Rock the Biome and {moon & mallow bakery}
Ferments Currently Available for Purchase
(in Mesa, AZ) ☆ Best viewed on a computer ☆
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!
Cheddar Onion Sourdough
Want the most flavorful sandwich? This loaf is your friend!
If thou tastest a crust of bread, thou tastest all the stars and all the heavens.
– Robert Browning
Cottage Sourdough
Sourdough Chocolate Chip Cookies
1880's Olive Fougasse
Holiday Dinner Rolls
Jalapeno Cheddar Sourdough
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. Sourdough is ideally meant to be consumed within 3 days. If you'll be eating it more slowly, slicing and freezing is the way to go for optimal freshness.
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, beeswax 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.
Sidenote: In testing, I have no allergies to wheat or gluten, and can eat organic wheat (even unfermented) without issues. If I eat non-organic wheat, I get a stomach ache within hours and feel low and off. I believe I'm reacting not to the wheat itself, but to the glyphosate (which does not belong in our bodies, or in our food).
For a much deeper scientific dive into this topic, read my blog post here.
Diversity is Vital
Water Kefir - Available Now!
I recently found out that fermented foods are now allowed to be made under the cottage food law, so I will be offering water kefir and other ferments!
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.
All of our water kefirs are made exclusively with organically grown ingredients, sourced from trusted suppliers and locally whenever possible. We ferment using organic unrefined 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.
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!
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.
Current flavor: Cherry Pie $9/quart
(Plus $2 refundable jar deposit per jar)
Please note: there is sometimes a wait list for water kefir; upon ordering, I will let you know the current wait time. Also note there is a $2 jar deposit. To avoid the deposit, you may bring your own quart jar if you would like.
Green Apple Water Kefir
Apple Rose Water Kefir
Milk Kefir
Meet milk kefir: your gut’s new bestie and a total party in a bottle! Imagine if yogurt went on a wellness retreat, got incredibly bubbly, and came back with superpowers—that’s kefir. This tangy, effervescent, living elixir is made by introducing quirky little "kefir grains" (which look like magical mini cauliflowers) to fresh milk, letting them work their wild fermentation alchemy over twenty-four hours. The result? A powerhouse that doesn't just soothe your digestion and tame bloat, but also supercharges your immune resilience, floods your body with bioavailable vitamins, and helps keep your mood lifted and bright. It is a daily splash of pure, fizzy joy for your cells! ✨
1 quart - $9 (plus a $2 refundable bottle deposit, or avoid the deposit by bringing your own quart jar)
Made with: Organic milk (fermented with real, live milk kefir grains - NO powdered cultures!)
Milk kefir strained from the grains
Sauerkraut / Pickles
Coming soon (but not too quickly; low and slow is where the flavor and biggest benefits live!
What I learned in my fermentation course in 2017 is that the bacterial profile of krauts and pickles change and develop over time, and so does the flavor!
It's challenging in Arizona to maintain the ideal temperature range (60-65F is my favorite) for fermented veg, but the flavor is so worth the effort! I ferment my veggies for 21 to 30 days to develop a layered flavor profile and to increase Lactobacillus bacteria (important for a healthy gut and many biological functions in our bodies!).
Traditional Kimchi with Organic Napa Cabbage
Green Apple Cabbage Kraut with Juniper
At moon & mallow, we don't rush the magic. Our traditional, long, slow-fermented sauerkraut is alive and kicking—literally. When you let wild fermentation do its thing over weeks instead of days, you unlock an ecosystem of beneficial bacteria. These tiny, soil-and-leaf-born superheroes don't just gently patch up your digestion; they are hard at work upgrading your entire system.
Because your gut talks directly to the rest of your body, a daily forkful or two of real kraut stabilizes your immune defenses, supports your endocrine system (helping your hormones stay in balance), and manufactures the very neurotransmitters that keep your mood grounded and bright. It’s vibrant, ancient medicine disguised as a tangy, crunchy jar of pure joy.
Beyond these core systems, the slow fermentation process unlocks highly bioavailable doses of vitamins C and K2, alongside cellular-protective compounds like isothiocyanates. Traditional lacto-fermented foods—including sauerkraut, sour pickles, and kimchi—owe these expansive benefits to a rich biodiversity of beneficial bacteria, primarily driven by robust strains such as Lactobacillus plantarum, Leuconostoc mesenteroides, and Pediococcus pentosaceus, which transform simple vegetables into living, functional medicine. These benefits cannot be found in vinegar pickles.
Fermented Tomatillo Salsa
The Gut-Body Connection: Why Fermentation is Ancient Medicine for Modern Well-Being
When we talk about health, we have to look at the roots—and in the human body, those roots live in your gut. Your microbiome isn't just an internal digestion track; it is a bustling ecosystem that dictates how you feel, think, sleep, and adapt to the world around you.
When we slow-ferment vegetables and grains, we aren't just preserving food. We are cultivating a living pharmacy. Here's a look at how a daily dose of wild, living ferments actively transforms your major bodily systems.
🧠 The Gut-Brain Axis: Your Second Brain
Did you know your gut and your brain are constantly chatting through a massive nerve highway called the vagus nerve? Your gut bacteria produce more than 90% of your body’s serotonin (the "joy and calm" chemical) and a massive chunk of your GABA (the "anti-anxiety" chemical).
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The Fermentation Benefit: A stressed gut sends stress signals to the brain, contributing to brain fog and anxiety. Introducing live, varied probiotics acts like a soothing balm, cooling internal inflammation and helping your mood stay bright, resilient, and grounded.
🛡️ Immune Resilience: The 70% Rule
Nearly 70% of your entire immune system lives directly inside your gut lining. Your gut wall is the gatekeeper, deciding what gets into your bloodstream and what gets turned away.
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The Fermentation Benefit: Long-fermented foods are packed with organic acids and protective bacteria like Lactobacillus plantarum. These friendly microbes crowd out the bad guys, reinforce your gut barrier, and train your immune cells to respond calmly instead of overreacting.
⚖️ Endocrine & Hormone Balance: The Great Stabilizer
Your endocrine system relies heavily on a healthy microbiome to metabolize hormones, manage insulin sensitivity, and regulate cortisol (your primary stress hormone).
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The Fermentation Benefit: Fermented foods contain highly bioavailable nutrients and enzymes that ease the burden on your liver and thyroid. By keeping digestion smooth and blood sugar stable, ferments help prevent the wild hormonal spikes that leave you feeling exhausted or depleted.
✨ Nutrient Bioavailability: Unlocking Nature’s Potential
Raw plants and heritage grains contain natural defense mechanisms like phytic acid, which can lock up nutrients and make them hard to digest.
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The Fermentation Benefit: The long, slow fermentation process gently predigests the food for you. It breaks down these tough plant walls and neutralizes phytic acid, unlocking an abundance of highly absorbable B-vitamins, vitamin C, iron, and zinc. You get maximum nourishment with zero digestive strain.
A Note on the Magic of Time: True wellness—much like a beautiful, wild ferment—cannot be rushed. Commercial shortcuts use vinegar and pasteurization, which kills the living magic. By honoring the slow, traditional timeline of wild fermentation, we ensure every single jar is bubbling with the vibrant, diverse bacterial strains your body natively recognizes and craves.
A variety of ferments in our temperature-controlled fermentation cabinet
Rituals of the Forkful: Easy Ways to Bring Living Ferments into Your Day
You don't need to overcomplicate your kitchen routine to completely transform your microbiome. You don't even need to eat a massive bowl of it. Cultivating a vibrant gut ecosystem is all about consistency—just one or two small, deliberate additions a day will invite incredible vitality into your system.
Here are a few effortless, delicious ways to slide a dose of living medicine onto your plate:
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The "Before-Meal" Ritual: Keep it beautifully simple. Take a single, crisp forkful of traditional sauerkraut straight from the jar right before your heaviest meal of the day. The live enzymes and organic acids act as a natural digestive bitter, signaling your stomach to prepare for smooth, comfortable digestion.
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Elevate Your Morning Eggs: Whether you love them poached, scrambled, or softly fried on a slice of toasted heritage sourdough, a small nest of tangy kimchi or kraut on the side cuts through the richness and adds a bright, wake-up contrast to your breakfast.
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The Ultimate Sandwich & Toast Upgrade: Give your daily lunch a punch of texture and depth. Tuck a layer of crunchy pickled vegetables or kraut into your wraps, layered under avocado on toast, or nestled into a grilled cheese just after it comes off the pan. (Pro-tip: Adding your ferments after cooking keeps those beneficial microbes alive and thriving!)
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Folded Into Grain Bowls & Salads: If you’re tossing together a fresh green salad or a warm bowl of grains and roasted roots, skip the extra splash of vinegar and drop a generous spoonful of kraut or kimchi right on top. Toss it all together—the vibrant brine mingles with your olive oil to create an instant, living dressing.
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The Mid-Day Savory Snack: When the afternoon slump hits and you’re craving something salty or savory, skip the processed chips. A small bowl of crisp, cold fermented pickles or a tangy kraut satisfies that crunch and gives your brain an instant, gut-powered lift.
Remember: True ferments are alive, so keep them raw and chilled to protect all that beneficial bacteria. Just grab a clean fork, scoop, and let nature do the rest!