Levain of Acadiana is Baking a Community

She calls it soap bombing. The batches of fresh, chemical-free soaps Marissa McBride cooks herself and stuffs into friend Rosalie Moyer’s mailbox are less of an exchange, and more of a joy offering for her genuine friendship with the Lafayette-based bread baker who has been making a name for herself since the summer of 2022 when she launched Levain of Acadiana from her home kitchen.

“Sweet Rosie has allowed me to sit by her side sharing life moments over coffee and baked goodness, sometimes twice a week, if needed,” says McBride, owner of Papillon Savon. “We trade goods sometimes, but mostly that’s just an excuse to hang out. Her kitchen has healed my heart and settled my soul on more than one occasion.”

Good bread and great company has that effect on people.

Levain is French, and baking parlance, for “leavened.” Literally: risen. And the evocative power of that word is on full display in Moyer’s rustic, handcrafted offerings — when flower, yeast, water, salt and time work in tandem to create breads boasting sustenance, energy and, especially with Moyer’s methods, the growth of connection and community.

“I get so encouraged by my creative friends,” Moyer says. “I’m so proud of Acadiana, and thankful to be a part of a city where people find their craft, do one thing really well, and share it with others.”

The namesake and European-inspired flavors of her sourdough varieties, brioche, spelt rye and einkorn levain, are no mere affectation, but born of lived experience.

While her husband Alec served in the Army, the couple lived in Wiesbaden, Germany. Moyer did secretarial work for the Department of Defense there and would ride her bike to the nearby organic farm and market for fresh produce and bread.

“It was like a fairy tale,” she says. “People appreciate food so much there, and view it as much more than what you’re eating. It’s the preparation, the ingredients, the meal, the setting, and the entire experience. That intentionality is very real there, and it still inspires me today.”

Having studied anthropology at LSU, Moyer has always been fascinated by people, making bread and, most recently, kombucha, allowing her to intentionally explore the science of how foods affect our bodies.

After stints in Afghanistan and North Carolina, they settled their growing family in Lafayette, where Moyer began experimenting with sourdough during the pandemic. Now, after mornings of playing games and setting up trains with her toddler, she rolls out her baking cart into the living room and gets to work with her dough at her dining table.

Her first social media posts selling her bread were immeasurably modest, but passionate and nerdy.

“Please still buy my bread,” she wrote after one particularly science-heavy post. “I promise I’m not a total freak.”

For the mother of four, growing Levain of Acadiana has meant balancing family with her bread production. Each Monday, she and her husband have a schedule meeting, a lifesaver for planning, she says. But being a mom has also influenced her work itself, too. Her initial white and wheat loaves were perfected solely because she wanted healthy, non-additive breads for her children. She also makes rich chocolate chip cookies and fresh pizza dough for delivery.

“Friday nights are always pizza and movie night at our house, so I thought other families would be into that, too,” she says.

Last year she added sourdough king cakes to her repertoire, a huge hit, and she wants to collaborate with a new mill in town, Straw Cove Baking Company, to better directly source fresh regional flour.

“The more I want to create, the more I have to learn,” Moyer says. “That’s been the biggest lesson.”

She is continually energized by the work of Grammy-winning soul pianist Jon Batiste while she creates — he is usually singing smoothly over her dough while Moyer is hands-deep into mixing, folding, forming, waiting and then baking her goods.

It all culminates on Friday afternoons, after a very early morning to bake, when the older kids are off to school, her toddler is at her parents’ house and her van is the best-smelling vehicle in Lafayette, loaded high with orders fresh from the oven.

“I love those delivery visits so much, because I look forward to spending a few minutes in some of the gardens and on the porches of my friends and regular customers,” Moyer says. “That’s when I get to connect with people and see who all of this is for, and that’s the most important thing.”

At a Glance

Age: 36
Hometown: Grand Coteau, Louisiana
@levain.acadiana on Instagram

Q&A

Some people don’t like crust on bread. What would you say to them to convince them to try it? I’d begin by explaining that the crust is the best part. For my younger kids, I cut up small pieces of crust for them to dip in seasoned olive oil or good balsamic vinegar that tastes like candy, thanks to Graze Acadiana!

Where was the best bread you’ve ever eaten? When I lived in Wiesbaden, Germany, the fresh, organic rye and einkorn loaves at the farm bakery in Domäne Mechtildshausen were divine. Domäne’s bread was full of flavor and nutrients.  The purposeful ingredients coupled with the skilled bakers made perfect bread.

What’s your best advice for parents who want to balance family with an artform or creative business? Don’t wait until you have more time.  Stay curious, find beauty in the mundane and be patient.  One way I find beauty is by simply being present. This is easier said than done, but when I stop and look around, beauty can be found almost instantly.