Great Muffins at DL Farmers Market

By Deb Jenkins
Staff Writer

Let me introduce you to the MUFFI team. I loved everything Sarah Klemm had to say!
High Plains Reader: Please tell our readers how you ended up in Detroit Lakes.
Sarah Klemm: My husband works with Menard’s and was transferred from Red Wing to Detroit Lakes.
HPR: Please give our readers some background on you and your family.
SK: My husband and I grew up in Wisconsin. We got married, ventured down to South Carolina for eight years and started to raise our family. Down in South Carolina we discovered our son was Gluten-intolerant. This was really hard on all of us. We had a tradition of going to the Atlantic Bread Company every Friday morning. It was such a great time to reconnect and enjoy a Danish, muffin, or cinnamon bun. We tried to bring him things that he could eat, but the things at the grocery store didn’t appeal to him. So, I started trying to make something that he could carry in his little hand and enjoy. There was a lot of trial and error. These first years were packed with many mistakes and some victories. Eventually, I started learning the right consistency and had more and more victories! 
HPR: Why is it important to you to have this product in our lives?
SK: Seeing my son smile and really enjoy his treat made me think of all the other little ones out there that are missing a special moment to go out and eat with mom, dad, or a grandparent. We want to bring this to everyone by striving to have our own Gluten Free Bakery.
HPR: How can our readers get your product?
SK: Right now we are at the Detroit Lakes Farmers’ Market every Tuesday and Saturday. We have a website that people can check out and pre-order for pick-up.
HPR: I see this is a family-run Muffi team, what are the roles of the team, please?
SK: Our two boys have been a part of making the granola and cutting up fruit to put into our muffis. Their most challenging job is the selling. We are helping them get their feet wet by selling and making change for the first part of each sale day. Daniel, my husband has taken over the job of making our products look good by adding icing, glazes, and/or frosting. He is also involved in helping me bake the items we sell.
HPR: What is your most popular item and why?
SK: Our muffi called “2 o’clock.” It’s a really healthy muffi made with Flax, Sorghum, and Buckwheat.
It surprises people because it also has dried orange peels in it. This makes it a really healthy and fun muffi.
HPR: What do you as a Muffi team feel is the most important thing we should understand about being gluten-free?
SK: When you hear that someone is gluten-free, you need to realize that this has changed their life. They miss out on a lot of everyday common things like a friend’s birthday cake, in-school treat, or eating out together as a family.
HPR: I understand that you are VERY interested in finding a kitchen to work in so that you can get your product into stores. What kind of kitchen exactly? 
SK: Yes, we would like to go on to the next step and that would mean we would need to do all our baking in a commercial kitchen. I was told that it needs to be made of stainless steel so it can be cleaned easily. 

HPR: Please explain to our readers how it is that you are able to sell your product now in the Farmers Market.
SK: Selling at the Farmers Market falls into a different category and doesn’t require a commercial kitchen, but we do need to post a sign that signifies that our products are homemade and not subject to state inspection.
HPR: I personally think that the presentation of the product is the most important thing before it gets to my mouth. Your product gets my brain so excited!
SK: Yes, my husband and I joke that the presentation of a product is like fishing. You need to make the lure very attractive.
HPR: Please tell our readers some health benefits of eating gluten-free.
SK: The health benefits coincide with people who have symptoms ranging from swelling, Irritable Bowel Syndrome, Psychological (stress, nerves), Diarrhea,Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, Weight Loss, Allergies, Anemia, and many other symptoms.  Many of the people struggling with these and other symptoms have come to our booth and expressed relief after removing Gluten from their lives.
HPR: How long does it take you to make the breads?
SK: The breads go through a very slow process.  We realized that allowing the yeast time to work through the dough produces a better-tasting bread. So we allow the breads a full days rising time. Start to finish the breads take two days to make.

HPR: On your web site at http://www.muffiglutenfree.com/ you have that you make dairy-, egg-, and wheat-free sandwich bread, made with potatoes, sorghum and brown rice flours. Is this special-order bread?
SK: No, I try to have at least two loaves available each day.
HPR: What do your kids think of these products or is this all they have had?
SK: My gluten-intolerant son is proud of them and enjoys sharing them with his friends. My other son who can have wheat, likes them but won’t choose them over a wheat doughnut!
HPR: After the end of the Farmers Market in Detroit Lakes, will all your products be by web site order?
SK: Legally, I need to look into what I am allowed to do. It would be great to be able to still offer these items to people who either really need them or just enjoy them.
Any questions or commits, email .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address). Eat well and have a great week.

If You Go

What: DL Farmers Market
Where: Detroit Lakes City Park
When: Tue & Sat, 10am-2pm, through July 31
Info: Linda Leitheiser, 218.847.4218