With the popularity and health benefits of sourdough bread, a Croton-on-Hudson mother-daughter team is making all-natural sourdough English muffins from their baking facility near the Peekskill waterfront.

Named for the Croton Dam, along with a damn good product, Dam Good English Muffins is the passion of Olivia Weale, 28, and her mom, Denise, who started their home business in 2018 and moved it to Peekskill in 2020.

Interestingly, the Weales are manufacturing yeast-based English muffins at the location where Charles Fleischmann manufactured baker’s yeast and other products in the early 1900s. His Standard Brands company was the largest employer in Peekskill in the early 20^th century.

Making 3,000 muffins a day, Dam Good English Muffins is nationally distributed in the freezer sections of Whole Foods in New York, New Jersey and Connecticut; all Wegman’s stores; Mom’s Organic Market; and many independent retailers. Locally, they’re sold at Hudson Milk + Market in Peekskill, Cole’s Market in Montrose, farmer’s markets, online, and pre-order curbside pickup at the 2 John Walsh Blvd. baking facility.

With national distribution in the freezer sections at Whole Foods in New York, New Jersey and Connecticut; all Wegman’s stores; Mom’s Organic Market; and many independent retailers; the Weales produce 3,000 muffins a day. Locally, they’re sold at Hudson Milk + Market in Peekskill, Cole’s Market in Montrose, farmer’s markets, online, and pre-order curbside pickup at the 2 John Walsh Blvd. baking facility.

Made with all-natural quality ingredients, including King Arthur’s flour, the muffins are free from dairy, artificial preservatives, enzymes, dough conditioners, shelf stabilizers, flavorings, and seed oils. Sourdough bread, in general, is healthier and more easily digestible than traditional breads. The extra-large square English muffins come in white, whole wheat, cinnamon swirl, and multigrain, selling for $6.99 a bag.

“The supermarket is overwhelmingly full of chemicals that no one needs,” says Denise.

“People today are paying more attention to what they eat. They’re seeing the correlation between good food and good health.”

Sourdough a Healthy Choice

The fermentation of sourdough bread, provided by a yeast sourdough starter, gives the bread a better glycemic index, along with more nutrients, vitamins, probiotics and antioxidants. Some people who avoid gluten can tolerate sourdough bread, but it’s not for those with celiac disease, according to Denise.

The Weales began Dam Good Muffins after a friend brought sourdough muffins to their house. “They were just so delicious,” they both say. Denise and husband, Ross, graduates of Johnson and Wales University’s culinary program in Providence, RI, considered making the muffins commercially. “We said, ‘Let’s make them,’ “ recalls Olivia, a University of Vermont alumna.

When they stumbled upon a trash wrapper from a well-known commercial English muffin company randomly lying on the ground one day, they considered it their sign to proceed, founding Dam Good English Muffins.

Denise and Olivia work long hours at the bakery, with Ross, maintaining the equipment, but they don’t mind the rigors of the job. “Dam Good English Muffins is an artisan handmade product,” says Olivia. “We put a lot of love and care in our muffins.”

Caring for their nine-person staff is a labor of love, too. “We’re a small team,” she adds. “We look for employees with a positive attitude, who’re looking to learn. A lot of people don’t have previous experience working in a bakery, but they can learn and must be reliable.”

Caring About the Community

She continues: “We hire nice people who’re willing to work hard, and care about their work. Most of our employees are local.” The company is also a Second Chance employer, offering work to those who might have difficulty finding a job, or don’t speak English.

The company cares about the community, too, donating English muffins to Caring for the Hungry and Homeless of Peekskill’s (CHHOP) food services. Customers can also add a bag of muffins to their order to be donated to CHOPP.

The two women enjoy working together, having each other’s back, and knowing they have someone to rely on. “It has its ups and downs, but it’s mostly positive. In a space where you’re manufacturing,  knowing that you have a reliable backup is reassuring,” says Denise. “Especially when you don’t always have the best day. But we’re each other’s biggest cheerleaders.”

Their advice to other women wanting to start a business is straight forward: “Buckle up!”

“Opening a food business is not a straight path. You have to be ready to solve challenges on a regular basis. Everyday something new comes up, and things can be distracting. Keep your blinders on, stay in your lane, stick to your core values, and know your customer base,” says Denise.

“If you’re thinking of starting a business and put it off because you don’t have enough money or your website isn’t done, there’s always a reason. Take that leap. You can keep putting barriers in your way.”

Besides the art of baking, there’re a lot of considerations with a business, including marketing and social media, which is managed by Olivia, who studied marketing and business in college.

The two women also recommend having a proof of concept for any start-up business. Just because you like the concept, doesn’t mean that others will, too, or that it’s needed in the marketplace, they say.

“Be flexible and move with the direction of the wind,” adds Denise. “Our business plan today looks nothing like it did. Understand what makes your product or service different. Know why you deserve a place in your business or service category.”