Interview with Kristy and Tony Tamayo, Owners of Knead Me Bakery - Kingwood

Knead Me Bakery is a locally owned artisan bakery in Shenandoah, serving The Woodlands and surrounding communities. We specialize in handcrafted sourdough breads, scones, cookies, muffins, pastries and an ever-changing assortment of seasonal treats. We also offer a full coffee, espresso, and tea menu, along with locally produced items such as jams, honey, and other products from fellow small businesses.

Knead Me Bakery began in 2017 at the Farmers Market on Tamina, now known as the Courtyard Collective Farmers Market. What started as a weekend market business eventually grew into something much bigger, and in October 2025 we opened our first brick-and-mortar bakery in Shenandoah.

Baking is part of our family history. We had grandmothers who were the bakers in their small Texas communities during a time when neighbors often traded what they had for what someone else could make. One person might bake the bread while another brought rice, beans, corn, or something else their family produced. Food wasn't just food; it was part of how communities took care of each other.

That idea has always resonated with us.

We started Knead Me Bakery at the farmers market in 2017, and what began as a weekend venture developed a wonderful and loyal following. After taking a break during COVID and eventually returning to the market, we realized our little weekend hustle was becoming too large to remain a weekend hustle. We began seriously planning for a permanent bakery, and eventually the right opportunity presented itself.

We're probably best known for our sourdough, but what we're most proud of is the philosophy behind everything we make.

We believe people should be able to understand what's in their food. We use simple ingredients, avoid preservatives and dough conditioners, and source locally whenever we reasonably can. We use ingredients like local eggs, honey and jams, and freshly milled Texas flour throughout our menu.

We're also very willing to experiment. Our menu is intentionally a living, breathing thing. Some ideas come from us, some come from our bakers, and some of the best ones come directly from our customers. We love trying new flavors, developing seasonal items and finding an excuse to learn something new.

One example is our “Cakes from Around the World” series, where we explore traditional cakes and desserts from different countries and introduce our customers to something they may never have tried before or are able to taste a slice of what they miss from their homeland or favorite vacation spot.

But perhaps what separates us most is that we genuinely want KMB to feel like part of the community rather than simply a place where you purchase bread. We feature work from local artists, carry products from other small businesses, host groups and clubs in our space, collaborate with community organizations and look for opportunities to support the people around us.

The bread may bring people through the door, but we hope the feeling of the place brings them back.

The people. Without question.

There's something incredibly special about watching customers become regulars and regulars become friends. We know people's usual orders. We hear about their families, celebrations, jobs, vacations and what's happening in their lives. We've watched people meet each other here and form friendships of their own.

We also love the creativity of it. There is always another bread to try, another flavor combination to test or another completely ridiculous idea that somehow turns into something delicious.

Anyone who appreciates good food and wants to know where it came from.

Some customers come in specifically because they're looking for bread made without preservatives and unnecessary additives. Others are serious sourdough people. Some come for a latte and scone, some want a loaf for dinner, and some simply want a comfortable place to sit for a while.

We serve families, professionals, retirees, book clubs, community groups, and plenty of people who walked in intending to buy one thing and somehow left carrying an armful of bread and pastries.

Knead Me Bakery is owned by husband-and-wife team Kristy and Anthony “Tony” Tamayo.

Kristy's professional background is probably not what most people expect from a bakery owner. Before KMB, she was a scientist, spending over 20 years working in the clinical healthcare technology world, where she met Tony, who also spent over 20 years managing clinical trial finances for the same healthcare company.

Oddly enough, science turns out to be pretty useful in a bakery! Baking is chemistry, biology, temperature, timing, ratios and experimentation - except now when the experiment works, we get to eat it. 

We always have something going on!

One of our ongoing favorites is “Cakes from Around the World,” where we feature cakes and desserts inspired by different countries and cultures. It gives us an opportunity to learn about traditional bakes while giving our customers something completely different to try.

Our menu changes frequently with seasonal breads, pastries and flavors, and we offer special preorder menus around holidays and events throughout the year.

We regularly rotate local artwork displayed in the bakery and host events that give customers an opportunity to meet the artists whose work is featured. We also welcome book clubs, meetings, and other small groups and have space available for people who want to gather over coffee and pastries.

Come curious - and come hungry.

One of the things we want people to understand about KMB is that we're not trying to become a factory. We're a small bakery making food in small batches, and sometimes that means a popular item sells out. We see that as part of making food the way we believe it should be made: fresh, by actual people, in quantities that allow us to care about what leaves our kitchen.

We also really value customer feedback. Our customers have helped shape this bakery from the farmers-market days all the way through our storefront. If there's a flavor you've been dreaming about or something you'd love to see us make, tell us. There's a non-zero chance we'll decide that sounds fun and start experimenting.

Above all, we want KMB to be a place where people feel comfortable walking through the door, grabbing something delicious and staying awhile.

We want to grow thoughtfully.

Opening the storefront was a huge leap and major milestone, and now we're focused on learning how our customers use the space and what they want from us. We're continuing to improve our layout, production systems and menu so we can serve more people without losing the handmade quality that got us here.

Food-wise, we're excited about continuing to expand beyond the traditional bakery case. We'd like to build out more breakfast, brunch and lunch options centered around the breads we already make, while continuing to develop seasonal pastries, creative sourdoughs and new products.

We also want to deepen our relationships with other local businesses, artists, and organizations through wholesale partnerships, events, and collaborations.

Growth for us isn't simply about getting bigger. We want to get better - better at our craft, better at supporting our team, better at serving our customers, and better at being a meaningful part of our community.

If we can do all of that while continuing to make really great bread, we'll consider ourselves pretty fortunate.