EAGLE — Sourdough and Sage Owner Melissa Falco spent 20 years working in health and wellness, educating audiences across the country on nutrition and reducing chemicals in the diet — sometimes speaking in front of crowds of 8,000 people at a time.
But a personal moment of faith set her on a different path.
"I asked just God for some advice and said, I'm kind of ready to work for you, and tell me what you want me to do. And it came very strongly on my heart to open up a little bakery, which sounds so silly, but he uses bread, right?" Falco said.
The inspiration behind the business also hits close to home; when her husband was diagnosed with celiac disease.
"He got diagnosed at 46, and we're both Italian, and so that was scary because all of our family recipes and all the things that we, you know, had loved, like growing up with, were a challenge now," Falco said.
WATCH: The story behind the sourdough
That journey led her to sourdough. Falco said she spent years trying to perfect gluten-free bread for her husband before discovering sourdough and diving into the science behind it. The name Sourdough and Sage reflects that dual mission — the bread as the foundation of the business, and the wisdom behind what you eat and how ingredients come together. Falco said she was taught by an Italian grandmother to pick fresh and local ingredients, to know what is in season and what is ripe — a philosophy that shapes the menu to this day.
One of the most distinctive commitments behind the bakery is the flour itself. Falco imports it from Italy, from a company that has been in business for more than 100 years and does not spray anything on top of the wheat. She said the gluten molecules in European wheat are smaller than those in American wheat, which is part of why people often find they can digest food more easily when traveling abroad.
"It's a cleaner grain," Falco said.
The flour is also available for purchase in the bakery.
Sourdough and Sage sources ingredients locally wherever possible. The bakery works with Berries on Valentine for berries and is partnering with Dry Creek Farm for produce. The menu is built around organic sourcing as much as possible.
Rather than a traditional printed menu, the bakery operates more like a European-style shop — items are made in rounds throughout the day and displayed as they come out. Falco said the approach keeps things fresh and personal.
"I wanted to bake for people. I didn't want to just put things on the shelf, you know. I think there's a lot of places you can go and buy stuff. I wanted to make it personal, and that's why we call it a boutique bakery," Falco said.
Customer favorites include cinnamon rolls — which Falco said sell far beyond what she originally anticipated, now moving 50 on a Wednesday — along with a sourdough English muffin egg sandwich made with an 18-hour fermented muffin, inspired by the breakfast sandwiches Falco grew up finding on every corner in New York. The coffee cake is made with buttermilk and sourdough discard. A yogurt parfait with homemade granola rounds out the lighter options. Nearly everything on the menu is touched by sourdough at some point in the process — either fermented or made with discard.
Among the fall specials is the pumpkin swirl sourdough — an idea Falco said came to her at 2 a.m. while rolling dough late one night.
"It was like 2 in the morning and I, and I like was rolling the dough and I said, what if I put a swirl in it? I wonder how that would go, and it ended up being like the best thing ever," Falco said.
The pumpkin swirl loaf is available through the end of November.
The bakery also makes pumpkin-shaped loaves in various sizes during the fall season, which Falco described as great centerpieces and gifts. The pumpkin swirl is also served as a French toast special, topped with a yogurt spread and bourbon maple syrup — a syrup Falco said she prefers for the subtle undertone it adds — along with bacon.
The signature sandwich is a turkey on raisin sourdough cinnamon bread, inspired by a sandwich Falco had in Miami Beach at age 15 on a trip with her father. It is served with apple slices and butter lettuce.
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One of the most popular items on the shelf is Frankie Cookies — a chocolate chip cookie developed by Falco's 15-year-old daughter, who stepped in when Falco was struggling to land on a signature recipe. The cookies went viral and are now a staple. The bakery also makes scratch versions of Oreos, nutter butters, and animal cookies — born out of Falco's frustration with the ingredients in store-bought versions.
"I said, well, we can do better," Falco said.
Cupcakes, quiche, and salads round out the offerings, with icings that rotate regularly — recent options have included basil frosting. On Saturdays, Falco's husband runs a pizza operation on the patio from 1 to 4 p.m., featuring a thin, New York-style sourdough crust. The patio is also available to rent.
Every Saturday, the bakery also partners with Sourdough Stars — a family of sisters and their mother whom Falco met in a prayer group — to offer pre-orderable breakfast spreads in various sizes.
The bread wall inside the bakery was custom-built by Joe Hess. Loaves are available in three sizes — 750 grams, 550 grams, and 350-gram minis — as well as kid-sized sandwich loaves in flavors like peanut butter bread and orange loaf, designed to fit smaller hands and make children feel welcome.
Falco said sourdough takes 24 hours to make and 36 hours of total prep, so she encourages customers to call ahead for special orders.
The bakery also has a teaching kitchen in the back, where Falco runs a mentor program pairing more senior women with younger ones to pass down kitchen skills the same way she learned — from her elders.
"I just wanted to provide a space where I learned in the kitchen from my elders, we could create space for them to learn through us," Falco said.
The physical space was designed with intention. Falco hand-drew most of the design elements inside and worked with Roth Construction to bring her vision to life, including a series of archways that represent the old and the new coming together.
"I think that there's this beautiful history and legacy here in Idaho that we've fallen in love with, but there's also a newness with it of people coming in and bringing gifts. And I think that if we can create the archway and create a meeting space for people, then it turns into something magical," Falco said.
The bakery also recently secured a second space down the street to build out a commissary kitchen, allowing the team to expand capacity — especially heading into the holiday season — while keeping the Eagle location as the flagship.
Since opening, Falco said the community response has been overwhelming — far beyond what she anticipated.
"We honestly thought we'd have about 25% of the volume of people coming through that we do now," Falco said.
Through every detail of the space and every item on the menu, Falco said her goal is the same.
"I believe truly that every bite either builds you up or tears you down. And really, we're in the business of building people up," Falco said.
To place an order or inquire about patio rentals, Sourdough and Sage can be reached by call or text at 208-803-4533.
Sourdough and Sage is located at 79 E Aikens St #110, Eagle, ID 83616. They are closed on Sunday, Monday, and Tuesday. They are open from 9 am to 4 pm from Wednesday to Saturday.
