Rock the Biome and {moon & mallow bakery}
Ferments Currently Available for Purchase
(in Mesa, AZ)
Sourdough
Our sourdough is slowly crafted over several days, which means availability can be limited. While we’re working toward having a few daily drop-in offerings, pre-orders are the best way to make sure your favorites are waiting for you.
Rock the Biome is now offering organic sourdough in Mesa, AZ! I started my cottage bakery in 2023 dba originally as Desert Rise Bakery, and now as moon & mallow!
Our menu changes seasonally. Check out our Instagram page @omoonandmallowo for updates and photos!
Strawberry Cheese Buns
Strawberry cheese danish in cinnamon bun form! Instant fan favorite!
If thou tastest a crust of bread, thou tastest all the stars and all the heavens.
– Robert Browning
Cottage Batard
Chocolate Chip Cookies
1880's Olive Fougasse
Holiday Dinner Rolls
Sourdough Crackers
Sourdough Neapolitan Style Pizza
For a note on gluten-free vs gluten friendly click here
About the Baker
Hi, I’m Sandi, the baker behind moon & mallow 🌙
I’m a USAF Cold War Veteran, a mom and grandmother, and a lifelong lover of good food made with intention. I grew up in Virginia, lived all over the map as an adult, and finally put down roots in Arizona in 2003, where the desert somehow became home.
My path to baking didn’t start with flour, it started with microbes.
In 2017, I founded Rock the Biome, where I still work today as a microbiome- and genetic-focused health coach. My work has long centered on how food, fermentation and daily choices shape our health at a cellular level. Along the way, I fell deeply in love with traditional fermented foods and drinks like sauerkraut, kimchi, kombucha, natto, kefir, and more. There’s something quietly powerful about letting time, culture, and care do the work.
In 2023, that passion naturally led me to sourdough, and there was no turning back.
Sourdough captured me completely: the slow fermentation, the living cultures, the way simple ingredients transform into something nourishing and soulful. I’ve been baking ever since, blending old-world methods with modern understanding of nutrition and digestion.
At moon & mallow, I prioritize exceptional ingredients and thoughtful processes. I mill my own khorasan wheat in-house, choose high-quality organically grown flours and add-ins, and let fermentation do what it does best. Every loaf is made slowly, intentionally, and with deep respect for both flavor and function.
My kitchen is a place where science meets tradition, where food is meant to comfort, nourish, and connect. Whether you’re here for the taste, the craft, or the quiet magic of naturally leavened bread, I’m so glad you found your way here.
Welcome to moon & mallow 🤍
Rooted in fermentation, guided by science, and baked for both joy and well-being
Emily Gilmore, our 16 year old sourdough starter
(Clearly the star of the show)
Bread Storage
Sourdough is a naturally fermented bread. It doesn’t behave like supermarket loaves and that’s part of its magic. With a little care, you’ll enjoy better flavor, texture, and a longer life.
Keep it at room temperature
Sourdough is happiest out on the counter, not in the refrigerator.
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Cut-side down
Once sliced, place the loaf cut-side down on a cutting board or plate. This protects the crumb while letting the crust stay beautifully crisp. -
Wrap lightly
If your kitchen is dry, wrap the loaf loosely in a clean cotton or linen cloth, or place it in a paper bag. This allows the bread to breathe and prevents a rubbery crust. -
✨ Tip: Avoid airtight plastic bags for daily storage. They trap moisture and can soften the crust too much. NOTE: An exception to this rule is enriched bread like the soft sandwich loaf (Pain de Mie) and other enriched breads (enriched breads typically have eggs, milk and/or butter). These do well in plastic bags.
Why Not the Refrigerator?
Refrigeration actually stales bread faster by accelerating starch retrogradation (yes, real science!). The fridge is great for many things. Sourdough is not one of them.
Freezing Sourdough (Perfect for Later)
Freezing is the best way to extend the life of sourdough without sacrificing quality.
How to Freeze
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Freeze the loaf whole or sliced, depending on how you like to use it
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Wrap tightly in plastic wrap or beeswax wrap, then place in a freezer bag or airtight container
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Label with the date
🧊 Sourdough freezes beautifully for up to 3 months
How to Thaw & Refresh
For a whole loaf:
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Thaw at room temperature until fully defrosted
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Refresh in a 350°F oven for 10–15 minutes to revive the crust
For slices:
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Toast straight from frozen, or
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Let thaw at room temperature for 20–30 minutes
🔥 The oven refresh brings the bread back to life, with that just-baked aroma and crackly crust.
Why Organic?
Every loaf I make begins with organic ingredients, and that choice is very intentional.
Organic flour is grown without synthetic pesticides or herbicides, including glyphosate. Glyphosate is widely used in conventional grain farming as an herbicide, but it is also known to act as an antibiotic. While that may sound benign, antibiotics don’t discriminate. They affect not only unwanted organisms, but also the beneficial microbes that support healthy soil and, ultimately, the human gut.
Healthy soil depends on a thriving microbiome. When soil life is disrupted, nutrient density suffers. The same is true in our bodies. A diverse, balanced gut microbiome plays a key role in digestion, immunity, inflammation, and overall well-being. When that diversity is reduced, we feel it.
By choosing organic flour, I’m choosing grain that’s grown in living soil, with respect for the invisible ecosystems that make real nourishment possible. It’s better for the land, better for farmers, and gentler on our bodies.
Organic ingredients also tend to be higher in mineral availability and free from residues that don’t belong in food. Combined with long, slow sourdough fermentation, this allows the bread to be more digestible, more flavorful, and more aligned with the way humans have eaten bread for thousands of years.
For a much deeper scientific dive into this topic, read my blog post here.
Diversity
is
Vital
Water Kefir (unavailable; see below)
Because live ferments require production and storage in a commercially licensed kitchen, I am unable to sell water kefir at this time, as all my production is currently from my licensed cottage kitchen (baked goods only). I can, however, sell water kefir grains if you would like to make your own <3 They are $10 for 2T and will get you started making a quart (or liter) at a time.
Water kefir is a bright, living probiotic drink rich in beneficial bacteria and beneficial yeasts, a group so often overlooked yet deeply vital for resilient gut and immune health. Like milk kefir, it offers broad microbial diversity, but with a lighter body and none of kombucha’s sharp, vinegary bite.
Because water kefir is a living fermentation, please allow 2–5 days for your order to be ready. At times there may be a short waiting list. If you’re curious about specific flavors, just let us know, and you’re always welcome to request a tasting.
All of our water kefirs are made exclusively with organically grown ingredients, sourced from trusted suppliers and locally whenever possible. We ferment using organic cane sugar and sometimes a small amount of organic coconut palm sugar. These sugars are consumed by the cultures during fermentation; however, as with all living ferments, we cannot precisely measure the trace amount that may remain in the finished drink.
Bacteria/yeasts found in water kefir:
Dominant species:
Leuconostoc mesenteroides
Lc. citreum [4]
Lactobacillus casei/paracasei
Lb. brevis
Lb. harbinensis
Lb. hilgardii
Lb. hordei/mali
Lb. nagelii/ghanensis
Lb. rhamnosus
Bifidobacterium psychraerophilum
Bifidobacterium aquikefiri [5]
B. crudilactis
Saccharomyces cerevisiae
Dekkera bruxellensis [1]
Other species:
Lactobacillus galactose
Lb. casei subsp. Ramos
Lb. casei subsp. tolerant
Lactobacillus brevis
Lb. coraciiform subsp. torquens
Lb. fructose
Lb. hilarities [2]
Lb. homophobia [2]
Lb. plantarum
Lb. pseudo plantarum
Lb. admonishes
Lactobacillus casei subsp.casei
Streptococcus cremeris
Str. faecalis
Str. lactis
Pediococcus damnosus
Sacc. florentinus
Sacc. pretoriensis
Candida valida
C. lambica
Kloeckera apiculata
Lachancea fermentati [3]
Hansenula yalbensis
Zygotorulaspora florentina [3]
Species vary in different grains. Without (extremely) pricey lab testing, it's not possible to know what species each individual family of grains have, but all families have beneficial species.
Species without references were taken from the Fermentation Certification Course that i attended, many of which can also be found here.
Why Drink Kefir?
Kefirs are found to cause apoptosis (death) of cancer cells.
Kefir helps reverse metabolic syndrome.
Water kefir inhibits certain breast cancer cells and keeps it from metastasizing.
Kefir helps reduce anxiety and cognition impairments from nicotine withdrawals.
Kefir contains the mighty bifidobacteria which performs a number of roles including: "the production and/or liberation of B vitamins, antioxidants, polyphenols, and conjugated linoleic acids; maturation of the immune system during early life and preservation of immune homeostasis during life; preservation of gut barrier functions and protection against pathogens by producing bacteriocins, decreasing luminal pH by the production of acids, and blocking the adhesion of pathogens to the intestinal mucosa."
Probiotics consumed in fermented foods and beverage are found to inoculate the gut far better than lab-grown probiotic pill supplements.
Fermented foods are considered more beneficial than probiotic pills for many other reasons.
Probiotic diversity is key to good health.
Water kefir is delicious!
