Page 74 - SLO Visitors Guide - Spring 2026

74 SPRING 2026 slovisitorsguide.com
Paso Robles
if she wanted the shop. With no
time to run the numbers, she fol-
lowed 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 Se-
ñorita (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. Kop-
per gives freely what many guard
closely—knowledge. She doesn’t
gatekeep. Sourdough has complete-
ly 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 blacksheep-
sourdough.com or call
(805) 221-5281.
—Karen Lycan