The Hudson Oven brings Westchester communities together through breadmaking and sourdough scavenger hunt

"

It’s another day for husband-and-wife duo Chase and Madison Harnett, who work behind the counter to make sure their business, The Hudson Oven , is baked to perfection. The business began in the couple’s garage as a way for them to pursue food and give back to the community, starting solely with baking sourdough products. "I'm very passionate about food and food experience," said Chase. "When I think about sitting down or in a restaurant somewhere, what's the first thing to land on the table? A basket full of bread." Soon after getting married in September, the couple took the next step in opening their retail store. They expanded their menu to add many other products besides bread, including pastries, savory foods and sweets. "We do a lot of baked goods," said Madison. "A fan favorite is our scones. We [also] do muffins, granola, different types of cookies…I've also built out an entire savory offering. So, different lunch items, a lot of salads using, seasonal veggies and fruits, as well as soups, stews [and] roast chicken." Baking sourdough bread is still the shop's main focus, however. In fact, it was in such high demand that Chase unintentionally began a new summer activity for the community: the Summer Sourdough Scavenger Hunt. "I would produce 30 or 40 loaves at a time and not know what to do with them," he said. "Then, it turned into putting them into a cabinet...So I dragged the cabinet out to the curb, filled it full of bread and put a sign on the door that said, 'Leave what you think it's worth to support the next bake.'" The response from the community was overwhelming, with the number of participants growing each week. "It became this sort of, 'Where is the cabinet going to be on a Sunday morning?'" said Chase. "[So,] I wised up a little bit. I made a website, started collecting emails and built an Instagram page, and one thing led to the next. Now, whenever I send an email, there [are] potentially hundreds of people waiting for that to land in their inbox on a Sunday morning." The Harnetts say the scavenger hunt changed the game in creating a stronger connection to customers of Westchester County and the Hudson Valley. "Croton has been excellent. It sort of embraced us with open arms, especially the foodie types [and] people that really care about somebody producing honest, good food," said Chase. "I've actually met some of my closest friends in this area because of that scavenger hunt…so, we're really putting roots down here." The Hudson Oven is located at 385 South Riverside Ave. in Croton-On-Hudson. Another part of the shop's mission is making their food more widely geographically available. So, customers who live further away from Croton-on-Hudson can make an order online and have it dropped off at a pickup point in Westchester. "