Made in the Hudson Valley: Sourdough Sisters in Armonk share passion for baking bread with the community
The trio had always loved baking, but it was not until the COVID-19 pandemic that the hobby grew into something bigger.
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The kitchen at the Reznikov household in Armonk is already busy as Rachel, Daniella and their mother, Elina, start their day baking another fresh loaf of sourdough bread.
The trio had always loved baking, but it was not until the COVID-19 pandemic that the hobby grew into something bigger.
“My sister and I always loved to cook and bake,” said Daniella Reznikov, 15, one of the founders and bakers of Sourdough Sisters. “When we were little, we always grew up in the kitchen and cooking together. Then, over quarantine, we had a lot of time on our hands, and we just spent most of it cooking.”
“We also were quarantined with our grandparents at the time,” added Rachel Reznikov, 17, the other founder and baker of Sourdough Sisters. “Our grandparents were pre-diabetic, and so one of the things that we really wanted to focus on was finding a baked good that was something that our grandparents could enjoy along with our family.”
After seeing sourdough videos trending on social media during the pandemic, the two sisters hopped on the bandwagon, thinking the health benefits would be perfect for their grandparents.
“Sourdough became very popular at first because people know that it has a lower glycemic index,” Rachel explained. “So that means that you will eat it, and unlike normal bread or other carbs, it will not spike your blood sugar immediately. It takes a longer time for the bread to digest. And so also there is something called lactobacillus bacteria in it. It is good bacteria. It is kind of keeping your body at homeostasis. One of the problems nowadays with store-bought bread is they advertise it by saying that it has this bacteria, so you are not actually getting the health benefits.”
Their mother, Elina Reznikov, saw just how important the health benefits were and decided to help her daughters perfect their recipes.
“Real sourdough bread has only three ingredients: water, wild yeast that we cultivate and flour,” said Elina, who is also another baker for the business. “That’s it. [Maybe throw in] a little bit of salt, but store-bought bread has a lot of other additives and ingredients that shouldn’t be there.”
After perfecting their recipes, the family officially launched Sourdough Sisters on Instagram in September 2024.
“It’s amazing,” Elina said. “I’ve always seen their passion for cooking, especially baking. So, it’s extremely exciting. I’m happy that they’re getting a lot of reward and recognition from it and, most importantly, providing it to people and kids in need.”
The sisters donate most of their profits to local charities throughout the region, including Heavenly Productions Foundation and clubs at their school.
“[Our] high school, Byram Hills, has an annual talent show,” Rachel said. “They call it the Youth Against Cancer and One World Club Talent Show. So the two clubs that are going towards these causes have a talent show where different vendors can come. So, we cater for them, and we make sourdough pretzels and other baked goods. What’s great is, for me, I get to see my friends at the talent show, and then they also come and support our business. We raise that money and then give it to those clubs. It’s going to kids with cancer or other important causes.”
Between their service and word-of-mouth from neighbors and social media, the Sourdough Sisters have started winning over customers one loaf at a time.
“I kind of feel supported in the community,” Rachel said. “Whenever I’m coming to school, my friends, who had just bought a bread, will be like, ‘This was delicious.’ It kind of motivates me to keep going.”
“My friends are very supportive of it,” Daniella added. “When we first started our business, especially, a lot of my friends’ moms would come and pick up breads. I would always get texts after, like, ‘It was so good. When’s the next one?’”
It’s not just their friends that have shown support for the sisters, however. Members from all over Westchester and surrounding counties have found their way to the viral loaves.
“I feel like the entire community now knows us,” Elina said. “We know them. We know their preferences. The reward that we feel by contributing to community, by seeing people get excited about our bread and asking, ‘When is the next drop?’ is extremely rewarding.”
“My English teacher and my old chemistry teacher had known that we were selling bread,” Rachel added. “So, for the talent show, or even just outside of school, I had gotten to know them better because they knew us as the Sourdough Sisters.”
As the business continues to grow, the family says staying together in the kitchen is part of their recipe for success.
“It’s a good way to spend more time together,” said Daniella. “It’s very therapeutic to do, and if we’re ever stressed or we just don’t have time to do something together, we always make time to bake.”
“It’s definitely therapeutic for me,” agreed Elina. “I love to do it in the evening when no one’s around, or when the girls are around.”
“When I get to be with my mom and my sister in the kitchen, it’s a great time for us,” Rachel added. “This is when we catch up. This is when, at the end of the really stressful exam week, I can just enjoy time with them. I can bake. I have the support of my mom and my sister.”
The Sourdough Sisters make all kinds of baked goods like sourdough loaves, bagels, pretzels, focaccia and more. While the dream is to one day own a storefront, the family currently bakes and sells their goods inside their Armonk home. They also release their products in drops. To learn when the next one will be, sign up here or follow their Instagram page.
