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BEARFOOT BAKERY SOUTHWEST ALASKA
From Homeschool Kitchen to

Beloved Community Bakery Kodiak Sunrise See Video
photo by:
Women in Business VC TRAVEL GUIDE

Discovered in the 1700s by Russian fur traders, Kodiak Island is now a top tourist
destination. View the Kodiak brown bear on the ground or from the air on a flight seeing
tour. Private fishing boat charters offer excellent saltwater fishing from April through
October while commercial fishing vessels work the waters all year long.
Covering nearly 5,000 square miles, the Kodiak Archipelago consists of 16 major islands
in the central Gulf of Alaska at the head of the Aleutian Island chain. Ancient glaciers and
millennia of stormy weather sculpted the islands’ granite core into rugged mountains and
intricate shoreline. This dynamic land is home to an abundance of wildlife. Whales and sea
otters feed in bays. Enormous bears roam meadows of waist deep grass and salmon return
to nearly every stream.
At the end of the Aleutian Island chain, Unalaska/Dutch Harbor is the departure point for
the crab fishing fleet of “Deadliest Catch” fame. Katmai and Lake Clark on the mainland are
In the heart of Kodiak, Alaska, there’s a wild, untouched preserves with the highest concentration of brown bears on Earth.
warm, welcoming spot where the smell of
fresh bread fills the air and everything—from
the baguettes to the cinnamon rolls—is made
from scratch. But the story behind Bearfoot
Bakery is just as rich as the sourdough: a
journey that began simply and grew into one
of the town’s most treasured businesses.
Crystal Burnside, founder of Bearfoot
Bakery, didn’t set out to open a bakery. In
2014, while homeschooling her four children,
she began teaching her two oldest daughters
how to bake bread. Her husband brought a
loaf of their white sandwich bread to work—
and came home with orders. Soon, the family
was selling loaves, cookies, and pies at
Kodiak’s farmer’s market.
What started as a hands-on homeschool
lesson evolved into a thriving business. In
November 2023, after ten summers at the
farmer’s market, Bearfoot Bakery opened
its first storefront—a long-planned and
thoughtfully executed next step. Crystal even
trained at the San Francisco Baking Institute
to prepare for commercial-scale baking.
Crystal’s curiosity and drive led her to
experiment with new recipes, even mastering
croissants through online tutorials and a
baking class. “I get bored with the same
products,” she says. “I like to challenge
myself.”
The bakery now serves breakfast and lunch
year-round, with house-made buns, croissants,
and bagels filled with fresh ingredients. Lunch
includes baguette sandwiches with in-house
roasted meats and homemade dressings.
Winters bring hot soup made from scratch,
and nothing goes to waste—meat trimmings
become hearty stews and chilis.
Fridays are special: “Fancy Friday” features
elevated desserts like crème brûlée, berry
cream danishes, and seasonal tarts. And
Crystal’s sourdough—especially varieties like
cinnamon chip and cranberry pecan—sells out
nearly every day.
Now employing 11 staff members, Bearfoot
Bakery remains a family operation with
support from children and her husband Chad.
Crystal says, ‘We want to always commit to
making a better product so our customers
know it’s just as good as anything they’d get
in New York or Paris.”
Bearfoot Bakery is at 111 Rezanof Dr W #1,
Kodiak, AK 99615. Phone: (907) 512-6836
For the entire story please go to
travelguidesalaska.com

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