Today we’d like to introduce you to Shirley Truy.
Hi Shirley, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
I never considered myself a baker, to be honest. For years I was convinced I was going to be a lawyer, or judge (yes, let’s all laugh together). I spent my entire adolescence and college years studying law and gearing up to go to law school, and yet, here we are. Actually, if you would have told my Cuban dad, who immigrated here to U.S., that I was going to be “una panadera,” or “bread baker,” he’d laugh you into oblivion.
I was the worst baker I had ever known. Hands down, terrible. Seriously, cookie dough would run at the sight of me. However, after years of stomach issues, I was finally diagnosed with gastroparesis (which is a chronic illness that makes it difficult for you to digest most foods), so I spent years learning my body and eliminating tons of different foods and ingredients. I began cooking my own meals, learning which ingredients made my illness flare up, and started declining “outside foods” as much as I could. I’m talking long trial and errors where one small mistake would cause a flare up that would last weeks, maybe months, and potentially land me in a hospital.
Breakfast is my favorite meal of the day and one of the safest options for me. Light and easier on the digestion. Bread being my all time favorite. No kidding, I started a new job and in my “About Me” I wrote that bread was my favorite food.
In 2024, I moved to Ocala, Fl and as you do in a small town, you have a lot of time on your hands. I wanted to try something different and since I’m obsessed with bagels, I started looking up bagel recipes I could make from home. So I started experimenting and boom – a bread baker was born. I had missed that mid-Covid sourdough trend so I was playing major catch up. I started with yeast products, trying my hand at a simple 3 ingredient loaf and I was hooked. I started baking almost daily with tons of fails in between! I wanted to make something delicious with none of the nonsense we have in our food now in days.
I made bread for myself, my family, and for my friends when they would visit. I have a tendency to pick up multiple hobbies, so what was one more? As most friends and family do, they would always tell me how great the bread was, where did I get it, and if I really made it, which really made me laugh. I spent time sharing recipes with friends and getting 1% better each time I baked. I always thought my baking was good but nothing out of this world. It was actually my mother-in-law who would rave about it the most and tell me how I needed to start a business and sell my bread. I would just laugh her off most days. I didn’t have the courage to put myself out there like that. Month after month she kept saying the exact same thing over and over and she repeated herself so much that I thought to myself, alright I guess one Facebook marketplace post couldn’t hurt, right? My husband was also a huge motivator. He’s always been the entrepreneur type and really pushed the idea that if I didn’t sell one product then at least I tried and would never have that “what if” in my mind.
I personally thought they were crazy but I gave it a shot anyways. I was really hoping to share this bread, that didn’t cause gut issues or make you feel bloated, with anyone and everyone who was open to it. I hoped to build community and connection through food. I started with a small post of my artisan yeast loaves and who would have guess it, orders started flowing in! One thing about smaller towns, they love their local small businesses! Week after week the orders would come in, I started building regulars, my husband turned into my unpaid intern to help me keep up and we became The Simple Loaf. “I” became “we” very quickly. My hobby was now Our new side gig and it was gaining traction and fast. We had a signature loaf that helped put our name out there – La Guayabita Tiene Tumbao (our signature guava and cream cheese bread). We were the only one in town with it and it was a hit!
Then the unexpected happened – we were invited to attend our first market! The Laly Acres Vendor’s Market was where we really took off. We baked over 101 products and came home with only 2 baguettes and a whole new community of small businesses who quickly became our forever friends. The market really gave us a real reason to keep growing. Fun fact, our first market was with all 3 ingredient breads made with yeast. We weren’t a full sourdough business, yet. With the help of my other baker friends, I started perfecting my sourdough recipe and really getting a hang of our sourdough bagels. Our bagels caught the attention of local coffee shops in town who wanted to sell them in their stores. We are THRILLED.
However, under Florida cottage food laws, you cannot wholesale your goods to other businesses unless you’re licensed and working out of a commissary kitchen. We were still baking from home and had never taken on such large orders so we couldn’t fathom getting a license on a whim. We were terrified of the huge investment it would take and weren’t even sure how long these places would want us in their locations. This “hobby” of ours was taking a whole new route we never imagined. This was our “now or never” moment. We could say no and keep us as a side gig or we could take the plunge and get a commissary, apply for an LLC and take this business seriously. We respectfully said, “F- it, let’s go for it.”
Now, after a year, we have a whole community behind us and a dream that blossomed out of pure imagination. With our license, we were able to wholesale and add a mobile coffee cart. We’ve worked weddings, done catering events, sponsored local community events, supplied coffee shops, and still serve our community. Best of all, we’ve met so many beautiful people along the way. I’ve always said the best part of the business is all the customers and friends we’ve made.
What was a merely “simple” post on Facebook took on a whole new meaning providing us with such a beautiful journey of friendship and growth. My whole goal of connection through delicious food was a dream come true. Who knows where we’ll take this and I hope for a ton of more growth along the way but it’s been an amazing ride so far.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
It definitely wasn’t an easy road. Bread, who would have thought, is challenging itself and sourdough is a whole monster within itself. It’s a steep learning curve and I’ve had a ton of fails throughout our journey. Every single batch is different and is affected by the temperature of your house/where you’re prepping or baking, what temperature your water is, etc. One wrong move can ruin your whole batch. One market, it was so hot and humid during our prep day that our entire batch of bread over-proofed and turned into a bucket of goop. We had to throw away two large bins of dough and start over or cancel our market. Thankfully we pivoted quickly and were able to make it but small mistakes can really take you out.
That’s just struggles on day-to-day things, running a business is a wild ride with tons of expenses and surprises. It’s greatly rewarding but honestly also makes you question your life choices daily!
As you know, we’re big fans of The Simple Loaf. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about the brand?
The Simple Loaf is exactly that, a bakery of breads made with simple ingredients. All organic, made with no seed-oils, nuts, or crappy ingredients. We pride ourselves in providing the community with breads and bagels that are not only delicious but also safe for you to eat. You never have to guess what’s in our food.
The product we’re most proud of is our guava and cream cheese loaf. Being named playing off the hit classic from the Cuban Queen herself, Celia Cruz, “La Guayabita Tiene Tumbao” is our signature loaf. We introduced it last year when we opened up shop and it’s been a huge hit with the community. It’s been our signature since the beginning and we’re proud to have been the first micro-bakery who brought it to Ocala. This loaf is an homage to our heritage and it’s been amazing to share a little piece of our culture with everyone, especially in the sourdough market.
We offer a selection of both yeast and sourdough products; artisan breads, bagels and baguettes. Our bagels are also our best seller. NY-style fluffy bagels that are both crunchy and deliciously chewy. Bagels are my favorite breakfast product so I’ve spend hours perfecting our signature recipe for it. Tons of test batches made to get that perfectly round, fluffy bagel and we’re so proud of them!
We also have a mobile coffee cart that my husband takes ownership of. Our signature drink “La Abuelita” is our favorite. A latte which consists of condensed milk, cinnamon, double espresso shots and brown sugar.
We are fully licensed and are available to be booked for events (corporate, baby shower, weddings, etc.) or for wholesaling our goods!
Is there a quality that you most attribute to your success?
We are a team always and built our business customer facing first and foremost. Yes, our breads and coffee are great but what we really aim to provide is a full experience of happiness when you visit our pop ups. We don’t just want you to leave with great food, we want to get to know you, share a piece of us and have you leave with a full heart. We’ve made it a point to remember each and every customer since we started our pop-ups last year and it’s been the most rewarding part of the whole experience.
We love our community and are so grateful for each and every one of them. Without their support there wouldn’t be a successful business.
Pricing:
- Simply Sour (plain large loaf) $12
- La Guayabita Tiene Tumbao (large guava & cream cheese loaf) $14
- Bagels – 3 pack (plain $6)
- Bagels – 3 pack (flavored $7)
- Full menu is available as well that we can share!
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.tiktok.com/@thesimpleloaf
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/_thesimpleloaf/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/p/The-Simple-Loaf-61573553833035/
