Lisa Johnson never imagined that baking bread for her mother would lead to a successful bakery. She simply wanted to learn how to make traditional sourdough the old-fashioned way.

As friends and neighbors tasted her bread, they began asking if they could buy a loaf.

That simple idea eventually became Blue Ribbon Bakery.

Today, Lisa bakes at Lake Commissary Kitchen in Eustis before stocking her Leesburg farm stand with artisan breads, pastries and other baked goods.

Alongside her own products, customers will also find locally produced honey, jams, pickles, fresh chicken and duck eggs, all part of her vision for creating an old-fashioned country store centered on local food and makers.

“I’ve always loved the idea of an old-fashioned country store,” Lisa says. “A place where people know where their food comes from, neighbors become customers, customers become friends and local businesses support one another.”

The bakery’s name came after one of its earliest milestones. Lisa entered both her sourdough and banana nut bread in the local fair, where each earned a blue ribbon. Her sourdough went on to win “Second Best in Show” against every other baked good in the competition.

“The awards meant so much to us,” Lisa says. “When it came time to name the bakery, Blue Ribbon Bakery just seemed meant to be.”

For Lisa, traditional sourdough is appealing because of what it doesn’t require. Every loaf begins with flour, water, salt and a living starter. The rest comes down to patience.

“People can make sourdough much more complicated than it needs to be,” she says.

Her biggest piece of advice is to watch the dough instead of the clock.

“Temperature, humidity, the strength of your starter and your environment all affect fermentation,” Lisa says. “A recipe might say four hours, but your dough may be ready sooner, or it may need longer.”

She encourages beginners to start with a simple loaf and make it repeatedly rather than chasing perfection. Every loaf teaches something new, she says, and even experienced bakers have their share of ugly loaves.

Lisa also enjoys helping others learn. She sells her sourdough starter with complete instructions and encourages customers to call if they run into trouble.

“I jokingly call it my first starter guarantee,” she says. “If you kill your first starter, I’ll replace it for free. But if you kill the second one, maybe you and sourdough just weren’t meant to be.”

As sourdough has grown in popularity, Lisa hopes consumers take a closer look at what they’re buying. She says not every loaf labeled sourdough is made using the traditional fermentation process.

“It’s not about criticizing any particular bakery,” Lisa says. “Read the ingredients and ask how the bread is made. Look for a bakery that’s transparent about its ingredients and process.”

Lisa says that sharing what she’s learned is just as rewarding as selling a loaf of bread.

“If someone buys my bread, I’m thrilled,” she says. “If they buy my starter and learn to make a beautiful loaf of their own, I’m thrilled about that too. There’s room at the table for both.”

Photos: Gina Horan and provided