Blue Grouse Bread is a collaboration between two cousins, Hannah Rossman and Ben Rossman
Hannah’s first exposure to bread baking was when she was growing up in Morrisville, VT. At 16, she participated in the building of a Quebec style wood-fired oven at her high school. There was always good bread to be found in Vermont and it was usually accompanied by good food and friends. Her path to owning her own bakery took her through several baking and culinary jobs. Hannah has a degree in geology and a certificate from the New England Culinary Institute in Pastry Arts. Although playing with cakes and confections was fun, she always came back to the simple flour, water, yeast and salt recipes. Working with a living food like bread provides endless challenges and opportunities for learning and growing.
Ben started baking in 2012 after graduating from Dartmouth College as a history major. In Idaho, Ben opened a bagel stand at farmers markets, bringing an East Coast tradition to Western markets. Upon moving to Jackson Hole, WY, Ben began learning about natural yeast fermentation in his home. He quickly realized he was destined to become a baker, not a doctor. He joined the team at Persephone Bakery, a gem in the midst of the Tetons, for almost a year. After Jackson Hole, Ben traveled throughout the continental U.S. on a “BreAdventure,” visiting 15 of the top bread bakers over the course of 3 months. Ben brought that experience as well as his own personal experience to Blue Grouse Bakery. When he is not at the bakery or making loaves at home, he can be found fly fishing, trail running, biking and skiing.
