Stregare Baking Company creates custom wedding cakes and dessert bars. Services start at $3.75 per guest for layer cakes and $6 per guest for cheesecakes or dessert bars. (Courtesy Stregare Baking Company)
What began as a holiday tradition of baking cheesecakes with his mother has blossomed into a five-acre farm in Bastrop where owners Michael and Luci Holcomb create custom desserts for customers throughout the Austin area and run a farm of roughly 50 sheep.
The overview
The Holcombs have operated the farm-based Stregare Baking Company since 2012, specializing in cheesecakes made from their own sheep’s milk, as well as cookies, brownies, cinnamon rolls, fruit bars and other baked goods.
The couple moved from Austin to Bastrop in 2016 and built out their commercial kitchen space, opening to the public three years ago.Frozen sheep milk is stored in bulk at Stregare Baking Company as part of the farm’s expanding dairy operation, with plans to sell raw sheep milk products this year. (Jessica McLaren/Community Impact)Respecting the craft
Stregare Baking Company—its name translating to “bewitching” in Italian—has an approach to baking that’s rooted in precision, Michael Holcomb said. Over the years, he converted all his recipes to metric measurements for consistency.
"An ounce is like this much, and a gram is like that much," he explained, demonstrating how much smaller—and more precise—a gram is. "If you make it, I make it, anybody else makes it, it's exactly the same thing."
He credits a pastry chef at a local school with teaching him professional techniques and formulas. When a customer's cookie recipe wasn't baking consistently, Michael Holcomb analyzed the butter-to-flour ratio and adjusted the baker’s percentage to achieve uniform results, he explained.
Stregare Baking Company owner Michael Holcomb converts all recipes to metric measurements for consistency in his kitchen. (Jessica McLaren/Community Impact)
What's special about it
Unlike many bakeries that stick to a set menu, Stregare thrives on custom orders. With over 100 cheesecake flavors in their repertoire—from classic to yuzu to black sesame—Michael Holcomb rarely says no to special requests.
"I always tell everybody, if there’s a pan, I’ll make it," he said.
Staying local
The bakery's wholesale business supplies local restaurants, including Piney Creek Chop House, where Stregare has provided four-inch cheesecakes for 11 years.
More Stregare products can be found in Bastrop County, including:
Stregare Baking Company operates a sheep dairy on its five-acre Bastrop farm and welcomed 21 lambs this season. The bakery plans to sell raw sheep milk later this year. (Jessica McLaren/Community Impact)From the oven
Customers can shop the Saturday bake sales from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m., where items like scones, cinnamon rolls, cookies and brownies sell for $2-$4 each. Custom cheesecakes in seven- or nine-inch sizes range from $49-$59 and can be ordered by appointment throughout the week by calling 512-563-2744.Chocolate chip cookies, blueberry bars, brownies and lemon bars ($2-$3 each) baked fresh at Stregare Baking Company are available at the bakery's Saturday bake sale from 8 a.m.-1 p.m. and at the downtown Bastrop farmer's market. (Jessica McLaren/Community Impact)Looking ahead
The Holcombs will gather local vendors at their farm this summer, as they envision one day throwing pasture parties—multi-course meals held at a long table in the pasture. These parties typically feature local ingredients and chefs, letting you taste the land while eating under the stars.
