Door County bakery Cultured named a semi-finalist for James Beard Award

Mattea Fischer began baking full-time during the pandemic in 2020, selling her sourdough bread at farmers markets and to friends by word of mouth. It wasn’t until two years ago that she had her own physical bakery in Sister Bay.

So she was a bit stunned when she learned last week that she’s a finalist for a James Beard Award, one of the most prestigious honors in the cooking world.

“It’s surreal,” Fischer told WPR’s “Wisconsin Today.” “Saying it wasn’t on my radar is an understatement. We’re honored to receive recognition and just completely taken aback.”

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A halved sandwich with bacon, lettuce, and tomato sits on a plate outdoors, with a background of green grass and sunlight. — A BBLT Sandwich from the Sister Bay bakery Cultured — comprised of bacon, lettuce, tomato, chili crisp and garlic mayo on a bagel — is photographed. Source: Kayla Larsen *Photography courtesy of Mattea Fischer*

While Cultured is known for its fresh-made sourdough bagels, Fischer’s culinary interest isn’t in solely bread but in fermented foods like kimchi, sauerkraut and sourdough.

“I love the flavor most of all,” Fischer said. “And I just love that you can use almost anything and ferment it with the bacteria that already exists everywhere.”

Fischer began selling baked goods full-time in 2020 after being laid off from her job during the COVID-19 pandemic. She first used a commercial kitchen at a nearby technical college and her days would often start at around 1:30 am to make enough goods for the day.

“Being able to test the waters with farmers markets was wonderful, because I realized there was really a need for good bread and sourdough specifically,” Fischer said. “Being able to sell it at farmers markets, just trying to make enough week after week. It was a lot.”

A person holds a plate with two bagel halves topped with cream cheese, smoked salmon, sliced cucumber, tomato, pickled onions, and fresh dill, outdoors with green grass in the background. — A Savory Sandwich from the Sister Bay bakery Cultured — comprised of smoked salmon, cucumbers, tomato, dill, pickled onions and herb-garlic cream cheese on a bagel— is photographed. *Kayla Larsen Photography courtesy of Mattea Fischer*

After years of word-of-mouth sales and connections, Fischer opened a small physical location for Cultured in Sister Bay in 2023.

“Even in the summer, when we’re super busy, we only have about six employees and we have a very small kitchen. So we’re just constantly fighting over counter space and scooching past each other,” Fischer said. “It’s all very cobbled together, but it has worked out so far.”

That might be a bit of an understatement. While the James Beard award nomination is a first for Cultured, the bakery has racked up thousands of followers across its Instagram and Facebook pages. Cultured received a nod from The New York Times in 2024 after being open for over a year, with journalist Julie Bosman writing that, “the line might be out the door, but the sourdough bagels are worth the wait.”

Fischer said she encourages people interested in working with sourdough to experiment and to “not get scared by what the internet tells you.”

“We always offer up our starter free of charge, as long as you bring your own jar, and people are always baffled about that,” Fischer said. “I’m always available for questions that home bakers might have. It’s a joy to talk to people about the things that we love.”