A Family Offers “Baking How It Used To Be”

By Tara Fort

The essence of Flour Stone Bakery is steeped rich in heritage by its founder and owner, Kim Blumstein who, along with her husband, opened the business in 2015 to serve the Greater Quad-City area with handmade, preservative-free baked goods.  The Blumstein’s moved to the area in 1998 from Idaho, where they owned a bakery within a grocery store and have continued that profession in their current location in Prescott Valley’s Entertainment District. Says Blumstein, “My husband is a third-generation baker from Israel—his grandfather, father, and brothers were bakers and when he was 13, he was given the option to go to school or join the family business. He chose the family business.  The name of the bakery is the Hebrew translation of our last name:  Blum means ‘flower’ which we changed to ‘flour’, and Stein means ‘stone’.”

The traditional and classic approach adopted by the bakery means that dough and baked goods are created daily, and customers have come to rely on the freshness of loaved bread and pastries. Blumstein adds, “Bear Claw pastries are the most popular item. My husband hand rolls in the Danish daily, so it is fresh and not from a mix or a package.”  The bakery, which serves traditional bacon-eggs-and-toast for breakfast and specialty sandwiches for lunch, offers areas where customers visit in a quaint limited seating space indoors and two patios outdoors—all of which served for safe gatherings throughout the challenges of 2020.  Soon into last year, the bakery started producing cakes for weddings and special occasions. Blumstein says, “Because weddings in 2020 were mostly done ‘off the cuff’ with people deciding they would get married without a lot of planning, we found ourselves creating wedding cakes because we were able to produce with a quick turnaround. We would get a call on Wednesday for a wedding scheduled for that Saturday. We have continued to expand this service and we know it will be a popular offering for us, particularly with spring and summer weddings on the horizon. My husband does the baking and I do the decorating, which I just love!”  After six years, Blumstein says 2021 is a transition year for the bakery as it marks the first year they have not had a family member employed, with both sons now expanding their own lives with growing families and personal commitments.

Owning a bakery is high on the list of dream jobs with the delicious temptations of baked goods in the air, and the Blumstein’s are no exception to those who are living the dream and serving the community through their donations to district schools and organizations. For Blumstein, it is a dream come true: “I love creating something beautiful for somebody. I find great joy in that, and it’s incredibly fulfilling to be able to use our artistic abilities to bring joy to others. It’s where my heart is and where I want to be.”

For more information about Kim Blumstein and Flour Stone Bakery: flourstoneaz.com; 2992 N. Park Avenue, Suite C, Prescott Valley, AZ 86314; 928-277-8197; Facebook: @flourstone