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Business & Tech

Business Spotlight: All Sisters Bakery

Family business includes Hartland Farmer's Market as one of its sale locations.

Bette Bottaro, 66, of All Sisters Bakery has a unique approach to marketing her business.

“When people ask for a business card, I give them a cookie. They won't forget us,” Bottaro said.

The business cookies, which come in every imaginable classic variety, are individually wrapped and sealed with a sticker that lists the contact information for All Sisters Bakery, which has a semi-permanent home in Redford.

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Bottaro settled in Redford 43 years ago after meeting her husband, Franklin, 85, who has lived in Redford all his life.

“I was on my way back to Minnesota from Florida. I stopped in Michigan to visit some friends and just stayed,” Bottaro said.

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Within a year, Bottaro was joined by two of her siblings, Kay Jorgenson and Sylvia Morrison, who make up the other sisters in the All Sisters Bakery operation. The three sisters are joined by Robin Doepker, Bottaro's daughter.

“Five years ago Robin said, 'Mother, you need to bottle and sell it,'” Bottaro said. “I said, 'Okay. Let's work on the idea.'”

Armed with a stockpile of recipes they already knew by heart, the women went to work. The bakery got its license three years ago and has been involved with seven or eight area farmers markets since. This is their second year with the .

Alex Diaz, one of All Sisters Bakery's employees, is often the face of the bakery at the Hartland Farmers Market. He helps Bottaro a couple nights a week and sells at three markets.

“Bette taught me how to make bread from really old family recipes,” he said.

The bread is priced at $3 per loaf, while All Sisters Bakery's cookies can be purchased individually for $1, by the half dozen for $5, and by the dozen for $9. In addition to bread and cookies, All Sisters Bakery offers roll-ups for $2 each. The roll-ups — either ham and cheese or pepperoni cheese — are perfect for market vendors and customers on the go.

The signature item of All Sisters Bakery is a honey wheat oat bread, a staple Bottaro learned to make from her mother while she was growing up in Minnesota.

“I started baking before I was 10 years old. I was the oldest of eight. In a family that big, you end up doing a lot of things to help mother,” Bottaro said. “And we were eating brown bread before it was vogue.”

In fact, brown bread is all Bottaro, who values good nutrition, will eat.

“You have to pay attention to your health because no one else does ifor you,” Bottaro said. “It quickly becomes a lifestyle.”

Bottaro's take on nutrition defines many of All Sisters Bakery's products, which are made with all natural ingredients.

“We don't use synthetic ingredients. No oleo. A little bit of lard and butter makes the best pie crust,” she said. “You just can't sit down and eat the whole pie.”

Exercise is also built in to Bottaro's work.

“Kneading bread is the best shoulder physical therapy out there,” Bottaro said.

Because the women share baking duties, which they perform in their homes, All Sisters Bakery doesn't have a home base. But they are currently looking for a permanent building.

Once they have a home, All Sisters Bakery will start to explore additional recipes, including gluten-free cakes and cookies. But don't look for gluten-free bread anytime soon.

“I'm picky because I make it. If it doesn't look and taste good, I don't see a point,” Bottaro said. “Gluten is what makes bread bread.”

Editor's note: This is part of a series of articles on vendors at the Hartland Farmer's Market that will run either on Friday or Saturday over the next several weeks. The market — which is in the parking lot of the Hartland Educational Support Service Center, 9525 Highland Rd — is open Saturdays from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. through October.

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