One of my favorite parts of visiting out-of-the-way Amish communities are making "discoveries" of (I've banned myself from saying "hidden gems"...it's an overused phrase and if you see that it it often means AI has written it, AI lives "hidden gems) authentic Amish cultural immersion experiences. Okay, maybe hidden gems is prettier to say. But, anyway, I made several such discoveries while in Homer, Michigan. One of them was; Countryside Bakery and Bulk Food Store.
Located at the corner of P Road and 29 Mile Road outside of Homer (enter 2204 29 Mile Rd, Homer, MI 49245 into your GPSs!), the bakery is the cornerstone of the Amish commerce community. There are other nearby Amish businesses, but if you want a classic, authentic Amish bakery experience, then come to Countryside! The prices were also amazing. Inflation has spiked the prices at some Amish bakeries, but not this one.
Top picks
Peanut Butter Oatmeal Bars: Oh wow, I ate these before I could photograph them but these were so, so, so good and may be among my favorite Amish bakery items ever! A soft, but too soft, oatmeal cookie-type bar just slathered in a thick peanut butter frosting. I swoon over anything peanut butter and anything oatmeal, so this combination had me over the moon.
Amish Sourdough Bread: I scored a big puffy loaf of homemade Amish sourdough bread at this bakery. It was pillow-soft and made for some great sandwiches once I got home. Definitely would buy a loaf of this again!
If You Visit Countryside Bakery
In addition to a bakery, this store has a bulk food component. It isn’t huge, probably just enough to be functional for the local Amish community and to serve the tourist trade that does come in. The store has plenty of pantry staples also, along with sugars, flours, and grains.
There are also shelves of pasta that is, it looks like, made elsewhere and sold here. But there are also pastas that are homemade by the bakery. So I bought a big bag of homemade Amish egg noodles and that will mae a super supper for me and my girls sometime soon.
You’ll have to make sure you bring cash with you because they do not take credit cards. They do take checks but cash is probably preferred. The closest ATM is 15 minutes away or so in the town of Spring Arbor so you’ll cost yourself some time and gas if you have to run to an ATM.
But if you’re in central Michigan, around Battle Creek, especially, countryside is absolutely worth visiting.
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