Entertainment Spotlight: Farmhouse Bakery

“To continue in our grandmothers’ tradition of offering our family and friends old-fashioned kitchen comfort with just the perfect amount of soul-warming sweetness served with your favorite hot or cold beverage. Always accompanied by a genuine smile the same way our loving grandmothers served us back on the farm.”

These words are the mission statement for Farmhouse Bakery and are printed on the wall near the entryway for customers to read.

Owner Alycia Burgess and husband Bret with their teenage children Jonah and Emma work hard to serve their customers with the most delicious from-scratch baked goods.

Alycia and Bret each grew up with a very special grandmother. They were not only “wonderful cooks but great homemade donut makers.”

“They both lived on farms and had very similar lives by making the dinner table a great place for gathering and offering their loved ones special homemade goodies,” said Alycia.

Her grandmother was known for wonderful homemade donuts. Bret’s grandmother was known for homemade donuts, rolls and wedding cakes.

“Together, they both have helped inspire each of us to carry on their tradition which is reflected in our mission statement,” said Alycia.

When the doors open at 6 a.m. Tuesday through Friday, customers are greeted by fresh-baked pastries and the heavenly aroma of Kaldi’s Roasting Company coffee, which is made in St. Louis.

There is a plethora of pastries from which customers can choose: handmade yeast-raised and cake donuts; apple fritters; donut holes; three different varieties of cinnamon rolls and their new strawberry cream cheese roll; German chocolate, cherry, apple, strawberry and blueberry danishes; fruit with cheese danishes; butter croissants; and Friday’s special blueberry cake donuts.

A customer favorite is the bacon, egg and cheese croissant. Other favored treats include chocolate-covered long johns, donut holes, apple fritters, cinnamon twists and danishes. These items always seem to sell out the quickest.

“Everything is handmade and served fresh each day,” said Alycia. “Most of our recipes were passed down to us or we created them on our own.”

Alycia’s family favorites are the donut holes, strawberry rolls topped with their very popular cream cheese icing, and cherry cheese danishes.

In addition to fresh-brewed hot Kaldi’s coffee, Farmhouse Bakery also serves a cold brew drink which they brew themselves for 20 hours. They also serve milk, orange juice and bottled water.

Farmhouse Bakery customers come from all over the area – and beyond. They serve everyone from parents who bring in their toddlers to the elderly who must also have their favorite pastries.

“We serve a wide variety of people each day and it seems like first-time customers arrive daily,” said Alycia.

She said they’re now even getting customers who travel from further distances. Recently a father and son stopped in from Little Rock, Arkansas, who had heard about them through Facebook.

“It’s obvious word is circulating now that we are open and it’s so wonderful to meet new people as well as serve our regular customers each week,” said Alycia.

Farmhouse Bakery also takes custom orders for large orders which are placed at least 24 hours in advance. Large orders are typically two or more dozen items. The bakery staff needs advanced notice for the preparation of large orders because they typically sell out of what they make each day. Additional custom orders also take extra time to plan and prepare above their current daily production.

“I think it’s important to let people know we make 400-600 items fresh each day and in order to get the best selection, you have to come early,” said Alycia. “If you are a late sleeper, you may find that Tuesdays and Wednesdays are better days to come because we seem to sell out later in the morning than we do on Thursdays and Fridays.”

But because they sell out early each day, that doesn’t mean the Farmhouse Bakery staff is not working hard to make a lot of fresh-baked products.

“We are busy working through the night preparing our fresh handmade donuts and baked goods for our next day’s customers.”

Farmhouse Bakery opened in late May and is located in the building which had housed Krak-N-Jaks. The Burgess family purchased the building in early spring and gave it a modern farmhouse makeover. Their bakery concept is also a bit different in style and offerings from the previous donut retailer.

The family hopes to expand their hours this fall to include Saturday hours after they train additional staff, including Alycia’s two nieces. They also have plans for some great ideas for the Christmas season to add even more holiday cheer this year to downtown Farmington. In addition, they have a great front patio which they plan to incorporate some holiday activities and do some special nighttime offerings as Christmas approaches.

The Burgess family is from Farmington. Bret has been a real estate developer of the Butterfield retirement communities in Southeast Missouri. Alycia has been a stay-at-home mom for the last 16 years and has also helped her husband with his business.

Farmhouse Bakery is located at 118 E. Liberty in Farmington. Follow Farmhouse Bakery on Facebook and Instagram @farmhouse_bakery19.