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Novel Breads Co. in suburban Mars, Pa. is no ordinary stop for bread lovers. Bathed in warm shades of orange and yellow, this artisan micro-bakery and literary haven beautifully blends the love of stories with the art of sourdough.
At this one-woman operation owned by Heather Sprague, the air is filled with the scent of yeast and herbs, and the shelves are lined not just with bread, but with books — titles that have inspired flavor explorations and shaped her creative process.
Behind the counter, Sprague is always game for a chat. She might ask about your favorite book-bread combo, or tell you how one of her offerings, The Gentlemen’s Black Bread, was inspired by A Gentleman in Moscow. It’s quirky creations like this that make Novel Breads stand out. That black bread? A dark, pumpernickel-rye masterpiece begging to be paired with some sharp cheddar or a hefty swipe of salted butter. Sure, the bread’s the hook, but it’s the stories that keep people coming back.
“It is always a fun discovery when I’m reading because bread is integral to all cultures and so many of our stories,” says Sprague.
Sprague launched her literary baking venture online in 2017, but her passion for baking started long before. She’s been baking bread since 2000, when she worked at Gould Farm in the Berkshires of Massachusetts, a therapeutic farm for adults living with mental illness. There, between farm chores and communal living, a coworker taught her to bake bread.
“What began as a practical skill turned into a 25-year-old hobby that grew into a business,” she tells Pittsburgh City Paper.
The Mars store wasn’t part of the original plan. It happened in 2020 when a tiny space became available. The idea was simple: a cozy nook for bread, books, and fun events. Before that, it was all online orders, home pickups, and farmers market runs (all of which still happen). The store brought everything together, plus an outdoor space perfect for book clubs and author chats when the weather cooperates. The Mars location made sense — loyal customers from the farmers market were already there.
But why books and bread? The inspiration came from a familiar entrepreneur dilemma: time. “The literary part of the business came when I was formulating my business idea, logo, and plan. I was bemoaning the fact that I wouldn’t have any time to read once I started my baking business. It was my mother who suggested that I figure out a way to combine the two passions, bread and books.
“So, I wrote it into my business plan that part of my work is to read books and it was a good thing I made that a part of the work; I definitely wouldn’t have had time to read if it wasn’t part of my work. Then, when I started reading more carefully, I started discovering bread references in nearly all of the books I read,” says Sprague. This realization unlocked a treasure trove of culinary creativity.
Sprague was raised in a family of artists, musicians, and chefs; her father’s side was filled with chefs and craftsmen, while her mother’s side boasted seamstresses and artists. But it was books that captured Sprague’s heart. As a teenager, she devoured the works of Isabel Allende and Pearl S. Buck, developing a voracious love for storytelling. This passion for stories — and, of course, bread — grew over time.
When choosing books to inspire her baking, Sprague relies on intuition rather than a structured plan. She’s always exploring — looking for unique stories, new flavors, and ingredients that spark her imagination. She gravitates toward more fiction than nonfiction, but she enjoys both. For example, The Sun Does Shine by Anthony Ray Hinton, a nonfiction tale about a man wrongly accused of murder, inspired her “Sun Shinin’ Biscuits” — golden, sweet potato biscuits that carry the warmth of a mother’s love. A book club pick, One Two Three by Laurie Frankel, led to Pineapple Scones, inspired by the character Monday, who only ate yellow foods. Her whimsical Sizzlin’ Rosemary Brownie Bread draws inspiration from Dreaming in Chocolate.
“It’s always about the connection between the book and the bread,” Sprague says. “Like in Where the Crawdads Sing, the combination of cornmeal and caramel was so significant to Kaya that I created my own version, Kaya’s Karmel Kornbread.”
Not everything Heather reads sparks a new bread, and a lot of her creations come from random inspiration. Case in point, the Roasted Orange Martini Bread she whipped that up after trying a roasted orange martini at Emiliano’s Mexican restaurant. Beyond literature, her breads often reflect her travels and her family. Take the Muffaletta Sandwich Bread, for instance — an homage to the flavors of New Orleans. Normally, Muffaletta bread serves as a neutral vessel for fillings such as cheese, meat, and olive salad. Inspired by Gumbo Tales: Finding My Place at the New Orleans Table and her trips to the city, this sourdough riff on the classic bread is rich and full of flavor, taking it up a notch with rich brown roux (flour browned in extra virgin olive oil) that adds a deep umami kick. Topped with toasted sesame seeds for extra flavor, the roux makes the bread soft, silky, and flavorful.
“I have a great love for New Orleans. My mother and I have visited that very alive city five or more times,” Sprague says. “Honestly, I often skip the sandwich altogether and just eat the bread on its own.”
Another standout creation is Orbisculate Bread, inspired by the story of siblings who campaigned to have the word “orbisculate” added to the dictionary after their father passed away from COVID. (The definition of this invented word is “when a citrus fruit squirts in your eye.”) Made with Kamut flour and infused with yuzu puree and orange mint, this citrusy bread is bright and refreshing, true to the word it was inspired by.
Of course, one of the most beloved members of the Novel Breads Co. family is Sprague’s 13-year-old sourdough starter, Pearl. No, not a person. Not a pet. A starter — the wild, finicky beast of fermentation that makes sourdough such a glorious bread. Named after the free-spirited character from The Scarlet Letter, Pearl has been with Sprague since 2012, when she experimented with sourdough on her food blog, The Word Magician’s Kitchen. Over the years, Pearl has evolved into something special, a natural force that gives everything at Novel Breads a distinct flavor.
“She’s like a living thing,” Sprague says. “She’s free, natural, and full of life — just like a good sourdough should be.”
Pearl’s journey is a case of evolution. “The very first time I tried [feeding] sourdough [starter], it was a disaster,” Sprague admits. “I was a case manager in Rhode Island, driving my budding starter around in the car because I had to feed it three times a day. The cookbook required adding fresh grapes. Well, I was traveling all day long, visiting with clients in their homes, so the budding sourdough starter had to come everywhere with me.” The floor of Sprague’s passenger seat became the casualty of that first experiment.
Now, Pearl thrives on a regular diet of King Arthur All-Purpose Flour and purified water, with the occasional treat of locally-sourced flours. “Her favorite is White Spring Wheat Flour from Frankferd Farms in Saxonburg — it gives the bread a nutty, umami flavor.” Pearl’s become a bit of a celebrity, even earning a spot in the online Sourdough Library. It is worth noting that Sprague is not aiming for ultra-sour bread. She’s all about building layers of flavor that let the other ingredients shine. These days, everything at the bakery gets the sourdough treatment: croissants, English muffins, cookies, muffins, you name it.
At the heart of it all is Sprague’s commitment to creativity. “Balancing creativity with tradition isn’t a huge struggle,” she says. “I strongly lean into creativity.” This shows in the bakery’s menu: one-of-a-kind breads with flavors and ingredients you won’t find anywhere else, like Moroccan-inspired semolina flatbread, sourdough cookies, and even Thai banana bread.
Though she occasionally leans into tradition — like when customers ask for Italian bread — Sprague is more often experimenting, finding inspiration from her travels and the local community. A visit to Three Brothers Bagels in Glenshaw led her to discover the bialy, a chewy, onion-filled delight, which has since joined the bakery’s growing list of breads.
Local partnerships are key to this breadmaking business. Sprague sources specialty flours, dried fruits, and honey from local farms like the aforementioned Frankferd Farms, along with Windy Ridge Dairy and Harley’s Oak Spring Farm. Not only does this ensure top-notch ingredients, but it also builds lasting relationships with small businesses. “It’s not just about the ingredients,” she says. “It’s about creating connections with the people who provide them.”
Sprague is also deeply committed to her community. Whether she’s donating decorative breads for Ukraine fundraisers or collaborating with local libraries, she’s dedicated to supporting causes close to her heart. Looking ahead, she hopes to expand her community-driven initiatives, including hosting literary events and offering space for Human Libraries, where people can “check out” a human book and engage in meaningful conversations about their unique life experiences.
In line with that sense of community, the Novel Breads Eaters and Readers Club is a food-themed book club that’s been running for over a decade. “We’ve done everything from chocolate-themed dinners at The Olive Vault [in Franklin, Pa.] to staging a group poisoning inspired by A Taste for Poison,” Sprague says. Their gatherings are culinary adventures, complete with experimental dishes and cocktails, all immortalized in a cookbook sold at the shop.
Heidi Resch, one of the first members of the book club who’s stayed with it throughout, says, “I first crossed paths with Heather when she was the events coordinator at Enchanted Olive, and when I saw they were starting a book club involving food, I was like, ‘Where do I sign up?’ Fast forward, and Heather started Novel Breads, but she stayed super connected, so we, the OG book club that is still going strong, still have our meetings there sometimes. And let me tell you, her bread is nothing short of magic. Seriously, it’s so good. As for Heather, she has been championing the local scene for as long as I can remember.”
The customers at Novel Breads are a vital part of this literary-baking ecosystem, too. They don’t just buy bread, they share their lives, their favorite books, and their flavor ideas. “I love knowing what my customers’ families are like or what’s happening in their lives,” Sprague says.
And in the end, isn’t that what every loaf should offer — a warm invitation to sit down and break bread with others?
This article appears in Dec 25-31, 2024.
