the baker used was made of brick. He used a long paddle to put in the dough and take out the bread. The bread was baked on the hearth itself. No pans were used unless a special occasion required one.
The village bakeries still supplied bread after the change in 1932. Though without the kitchen's orders, the production was to a much lesser degree. Through the years, the bakeries began to consolidate. Now the Amana Society has one bakery left. It is in Upper South in the old general store. They still make bread and pastries. These can be found throughout Eastern Iowa.
A brick hearth oven. Picture courtesy of the Amana Heritage Society.