‘There’s so much science behind sourdough.’

—Just two years ago, Paula Kopper’s life was completely different. For starters, she didn’t bake at all. “It’s been a whirlwind. Actually, it’s been a tornado,” she says, reflecting on the past two years.

For years, her husband had begged her to bake cookies, but they never turned out quite right. She considered herself a cook and left baking to others until her husband developed a gluten sensitivity. After giving up gluten to support him, she realized that she missed good bread.

Kopper stumbled across a video explaining how traditional sourdough fermentation breaks down gluten, making it easier to digest for people who are gluten-sensitive. That discovery sent her down a rabbit hole. The non-baker realized sourdough wasn’t just baking; it was science. “I put my headphones on and just learned,” she says. “There’s so much science behind sourdough. I got obsessed.”

Although she was still working full-time running her daycare, she spent her nights experimenting. It took four months to develop her sourdough starter, and she named the living culture Dough Rita. “I probably baked 30 to 50 loaves before I felt good about it,” she says, “and every flavor after that took just as much tinkering.”

She began giving it away to the families at her daycare. It was made with love, and she cherished the idea that she was giving them something wholesome to share.

Her sourdough was a hit! Eventually, they started trying to buy her bread. Six months later, she had closed the daycare she had run for 15 years, and she was selling her sourdough to local wholesalers and at the Paso Robles Farmers Market.

Owner, Paula Kopper

The leap that paid off

Opening a storefront wasn’t something she planned. She was content baking from home, selling at the market, and wholesaling. She heard that the donut shop was closing, and again her curiosity was piqued. She called to inquire about the shop but didn’t hear back for five months. Seemingly out of the blue, she got a call saying she was first on the list for the shop. However, the waitlist was long, and they gave her only four hours to decide if she wanted the shop. With no time to run the numbers, she followed her gut. “If we didn’t do it, we would’ve regretted it forever,” she says.

The leap paid off. Black Sheep Sourdough now sells out almost daily, often before noon. About 50 to 60 loaves are baked each day, all made by hand in small batches using minimal ingredients. The base recipe never changes. “It’s flour, water, and salt. That’s it. Nothing else,” she says.

She created The OG menu that includes: The Basic B (her original sourdough loaf), The Spicy Señorita (cheddar jalapeño) which is her bestselling sourdough, The Guido (parmesan cheese), Mob Boss (Italian herbs and cheddar cheese), Green Goddess (pesto and parmesan), and she adds fun flavors each week like Everything But the Sourdough which is her take on Everything But the Bagel, or Sweet Sister which is cinnamon brown sugar swirl with raisins.

“I keep it basic because basic is good,” she says. “I don’t want to do 85 things. I want to do a few things really, really well.”

That philosophy extends beyond bread. The bakery offers sourdough cinnamon rolls along with brioche breakfast “bombs,” stuffed with eggs and bacon, and kolache-style pastries. Baguettes and sourdough bread bowls round out the menu.

“A place of love and bread’

Her passion for the community is baked into everything. Nearly every product in the shop is local, including coffee, olive oil, salsa, juice, merch, and even the jam, made by her mom. Unsold pastries are shared with neighboring businesses; extra loaves are donated to shelters and food organizations. Nothing goes to waste.

She chose the name Black Sheep Sourdough because her friends call themselves the “Black Sheep girls.” The group has supported her unconditionally. They helped build the bakery, paint walls, install plumbing, and keep the dream alive. Today, one works full-time in the shop, another’s daughter is employed there, and her husband shows up daily at 2 a.m. before heading to his day job.

Sourdough is her new way of life, and she’s eager to share it. Kopper gives freely what many guard closely—knowledge. She doesn’t gatekeep. Sourdough has completely changed her life, and she happily shares her recipes and encourages others to bake.

“It’s a place of love and bread,” she says. “That’s it.”

Black Sheep Sour Dough Bakery is located at 1306 Pine Street, Paso Robles. Hours are 7 a.m. to 2 p.m. Wednesday through Sunday. For more information, visit blacksheepsourdough.com or call (805) 221-5281.

—Karen Lycan