Tucson residents have a new place to pick up Beyond Bread’s scratch-made breads, pastries and Back Dough’s signature pies just in time for the holidays: the Bread Mill, the bakery’s newest South Park Avenue location offering more than 30 fresh pie varieties and seasonal treats.

The Bread Mill, located at 825 S. Park Ave. in the Millville neighborhood, is Beyond Bread’s fifth location in the region, including its spot in the iconic Mount Lemmon Lodge.

The new shop serves special sandwich creations, fresh salads and comforting tomato basil soup, while also offering pot pies, quiches and a variety of Back Dough’s fruit, cream and hot pies.

Back Dough is an extension of Beyond Bread, opening behind the east-side location in 2012.

"You can tell you're doing something right when people line up and call and preorder,” said Outreach Coordinator Jane Overbey. “We're just really really lucky that we have people come year-round.”

Beyond Bread’s Campbell location is already a popular spot for University of Arizona students, but the Bread Mill’s location near campus gives students who won’t be traveling home or who have families visiting Tucson a convenient place to pick up holiday desserts or enjoy a pastry and cup of coffee.

Beyond Bread regularly produces between 700 and 1,200 loaves a day, increasing production during the holidays along with its supply of Back Dough pies.

And while hundreds of loaves and pies are made and sold, none of the extra goes to waste.

"We donate all of the bread to different agencies within the community. The food bank every day and now we're working with Sister Jose's across the street, donating our bread, making sure our bread doesn't go to waste,” Overbey said. "We really believe that giving back to the community is important, especially because we've had so much support. We have such a loyal following here in Tucson."

Holiday fan favorites include French apple, banana cream and coconut cream pies, with seasonal offerings such as pumpkin cheesecake, pumpkin cranberry bread and mini chocolate cherry panettone.

Overbey’s favorite is the Kaluha cream cheese pie, and Beyond Bread owner Shelby Collier said his go-to pick is the classic Boston cream pie.

Overbey said the bakery’s process is a big part of its success.

"We use high quality ingredients. European butter for the crust and hand make the dough and all fillings,” she said. "I think that’s the beauty of Beyond Bread is we are a scratch house. Making all of the bread (and pies) from scratch every morning."

Beyond Bread and Back Dough’s menus include original recipes, allowing staff to develop creative takes on traditional classics.

"There's really a collaborative environment with the team here. We have these ingredients so what can we create with it?” Overbey said. “It's a collaborative, but also a creative environment.”

Some of the menu items, especially sandwiches, are named after team members or have sentimental value.

Collier started Beyond Bread in 1998, after moving to Tucson from Wisconsin the year before. He credits his knowledge of the trade to the time he spent working at Madison SourDough.

Collier has worked hard over the years to create a bakery rooted in craft, consistency and community, values that his team says continue to define Beyond Bread today.

"I've worked here for 22 years, it's such a family. I'm proud of seeing it," Overbey said. "Tucson has been good to Beyond Bread. We hope to grow and we just hope we can continue to deliver for our fans.”

Emma Diaz is a University of Arizona alum and freelance journalist based in Tucson.

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