Mmm — it smells so good.

That’s the first thing you think of when you open the door to Amazing Grains, a collective, whole-grain bakery at 518 E. Eighth St.

The warm, heady aroma of cranberry scones, pesto rolls and maple strawberry twists has an almost narcotic effect, causing you to inhale deeply, close your eyes and sink into a state of yeasty bliss.

Maybe that’s not so surprising, considering that the mission of Amazing Grains is to turn out rack upon rack of beautifully browned breads, muffins, cookies, pies and other baked goods.

“I kind of describe our bread as the utilitarian sandwich loaf,” says Marin Massa, one of two baker/partners at Amazing Grains. “Besides the fact that we use organic flour, it’s not fancy — just good.”

She’s being modest.

The breads baked at Amazing Grains are fresh, dense and filled with all-natural ingredients, organic whenever possible, without any additives or preservatives.

The result is moistness and flavor that frequently soars, such as in the bakery’s sweet golden challah braids and knots.

Raymond Camacho, a baker at Amazing Grains, removes pesto rolls from the oven. The Lawrence bakery's breads are filled with all-natural ingredients.

Produced specially during Hanukkah, the braided loaves of traditional, Jewish egg bread are studded with plump, golden raisins and taste more like rich cake than bread.

Amazing Grains bakes about 500 loaves of bread in 13 varieties each week for distribution to stores in Topeka, Lawrence and the Kansas City area.

But bread is just part of the story. The business also produces a dizzying array of baked goods — everything from babka to chocolate strawberry cheesecake bars, holiday stollen to sweet buttermilk biscuits.

And everything is made according to a certain mindset.

“For us, it’s the love of doing it. If we could just bake and not have to focus on the business side, that would be wonderful. Nan (Nan Renbarger, founder of Amazing Grains) taught us that the love that we have for the bakery goes into the bread. So we try to stay positive,” Massa says.

Long history in town

Cranberry Scones are among the dozens of baked goods produced by Amazing Grains, a whole-grain bakery.

Though Amazing Grains only has been in its present location for about two years, the bakery’s roots in Lawrence are deep.

In 1975, Renbarger, now a local artist, set up a bakery in the back room of the Community Mercantile Co-op, then located at 615 Mass. She dubbed it the Verbena Bakery.

Throughout much of its life, the bakery operated as a kind of sister business to the co-op, known affectionately as The Merc, now at 901 Iowa.

Renbarger rented space from the co-op, which has relocated several times over the years to bake her breads and other products.

She hatched the idea of turning her business into a collective in 1988, and, along with several partners, founded Amazing Grains a year later.

When the co-op moved in 1992 from 700 Maine to 901 Miss., Amazing Grains moved along with it.

But when The Merc was preparing to make the jump to its new site on Iowa Street, the bakery’s partners decided it was a good time to set up their own, free-standing business that would house both retail and wholesale operations.

“We had always wanted the chance to meet more face-to-face with our customers. Before, when we were a wholesale bakery (operating out of The Merc), we didn’t have as much customer contact,” Massa says.

Raymond Camacho, left, has Marin Massa, center, and Michele Starnes sample one of his experiments, vegan gingerbread. All three are bakers at Amazing Grains, 518 E. Eighth St.

Amazing Grains now has a staff of nine people, including Massa and the bakery’s other baker/partner, Michele Starnes.

Massa and Starnes are involved in baking, but they also have agreed to shoulder the business side of things, such as marketing, finances and advertising.

There was an initial slump in sales after Amazing Grains moved into its new site. But word has gotten out, and walk-in trade is increasing.

“Things have picked up, and we really like the team (of co-workers) we have now,” Starnes says.

‘Meditative process’

Freshness and wholesomeness are important to many of the bakery’s customers, and that’s what Amazing Grains strives to provide.

Its hand-made breads use organically grown, Kansas wheat, whole-grain ingredients and no artificial additives or preservatives.

Amazing Grains uses organic, unbleached sugar in some products, but the main source of sweetness comes mostly from honey or molasses.

“Customers like the organics, how we deal with local farmers and our vegan sweets. And a lot of customers really like it that we’re on the east side of town,” Starnes says.

The constant emphasis on quality and healthfulness yields great taste.

“I think our bread makes the best grilled-cheese sandwiches. Our Oatmeal Sun and Peasant (breads) are my favorite,” Massa says.

Is there a secret to turning out good bread, rolls, muffins and cookies?

“A lot of love and happiness. Taking your time. It’s a very meditative process, very focused,” Starnes says.

“It kind of relaxes you, working with your hands.”