As Kneaded Bakery

What As Kneaded Bakery does

As Kneaded Bakery is a woman-founded, privately held artisan bread bakery established in 2016 by Iliana Berkowitz in San Leandro, California. The company's core products are naturally leavened sourdough loaves, classic French baguettes, challah, focaccia, and viennoiserie, alongside pastries, sandwiches, and a curated pantry line called "Lady Larder." Production relies on traditional craft techniques—pre-fermentation methods such as poolish, a proprietary sourdough starter, and hearth-baking directly on the floor of a large Italian oven to produce deeply caramelized crusts—with each bread variety built from a distinct recipe rather than a standardized formula.

Revenue is generated principally through direct-to-consumer retail at two physical locations: the original bakery at 585 Victoria Court in San Leandro (opened November 2018) and the As Kneaded Café inside the San Leandro Public Library (opened in early 2026). Distribution is supplemented by three Bay Area farmers' markets in San Leandro, Montclair/Oakland, and the College of San Mateo. Pricing is a fixed unit-based model across an SKU list spanning approximately $3.75 (cookies/muffins) to $32 (olive oil), with all bakery items sold first-come, first-serve and special orders requiring a $50 minimum and 7-day advance notice. In October 2024, the company suspended wholesale deliveries to restaurants and grocers—including prior accounts Berkeley Bowl, Flea St. Cafe, and Bianchini's Market—to focus exclusively on retail operations. The customer base is consequently fragmented across individual Bay Area consumers, event-driven special-order buyers, and home-baking hobbyists purchasing bakery supplies, with no disclosed institutional capital or concentrated B2B revenue post-pivot.

Name

As Kneaded Bakery

Legal name

As Kneaded Bakery

Website

https://askneadedbakery.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2016

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

As Kneaded Bakery is a woman-founded artisan bread bakery in San Leandro, California, serving Bay Area consumers through two retail locations and three farmers' markets with traditional sourdough loaves, viennoiserie, sandwiches, and specialty pantry items.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Artisan Bakery

NAICS

Retail Bakeries (311811), Bread and Bakery Product Manufacturing (31181), Limited-Service Restaurants (722513)

SIC

Bakery Products (2050), Retail-Eating Places (5812), Retail-Eating & Drinking Places (5810)

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYTHAFAFAA

Retail Bakeries (Bread & Daily Bakery)

Travel & Hospitality/Foodservice & Beverage (Restaurants, Cafes, Bars)/Bakeries & Patisseries

SECONDARYTHAFAFAG

Cafe-Bakeries (Bakery + Coffee/Foodservice)

Travel & Hospitality/Foodservice & Beverage (Restaurants, Cafes, Bars)/Bakeries & Patisseries

SECONDARYAFAKAAAG

Specialty Bakery Manufacturing (Gluten-Free, Artisan, Health-Focused)

Agriculture & Food Production/Food Processing & Manufacturing/Bakery & Confectionery Manufacturing

Keywords

• Artisan bread bakery
• Sourdough bread
• Specialty pastries
• Retail bakery
• Artisan coffee café

Headquarters

HQ city

San Leandro, California

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices5 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Personnel, Supply Chain, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Bakery Retail Sales: Direct in-store and farmers' market sales of artisan breads, pastries, and noshes. All items sold first come, first serve. Operating hours weekdays 8am-3pm, weekends 9am-3pm, closed Monday & Tuesday.
2. Special Orders: Custom orders for events placed at least 7 business days prior with $50 minimum. Available for pickup at bakery or farmers' market locations.
3. Holiday Pre-Orders: Online store opens during designated holiday times (e.g., Thanksgiving) for customers to secure special products. Pickup at 585 Victoria Ct, San Leandro.
4. Swag Merchandise: Online merchandise sales including AKB Patch Hat ($25), AKB Tote bags, and other branded items. Shipped within 5 days of purchase.
5. Baking Essentials: Sells baking supplies including sourdough starter, active dry yeast, organic flours, and banneton baskets for home bakers.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

As Kneaded Bakery is a woman-founded artisan bread bakery specializing in naturally leavened sourdough loaves (Miche, Country Loaf, Spelt Walnut, Flax Sunflower, Sesa Miche, Honey Rye Porridge), classic French baguettes, and traditional Jewish challah. The bakery also offers seasonal pastries, viennoiserie, sandwiches, baking essentials, and Lady Larder specialty pantry items. Operations span a San Leandro brick-and-mortar shop, three Bay Area farmers' markets (San Leandro, Montclair/Oakland, College of San Mateo), and an espresso café inside the San Leandro Public Library.

Product overview

As Kneaded Bakery is a woman-founded artisan bread bakery offering a unified retail experience centered on hand-crafted breads and pastries. The core product portfolio centers on naturally leavened sourdough loaves (Miche, Country Loaf, Spelt Walnut, Flax Sunflower, Sesa Miche, Honey Rye Porridge), classic French baguettes, and traditional challah. These are complemented by seasonal sandwiches, a variety of pastries and noshes (Bostocks, Sticky Buns, croissants, cookies), coffee and cold brew from Counter Culture Coffee, and baking essentials (sourdough starter, flours, bannetons). The Lady Larder section offers specialty pantry items including honey, jams, nut butters, and olive oils. Additional offerings include special orders for events, gift cards, and branded swag. The bakery has expanded to include As Kneaded Café, a café inside San Leandro Public Library serving espresso drinks and light fare. Products are available at the San Leandro brick-and-mortar location, three farmers' markets, and through special/holiday pre-orders.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Artisan Sourdough Bread Loaves
• Classic French Baguettes and Specialty Breads
• Pastries and Noshes
• Sandwiches Seasonal sandwiches including California Sandwich (hummus, vegetables on focaccia) and Turkey Pesto Sandwich (on demi baguette). Available at bakery location only.
• Baking Essentials
• Lady Larder Specialty Pantry Items
• Special Orders Custom bakery orders for events including cookies, sticky buns, and other items. Requires minimum $50 order placed 7 business days prior to pickup at bakery or farmers' market locations.
• AKB Branded Swag Branded merchandise including AKB Patch Hat and AKB Tote bag, sold online through the Square swag shop and shipped within 5 days.
• As Kneaded Café Café inside San Leandro Public Library offering espresso-based drinks and cold brew (Counter Culture Coffee Hologram and Big Trouble blends), lavender lattes, fresh-baked croissants, quiche, salads, and Parisian sandwiches using a refurbished espresso machine.
• Gift Cards Square-issued gift cards for As Kneaded Bakery available for purchase online and redeemable at retail and café locations.

Quantifiable outcome

• Recognized as 'arguably the most serious bread bakery in the East Bay' by Eater SF
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration2 records

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Counter Culture CoffeecoreOthersSupplies coffee beans for As Kneaded Café. Hologram blend ($17.50) used in all espresso drinks, and Big Trouble blend ($17.00) also available. Both are medium roasts with distinct flavor profiles.
• The Home Pantry (Cleveland, Ohio)minorOthersSupplier of specialty jams including Blackberry Lavender Jam ($9.50) and Strawberry Rose Jam ($10.00, winner of 2023 Good Food Awards). Featured in Lady Larder section of menu.
• Seed + MillminorOthersSupplier of Toasted Sesame Halva ($12.00, 8oz) for Lady Larder specialty items.
• Mojave MarshmallowsminorOthersSupplier of Vanilla Bean Marshmallows ($12.50), organic handmade marshmallows with vanilla bean dots.
• One Tricky PonyminorOthersSupplier of Silky Smooth All-Natural Peanut Butter ($9.25, 13oz) made from Argentine peanuts and Patagonian sea salt.
• CraversminorOthersSupplier of Cacao Hazelnut Spread ($14.00, 12oz) made with 80% dry roasted hazelnuts, organic fair trade cacao beans, and dates with no added sugar.
• BéquetminorOthersSupplier of Gourmet Caramel Celtic Sea Salt ($6.00), a smooth and creamy caramel made with all natural ingredients.
• Central MillingcoreOthersSupplier of organic flours including Organic White Bread Flour ($9.75 per 5lb bag) and Organic Whole Wheat Flour ($10.25 per 5lb bag).

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights3 records

Direct peers

• The Mill: San Francisco cafe-bakery combining artisan bread (from Josey Baker Bread) with coffee and a toast-focused menu. Comparable as a Bay Area craft bakery-cafe hybrid that pairs specialty bread with coffee program and light foodservice.
• Arizmendi Bakery: Worker-cooperative bakery with multiple East Bay locations specializing in artisan breads and pastries. Comparable as an Oakland-based neighborhood bakery with strong community ties, farmers' market presence, and reputation for naturally leavened sourdough.
• Acme Bread Company: Berkeley-based artisan bakery producing naturally leavened breads with broad Bay Area wholesale and retail distribution. Direct peer in category, geography, and craft technique — historically one of the benchmarks for serious bread-making in the East Bay.
• Tartine Bakery: Iconic San Francisco artisan bakery known for country loaves, morning buns, and laminated pastries. Comparable as a Bay Area craft bakery with national media recognition; As Kneaded explicitly differentiates its dough philosophy against Tartine's standardized approach.
• Mariposa Bakery: Oakland-based artisan bakery specializing in naturally leavened breads, pastries, and sandwiches with strong farmers' market and café presence. Direct geographic and category peer for As Kneaded in the East Bay market.
• Thorough Bread & Pastry: Bay Area artisan bakery producing sourdough breads and viennoiserie with a retail storefront. Comparable as a craft bakery focused on naturally leavened breads and pastries serving Bay Area food enthusiasts.

Emerging players

• Companion Bakery: St. Louis-based artisan bakery known for naturally leavened sourdough and croissants with a national cult following and cookbook. Comparable as a craft bread bakery prioritizing long fermentation and earned media recognition, though operating outside the Bay Area.

Regional players

• Bakersfield Bread Co: San Francisco-based artisan bakery (not to be confused with Bakersfield, CA) focused on sourdough breads, viennoiserie, and pastries. Comparable as a regional Bay Area craft bakery with similar product mix and direct-to-consumer positioning.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Instagraminstagram.com/as.kneaded.bakery
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/as-kneaded-bakery

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about As Kneaded Bakery