Head Bread Baker

About Us

Della Fattoria is a nationally recognized artisan bakery rooted in traditional bread making. Founded by Kathleen and Ed Weber on their Petaluma ranch, it grew from a home baking passion into an institution celebrated for naturally leavened breads, slow cold fermentations, and a lasting commitment to quality and community. Our bread tradition began with wood-fired oven techniques, a lineage that still shapes our fermentation, dough handling, and flavor development today, even as production has evolved.

Our breads have been enjoyed by acclaimed chefs including the French Laundry's Thomas Keller, local families, and visitors alike, earning accolades including being named one of America’s ‘10 Best Bread Bakeries’ by Bon Appétit.

We are seeking a Lead Bread Baker who will steward our bread program, honoring tradition while elevating our wholesale and retail bread offerings. This lead role is central to preserving the legacy of Della Fattoria’s bread and expanding our reputation for excellence.

Position Summary

As Lead Bread Baker, you will manage the daily bread production and oversee the baking aspects of our wholesale and retail bread operations. You will train and lead the bread team of 20 bakers, set and maintain our high standards of artisan bread quality, actively engage with bread baking interns, and innovate within the framework of Della Fattoria’s time-honored methods.

Our current bakehouse operates with deck ovens, and deep expertise in deck-oven production is essential to this role. At the same time, Della Fattoria’s bread culture is rooted in wood-fired traditions, and future plans for both production and education include working across both deck and wood-burning ovens.

Our wood-fired ovens on the Weber ranch have been silent since the pandemic. We anticipate them singing again in late 2026. Bakers with strong fundamentals who are new to wood-fired baking will be supported and trained in these methods as part of our ongoing craft development.

This position is also pivotal to Della Fattoria’s Bread Baking Internship Program, serving as a primary steward of knowledge, technique, and professional standards passed on to the next generation of artisan bakers.

Key Responsibilities

Lead daily bread production, from dough development and fermentation through shaping, baking, and finishing.

• Oversee the wholesale bread baking program, ensuring timely fulfillment, consistent quality, and strong relationships with wholesale partners.

• Maintain the integrity of Della Fattoria’s traditional bread baking techniques rooted in natural leavening and long fermentation, regardless of oven type.

• Mentor, train, and develop the bakery team to maintain consistent product quality and efficiency.

• Serve as a central mentor and instructional leader for the Bread Baking Internship Program, thoughtfully integrating interns into daily production while transmitting Della Fattoria’s methods, values, and standards of craftsmanship, including an understanding of how bread behaves across different baking environments. This role is central to Della Fattoria’s Bread Baking Internship Program

• Work collaboratively with café and wholesale teams to forecast demand and adjust production plans accordingly.

• Uphold rigorous sanitation, safety, and quality control standards in the bakehouse.

• Contribute to creative cafe menu development and seasonal or specialty bread offerings that reflect our artisanal heritage.

Ideal Candidate

You will be someone who:

• Has extensive experience in artisan bread baking, preferably in a leadership or supervisory role.

• Brings deep technical knowledge of natural fermentation, dough handling, and deck-oven production.

• Demonstrates a strong sensory understanding of bread quality, including fermentation balance, crust development, and flavor.

• Is curious, adaptable, and open to learning additional baking modalities, including wood-fired methods, as part of professional growth.

• Demonstrates strong leadership and communication skills with a passion for mentoring bakers at all stages of development, from apprentices to seasoned professionals.

• Has experience with production planning and consistency at scale.

• Shares a commitment to craftsmanship, authenticity, and community, values at the heart of Della Fattoria.

• Speak Spanish? Lovely … but not required.

Why Join Della Fattoria

At Della Fattoria, bread isn’t just a product, it’s a tradition. As Lead Bread Baker, you will carry forward a legacy that has influenced artisan bakers locally and nationally while shaping the future of our bread program, including the education and formation of emerging bakers through our internship program and the thoughtful integration of historic and contemporary baking practices.

You’ll work in a supportive, craft-driven environment where mastery, creativity, teaching, and continual learning are valued, and where every loaf reflects our dedication to bread, people, and place.

Bakers here work with naturally leavened doughs daily, shaping loaves that reflect both seasonal grains and the legacy of our wood-fired ovens, a lineage that continues to guide our fermentation, dough handling, and flavor development today, even as production has evolved.

The Lead Bread Baker will play a key role in shaping the future evolution of Della Fattoria’s bread program while honoring its deep traditions.

Competitive salary and benefits negotiable.

Ed Weber
Mid-1990s at Della’s original oven