Madison Sourdough on the east side has become a scrumptious enigma on the isthmus.

Local establishments like EVP Coffee, Metcalfe’s and Marigold Kitchen serve their fresh-baked goods, but while a popular commodity, few know the story behind their reputation — not to mention their mocha macarons.

David Lohrentz, co-owner of Madison Sourdough, grew up in South Dakota and Kansas, and also spent time in Tokyo before ending up in Madison. Lohrentz attended graduate school at the University of Wisconsin, where he got an MBA in entrepreneurship.

Conscious Carnivore strives to preserve animal dignity with organic, high-quality cuts

Lohrentz and the lead baker, Andrew Hutchinson, bought Madison Sourdough from the founder in 2009. At the time the company had seven employees and was little more than a wholesale company. But, in their six years of ownership, Lohrentz and Hutchinson have tripled sales and now have about 50 employees. This success can be partially attributed to Lohrentz’s background at UW.

“[The entrepreneurship program] was a tremendous asset for me,” Lohrentz said. “You got a little bit of every aspect of business. When you’re a small business owner, you have to be good enough to wear a lot of different hats.”

Part of what makes this shop so distinctive is their unique business strategy called vertical integration. Typical supply chains start with raw materials, create something from those materials and then sell it to customers. Vertical integration is more involved than that.

“In vertical integration, you’re doing multiple steps along the way, so you make something and then you sell it to yourself,” Lohrentz said.

With the addition of an Austrian Grain Mill this past winter, Sourdough is able to make their own flour from grain, use that flour to make bread and then use that bread to make sandwiches. The stone mill itself is unique; it grinds wheat horizontally rather than vertically to create a higher quality flour.

In addition, the mill opts for grinding Turkey Red wheat — which hasn’t been modified through modern plant breeding — instead of commercialized wheat, creating a more flavorful flour.

But, using local ingredients is also important to Sourdough, because it sets them apart from other businesses and helps the local economy. For example, using Amish eggs and Sassy Cow Dairy has allowed Lohrentz to create connections and relationships with other local businesses.

“It’s not so much you have a recipe and you stick to it,” Lohrentz said. “We want to be better today than we were three months ago. We want to be constantly improving and making these small adjustments.”

Chocolaterian Cafe satisfies holiday season cravings with gourmet treats

The drive for this bakery to improve is not only founded in Lohrentz’s entrepreneurial spirit, but also in a key inspiration of theirs: French baking. The reputation for perfection that the French have achieved is something Madison Sourdough is also striving for, Lohrentz said. Their laminated pastries, or viennoiserie, are aiming to be as flaky and light as those found in any French patisserie, and their breads as crunchy and chewy as those sold in a Parisian bakery.

“You want to look to the people who are the best in the business and emulate what you see,” Lohrentz said.

Madison Sourdough aims to make high quality, delicious food available to ordinary people and be a part of taking the Madison food scene to the next level.

In the future, Madison Sourdough hopes to be a supplier of flour to restaurants and hobby bakers alike, and even sees growing their own wheat inside the realm of possibility one day. For now, they will challenge the Madison community to raise their expectations of what baking should be, and continue fulfilling those expectations with some truly exceptional breads and pastries.