The Petite Patisserie (or little pastry shop) is leasing 156 N. Main Street in Union for its baking classes. For a class schedule, visit the business on Facebook.

UNION — The Petite Patisserie is a home bakery that is now leasing space at 156 N. Main St. in Union to host two baking classes each month.

Interested bakers are invited to attend the next classes on Oct. 12 and 13 at 1 p.m. Registration is required and available on the business’s Facebook page.

Class instructor Brianna Rowley founded Petite Patisserie in the fall of 2019 as a home baking business.

“I abide by the cottage bakery laws in Oregon,” Rowley said. “I don’t have a registered kitchen, but I follow the guidelines that Oregon has put out there.”

Recently, a friend offered to lease her store space on Main Street in Union for Rowley’s new baking classes.

“I held my first class the end of September on how to make pasta, attended by 21 participants,” Rowley said. “Ten of them were from La Grande.”

Rowley will host two classes in October, two in November and two in December. One of the December classes will cater to families, so parents can bring their young baker with them to that class, which is scheduled during winter break from school. Most of the other classes are designed for adult bakers.

“Teaching classes is a brand-new business venture for me, and I’m encouraged by the response so far.” Rowley said.

For the Oct. 12 class at 1 p.m., Rowley will be teaching how to decorate a cake shaped like a pumpkin with buttercream frosting and flowers on top. The Oct. 13 class at 1 p.m. will teach bakers how to make a bread bowl, the basics of yeast bread-making and how it pairs up nicely with an autumn soup.

The Nov. 17 class will teach bakers how to make Thanksgiving bread, brown butter sage rolls and a cinnamon twist loaf. On Nov. 30, the class will learn sourdough basics and how to create a mini charcuterie board to pair with sourdough crackers.

After each class, participating bakers are invited to sit together and eat their desserts or bread, or they can take them home to share with their family.

Rowley has enjoyed making things for her family at home from scratch. During the pandemic, she started baking for friends and started venturing out to other events.

Before she knew it, she was baking for friends’ birthday parties and other holiday gatherings.

“People were really interested in my baked goods during the pandemic,” she said. “We were all home, and it was just a weird time, but business took off from there.”

After the pandemic, she worked harder on promoting her business and posted her menu online to spotlight her special offerings. The orders started coming in and business grew.

She believes there are multiple reasons for her growing popularity.

“People like the simple, pure ingredients in my baked goods, and it’s cheaper on their grocery budget,” Rowley said.

She delivers orders free within Union County, or she will arrange a meeting place for a pickup order. Some of her more popular baked goods include sourdough products and prepackaged pancake mixes.

“I make pies, muffins, bagels, breads, cinnamon rolls,” she said. “I’m constantly trying to expand my menu. I also try to use what’s growing in season in our county, or our family will go out and pick berries to use later on in the season.”

As a stay-at-home mom with three little ones, Rowley is satisfied with what she is doing in her business right now.

“It fits our life and our schedule,” she said.

For more information about the baking classes, registration fees, and payment options, or to see what Rowley’s baking this week, visit her Facebook page or Instagram or call 541-720-1734.