THE DELICIOUS aroma of warm, fresh-baked bread permeates Gracie Austell’s home. The young entrepreneur crafts each loaf with finesse, just the way her nana taught her. Austell’s younger sister, Marileigh Lewis, wraps the cooled loaves, stacks them in crates, and helps with anything else her sister needs. The pair work late into the night, preparing to sell at a craft fair the next day. It is a common scenario at Austell’s house ever since the creation of Deely’s Dough, her very own in-home baking business.
Austell works full time at Jack Daniel’s Distillery in the shipping department, so launching her own baking business on the side was an ambitious undertaking, but a long-held dream. During the COVID-19 pandemic of 2020, she begged her nana, Elsie Lewis, to show her how to make her mouthwatering sourdough bread, a family tradition she had been baking for 50 years. Because it is a four-day process to make, Austell went and stayed with her nana for a week, which she called “bread school,” and learned the craft straight from the source. It was not easy to get right, but she perfected the technique with a lot of practice and her grandmother’s expert guidance.
“My nana has baked this bread for my father’s entire life,” Austell said.
Elsie originally baked the loaves to sell at the factory where her husband worked, and it instantly became a local legend. People sought her out to buy bread.
“Nana has had the same sourdough starter for over 50 years,” Austell said. “When I started baking her recipe, it was from that exact same starter!” Incredibly, that starter lives on, and she still uses it today.
Photography by Ashleigh Newnes
Unlike typical sourdough made with flour and water, this family recipe includes potato flakes and sugar, creating a bread that’s fluffier and sweeter while maintaining its signature tang. Elsie bakes less often now, but the demand for her famous bread hasn’t disappeared.
“There are so many people that she’s given bread to over the years, and they still come and seek it out,” Austell said. Those loyal customers, paired with a love of baking and her deep admiration for her nana, led Austell to take up the mantle and start baking and selling it herself. Her first name is Delia, after her great-grandmother, who was often called “Deely,” inspiring the name of her company, Deely’s Dough.
Austell’s family is supportive and invested in her work. Her husband (local musician, Connor Austell) encouraged her to chase this dream, and he helps where he can between gigs. Her parents, Paul and Jennie Lewis, are her “biggest supporters,” according to Austell; they market her bread all over town. Madeline Lewis, Austell’s 19-year-old sister, often bakes cupcakes or cookies to add to the booth for fairs, and Marileigh, Austell’s 14-year-old sister, works with Austell baking, prepping, and selling the baked goods at craft shows.
“She’s like my own little sous-chef!” Austell said. “If she didn’t stay overnight with me before our craft shows and help me get everything done, I don’t think I’d be able to do it, honestly. I am making about 70 loaves of bread per show, and sometimes I add cinnamon rolls, coffee cake, or biscuits.”
Deely’s Dough can be found at local craft fairs and festivals. Austell takes pride in making her booth colorfully coordinated and welcoming for people to come sample her bread, learn the history of her nana, and purchase fresh-baked goods. She is usually the only vendor with a bright yellow tent, making it easy to find. With each loaf of her nana’s bread, she provides a pamphlet with storage instructions and serving suggestions. These thoughtful touches are what make Deely’s Dough so special.
One of Austell’s unique approaches to her bread is that she doesn’t simply call it “sourdough” due to the unique ingredients in the family recipe. She lovingly refers to them as “Elsie-Dough” loaves, named after her nana. A sign on her booth explains the history and significance of the name, and there is even a stuffed chicken that always shows up for these events, which she named Ruth — her nana’s middle name. Everything about Deely’s Dough exudes family-centered, hometown charm.
“I have always known that I wanted to learn how to make the bread to carry on my nana’s legacy,” Austell said. “This bread is really unique. It’s such a different recipe, so there isn’t anything similar to that around here.”
Besides craft fairs, Austell takes loaves to her coworkers at Jack Daniel’s. She also takes bread to London’s restaurant, Blokes, and other local businesses where locals jump at the chance to buy her bread.
Austell offered this advice to other young entrepreneurs: “You just have to take the plunge. If you know that’s what you want to do, and you think it’ll work, even if you are only 89% sure this will work, you just have to go for it! And if you are going to do it, you have to do it full-on. You can’t just ease into it and expect to be successful, in my opinion.” GN
