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Photography by Ashleigh Newnes<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
Unlike typical sourdough made with flour and water, this family recipe includes potato flakes and sugar, creating a bread that\u2019s fluffier and sweeter while maintaining its signature tang. Elsie bakes less often now, but the demand for her famous bread hasn\u2019t disappeared.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThere are so many people that she\u2019s given bread to over the years, and they still come and seek it out,\u201d 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 \u201cDeely,\u201d inspiring the name of her company, Deely\u2019s Dough.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Austell\u2019s 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 \u201cbiggest supporters,\u201d according to Austell; they market her bread all over town. Madeline Lewis, Austell\u2019s 19-year-old sister, often bakes cupcakes or cookies to add to the booth for fairs, and Marileigh, Austell\u2019s 14-year-old sister, works with Austell baking, prepping, and selling the baked goods at craft shows.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cShe\u2019s like my own little sous-chef!\u201d Austell said. \u201cIf she didn\u2019t stay overnight with me before our craft shows and help me get everything done, I don\u2019t think I\u2019d 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.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Deely\u2019s 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\u2019s bread, she provides a pamphlet with storage instructions and serving suggestions. These thoughtful touches are what make Deely\u2019s Dough so special.<\/p>\n\n\n\n One of Austell\u2019s unique approaches to her bread is that she doesn\u2019t simply call it \u201csourdough\u201d due to the unique ingredients in the family recipe. She lovingly refers to them as \u201cElsie-Dough\u201d 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 \u2014 her nana\u2019s middle name. Everything about Deely\u2019s Dough exudes family-centered, hometown charm.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cI have always known that I wanted to learn how to make the bread to carry on my nana\u2019s legacy,\u201d Austell said. \u201cThis bread is really unique. It\u2019s such a different recipe, so there isn\u2019t anything similar to that around here.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Besides craft fairs, Austell takes loaves to her coworkers at Jack Daniel’s. She also takes bread to London\u2019s restaurant, Blokes, and other local businesses where locals jump at the chance to buy her bread.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Austell offered this advice to other young entrepreneurs: \u201cYou just have to take the plunge. If you know that\u2019s what you want to do, and you think it\u2019ll 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\u2019t just ease into it and expect to be successful, in my opinion.\u201d GN<\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" THE DELICIOUS aroma of warm, fresh-baked bread permeates Gracie Austell\u2019s home. The young entrepreneur crafts each loaf with finesse, just the way her nana taught her. Austell\u2019s 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 […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":38,"featured_media":24303,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_et_pb_use_builder":"","_et_pb_old_content":"","_et_gb_content_width":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[5],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-24299","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-stories"],"yoast_head":"\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/goodnewsmags.com\/tullahoma\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2025\/09\/Story-1-photo1-2-1024x683.jpg\")