Partial to Pie Bakery: a pie lover’s delight

Partial to Pie Bakery officially opened for business on July 31 this year. The focus of the business is all in the name.

“Weareabakerywith a strong focus on pies and quiche,” said owner Marie Clark, who jokes she’s also the cashier, baker and janitor.

“We make our baked goods fresh every day with quality ingredients, while also focusing on the use of local fresh ingredients when available.”

This business started from years of Clark baking with her dad Mike Clark for festivals, while they both worked full time jobs.

During that time Clark went through the business program at Sinclair Community College and Partial to Pie Bakery ended up becoming her business plan.

She works with her dad to create a set menu daily, with weekly and seasonal items likepump kin, pecan and sweet potato in the fall.

Currently they sell their products exclusively out of the bakery at 200 Shroyer Road.

There is dine-in seating where you can enjoy a snack, meal or dessert in the form of quiche, savory meat pies or traditional dessert pies.

Clark says she hopes to work with some other businesses in the future to do some wholesaling business.

Winter i sas eason for pies of all types and the holidays are especially pie-oriented. Clark estim atesthey make about 125 pies in a typical week, with custom- ers purchasing what’s in stock or ordering whole pies or quiche over the phone or via email with two days notice.

Despite a busy schedule, Clar kto ok time out to answer some questions about her new business.

How did you get started cooking?

My family has always cooked and baked a lot, so I grew up around it and was helping out at a very young age.

What do you have to do to make a great pie?

Take your time and don’t try to rush the process. Balance the flavors and always use cold butter and cold water when making pie crusts.

What makes your pies special?

We focus on using quality ingredients, and all of our pies are made fresh daily. Also our pies tend to be less sweet than many on the market, which allows the flavor of the fruit to really shine. We

not had much time yet to take on a bunch of special requests, but we currently make our fruit pies either vegan or gluten-free upon request. A couple times we have even made a glutenfree and vegan pie for our customers. What’s the craziest pie you’ve ever made?

I don’t know about the craziest, but a few interesting ones I have done are pawpaw, persimmon, eggnog and mud cake pie.

Are your ingredients special?

We use as many local products as we can. Our butter, milk, eggs, cream and meat products are all sourced locally. We also use local apples in season. All of our pumpkin pies and sweet potato pies are made with local fresh pumpkins and sweet potatoes. We will use other local fruits and veggies when they are available in season. Also we focus on using the least amount of processed raw goods that we can.

When did you make your first pie?

I don’t remember making my first pie but I remember early on making pies with my dad and being frustrated because I could not roll out a crust for the life of me. We starting really making pies for the Aullwood Apple Fest and the interest in pies just grew from there.

Will you have any special pies for sale in December?

We are doing a final test baking on Mince Meat pie and Persimmon Pie. They should be available by sometime next week. We are also offering a couple non-pie options for the holidays. We have fruit cakes available soaked in different alcohols. Also we have a couple of Eastern European baked goods Potica and Kifle, which the original recipes came from the South Slavic Club of Dayton. Our pies are packed full of flavor with either tons of fruit in them or rich flavors in the c reampi es. Customers can buy our pies by the slice, mini, whole or “pie pocket.” Whole pies range from $15-$18 depending on the variety.