Harry Clark was working as a civil engineer when he made his first loaf of bread. He was hooked the second his hands hit the dough. Clark and his wife, a physician, were living in Los Angeles at the time.
He started giving bread to friends and neighbors. Harry Clark owns Radical Bread Co. He did the same after moving across the country to Charleston, when Clark left his job to become a stay-at-home father.
Clark researched recipes while his son was napping. The baking continued and a sourdough recipe was perfected. Clark could now make 15 loaves per hour.
When he posted about his new venture — Radical Bread Co . — on Nextdoor, he was surprised by the overwhelming response from his Charleston neighbors. Months later, when his father and stepmother moved to the Lowcountry to help with the kids, Clark relocated Radical Bread from his home to a commercial kitchen in North Charleston.
Story continues below The key to the bread is a 7-year-old starter that gives each loaf its own personality, Clark said. Plain sourdough and varieties like sweet potato and blueberry are injected with steam as they’re cooked in a ceramic stone oven. Each loaf takes between 36 and 48 hours to prepare.
“There’s some technical science stuff to it,” Clark said. “It’s also an art.” The recent closures of Butcher & Bee and Brown’s Court Bakery have left Charleston residents with fewer options for local bread.
Clark hopes to open a storefront one day to help fill the void. Right now, Rad.