The aroma of freshly baked sourdough will soon drift through downtown Slater as a new bakery makes its highly anticipated debut.
Owners Mike and Nina Harris will open Home Kneads at 412 Main St. on Thursday, Aug. 20, marking the next chapter in a journey that began in their home’s mudroom and grew into one of Iowa’s only dedicated sourdough bakeries.
Home Kneads’ bread uses premium, organic ingredients, including locally sourced and freshly milled Iowa flour, sea salt and water. It is naturally leavened and does not contain sugar, commercial yeast or preservatives.
The couple and their staff quickly outgrew their humble beginnings, producing 500 to 700 loaves a week from the Harris’ kitchen in Madrid. They expect to triple production to nearly 2,000 loaves per week at their Slater shop while expanding the bakery’s wholesale partnership with Fareway.
Mike Harris said Home Kneads will supply 26 stores by the end of the year, covering communities from Story City to Norwalk.
“We didn’t know what we were walking into with wholesale,” Nina Harris told the Ames Tribune. “No one else is doing it, but we built a system that works.”
A historic Slater building gets a new life
The Harrises renovated the 150‑year‑old Main Street building with help from several grants, including a $100,000 economic development loan from the city of Slater, a $25,000 Choose Iowa Value‑Added Grant and a Story County façade grant.
Along with obvious beautifications, the couple gutted the building, replaced original cast‑iron plumbing and installed a new electrical service.
“We might as well have just started from the start,” Nina Harris said. “Everything was original.”
The brick-and-mortar bakery is home to four commercial ovens, butcher‑block counters, a walk‑in cooler and space for classes.
Bread will be displayed along the back wall, with seating available near the front windows and outdoors during warmer months.
Home Kneads offers classes and community connections in Slater
Home Kneads quickly became known for its sourdough classes, which drew about 500 students last year from Iowa and beyond. The new space in Slater will allow the Harrises to expand offerings, including sourdough pizza classes featuring local ingredients, such as flour from Early Morning Harvest near Panora.
“We’re literally going to make a pizza from all local ingredients,” Nina Harris said. “People can take it home with them.”
The bakery also plans to host school groups, continuing a hands‑on approach that Nina Harris said helps children learn about real food.
Iowa State Fair-goers can watch Nina Harris demonstrate sourdough pizzas at 1 p.m., Sunday, Aug. 23, in The Kitchen at the Maytag Theater.
Nina Harris prepares for Paris trip to study croissants
For Nina Harris, the next stage of Home Kneads goes beyond expanding to Slater. She is preparing for a trip to Paris to study sourdough croissants, refining the pastry skills she hopes to bring back to Iowa.
Her training is supported by a $11,000 DMACC grant that had gone unused for years until Harris applied. She said the program will allow her to learn directly from French bakers and invest in the professional development of her growing team.
“I wanted to provide real training for people who want to be bakers,” she said. “Sourdough takes time, and you can’t just hire anyone.”
Harris plans to spend a week immersed in technique, then return to Slater to begin adding pastries to the bakery’s lineup. The new storefront includes space for the roller equipment she hopes to purchase next year.
The goal is to grow slowly and intentionally, offering handcrafted breads and pastries that reflect both tradition and local ingredients.
Nina and Mike Harris have a passion for real bread
Nina Harris, a former biomedical engineer, said her shift to sourdough grew from a desire to teach people about healthier ingredients.
Flavors range from jalapeño cheddar to lemon blueberry, cinnamon raisin and dill pickle.
Mike Harris, who previously worked in sales and construction, handles logistics, deliveries and much of the renovation work.
“I always knew I’d be making dough, but not selling dough,” he said.
The couple donates unsold bread to local food banks, estimating that they’ve donated about 2,000 loaves in 2026.
As opening day approaches, Nina Harris said she hopes the storefront becomes a place where people stop in, chat and learn. The store’s hours are 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Thursday, Friday and Saturday.
“It’s been a journey,” Nina Harris said. “But we’re excited to finally open our doors.”
Ronna Faaborg covers business and the arts for the Ames Tribune. Reach her at rfaaborg@usatodayco.com.
This article originally appeared on Ames Tribune: Home Kneads brings artisan sourdough to Slater’s Main Street
Reporting by Ronna Faaborg, Ames Tribune / Ames Tribune
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By Ronna Faaborg, Ames Tribune | USA TODAY Network
