Michael Sutherland, Head Baker

In 2007 Michael, a chemical engineer, visited a small authentic Italian place called "The L'Italiano Restaurant." They would always serve warm bread made from their own kitchen. It ignited Michael's curiosity toward making bread.

This endeavor took him months to achieve with any edible success, but within a few months of work he was turning out small fragrant loaves in the evenings. Each subsequent year, Michael added to his technique and he began to make a variety of products. He began to be known as the "Bread Guy."

After 10 years of making yeasted products, Michael turned his sights onto Old World Sourdough. For the year he focused on creating and maintaining a wild yeast starter until it had fully matured to become the base for the sourdough products. Another year of self-taught bread baking resulting in making products that looked too much like a burnt pancake.

Finally, Michael learned to feel the bread and respond to the personality of each product. It is this knowledge and inuition that is the basis of every bread offered at Rock Creek Sourdough.

Arben Celanji, Operations Manager

Arben was born and raised in what some considered the most brutal regime in Eastern Europe; Albania. At that time there was not freedom of speech or free market. But in the 1990s, the political climate changed and Arben studied both agriculture and economics in school.

His first job was for the transformation of state companies into the free market system. His experiences allowed him to start several businesses that he eventually turned into employee owned businesses. He began initiatives in agriculture, culinary arts, entertainment, and charity work.

In 2019 Arben was presented with the opportunity to move his family to America and he found work as a quality coordinator in a suburb of Dallas. He and his family joined a church in the local area and soon became friends with Michael.

Arben desired to start another culinary business and recognized Michael's talent for baking. He began campaigning for Michael to turn his bread baking knowledge into a bakery business.

Rock Creek Sourdough

Pairing Michael's baking skills with Arben's business knowledge creates the concept behind Rock Creek Sourdough. The goal is to offer top shelf artisan bread products to both businesses and the public with focus on presentation and environment.

Michael and Arben pair the hand-made Old World Style bread with rare cheeses, Spanish olive oils, barrel-aged balsamic vinegars, and other great foods to create edible art in a relaxed environment.