When you think of 5:00 traffic, do you think of the highway or the line wrapped outside 207 E. Lee Street? If you’re in Brownwood, rush hour more than likely refers to the mad dash to Baked Artisan Goods on Friday afternoons! But unlike those mile-long lines at Six Flags, this wait is certainly worth it!
Discovering the Ingredients for Success
Having lived in over 30 different houses, including a brief residency in Germany, Rebecca Morelock had her pick of where to call home. Luckily for us, she set her heart on Brownwood and has been a bounteous member of our community for over 20 years. Rebecca is many things - a loving wife to her husband Jared, a devoted mother to three beautiful girls, a spirited friend, and a tenacious entrepreneur, but to most of Brownwood, Rebecca is known as the most talented pastry chef throughout the Texas Hill Country!
Baby Becca baked her first batch of cookies when she was only seven years old. While growing up and figuring out adulthood, baking had always been a constant in Rebecca’s life. Like any twenty-year-old exploring their dreams, Becca experimented with different types of pastries and began learning more difficult baking techniques. When her second child was born, who is now 10 years old, Rebecca realized she could turn her passion into a business and began selling sweets from her home in 2015.
Artisan Market
There are many creative minds in Brown County who get to showcase their craft every 2nd and 4th Saturday of the month at the beloved Artisan Market. What originally started in 2016 as a small gathering of just six vendors has quickly grown to thirty versatile sellers each weekend, with a waitlist of even more. Well, did you know that it was Rebecca who brought this genius idea to life? After deciding she was capable of more than selling from her home, she created a welcoming space for herself and fellow artisans to grow their businesses. It was at this point in time, having been self-taught for thirty years, that Rebecca began traveling across the country taking professional baking classes and further developing her craft.
Acquiring a Storefront
Six years later, Brownwood’s dreams came true in the form of a permanent bakery on the corner of Lee and Fisk Streets. Obviously, a physical storefront had been a lifelong goal of Rebecca’s, but it’s also possible that the Brownwood community was even more excited than she was, now that we could get delicious, fresh pastries every week!
“I saw some really good friends of mine, the owners of Pioneer Tap House and 10 Mile Productions for example, opening successful businesses downtown and I had some serious FOMO! I really wanted to be a part of the growth!”
A Meaningful Building
The location of Baked Artisan Goods is near and dear to Becca’s heart because she, her husband, and her first daughter lived in the apartment space for the beginning two years of their partnership. After purchasing the building fifteen years ago, Rebecca’s in-laws remodeled it to lease the front out and keep the back as an apartment, of which Rebecca and Jared were the first tenants. Having already built the very popular Star of Texas Bed & Breakfast, this was the start of many projects from Don and Debbie Morelock in downtown Brownwood. Passing it down through the family, Rebecca and Jared purchased the building in November 2021.
“It came full circle. This was where we started our lives together and now I get to start my bakery here.”
In addition to a personal connection with 207 E. Lee Street, the building itself has quite the history. What is now the Baked Artisan Goods kitchen was originally the fur vault for a dry cleaning business in the early 1900s. The original vault doors still remain! With some help from her husband, Becca took on a lot of the remodeling herself, tearing out the floors and painting the walls. After months of working on remodeling while baking from her home, Baked Artisan Good opened its doors on January 14, 2022.
On the Menu
So what is all the excitement about? Why is there a line wrapped well around the corner every Friday? Why is the bakery only open 3 hours a week? How do they almost always sell out of baked goods?
Rebecca and her three employees take the term “artisan” very seriously. The art of baking is a true science. Measurements have to be precise, timing has to be exact, and oven temperatures have to be monitored for each individual pastry. Every single detail has to be perfect for a croissant to come out flakey, a cake to stay moist, and a cookie not to crumble.
Did you know that croissant dough as delicate as Rebecca’s takes four to five days to make from start to finish? A team of just four bakers prepares nearly 800 items by hand, from scratch every week. The menu consists of various croissants, danishes, bear claws, hand pies, cruffins (a muffin/croissant hybrid), scones, cookies, cakes, cheesecakes, artisan breads, sandwich loaves, and more! The best sellers on the menu are definitely the cruffins (with delicious toppings and fillings), cinnamon rolls (made from croissant dough), chocolate croissants, and stuffed pretzels!
It is important to note that Rebecca does not take special orders. She decides what her staff will make each week and customers are never disappointed! Her latest hurdle is mastering sourdough bread, a very intricate process, requiring absolute accuracy, that also takes days to make.
A Moment of Respect for the Bakers
It is truly overwhelming how much these bakers are able to accomplish and serve the community. They are glued to the kitchen, pouring their hearts and souls into the sweets Monday - Friday. You’d think 800 baked goods is a crazy amount of items, but the locals have no problem taking home every last one! Nearly every Friday, the bakery is left with ten or fewer items at the end of operating hours from 4-7 pm. But once you try a pastry, you too will eagerly wait in line for an hour every week!
“I’ve never wanted to make the five-hour drive west [from Lufkin, TX] so much in my whole entire 49 years of life!”
- A comment from a woman on Facebook
People wait in long lines and drive across Texas because there is no one else near Brown County making homemade baked goods at the quality level as Baked Artisan Goods. You can taste the love in every bite.
“We care so much about our baked goods. Perfection is key, so we practice until they are perfect.”
Rebecca is grateful for how involved the city has been in helping her get started and marketing her business to all of the Brownwood community. Baked Artisan Goods has received so much support that with the help of a matching grant from the city, they are not far away from expansion!
Now It’s Your Turn!
You start with an idea, that turns into a dream, and with hard work, you can make it a reality. If you’re ready to join downtown’s growth, we at BMDD want to help! Contact city hall and we’ll guide you through every step of the entrepreneurial process.
Five years ago, Rebecca took a class in Vermont on how to open a pastry business. She posted on her Facebook “Someday I am going to open a bakery for y’all,” and today she owns one of the most popular businesses in Brownwood.