Some careers are measured in years. Others can be measured in loaves of bread, batches of donuts, early mornings, and skills practiced until they become second nature.

For Eric Mattmann, there have been plenty of all four.

This August marks an incredible milestone for Eric: 43 years at New Glarus Bakery.

Today, Eric is the baker behind many of the breads and pastries our customers know and love. He works on breads, pastries, morning buns, donuts, puff pastry, Danish dough, and much more.

But 43 years ago, his job at the bakery looked very different.

It Started With Washing Dishes

Eric was only 14 years old when he first came to work at New Glarus Bakery.

Like many first jobs, his began with the basics. He washed dishes, helped other employees, and eventually began learning tasks like frying donuts. During the school year, he worked weekends before returning to class during the week.

After graduation, the weekend job became a full-time one.

And he never left.

What kept him here for more than four decades?

For Eric, the answer comes back to making things with his hands.

He loves working with dough, from shaping egg braids to making donuts and working with puff dough. It’s the hands-on nature of baking that captured his attention as a teenager and continues to keep him interested today.

As Eric puts it:

“That’s why I love to stay longer, and love what I bake.”

43 Years of Working With His Hands

Ask Eric what he enjoys making, and it’s difficult to get him to choose just one thing.

He loves frying donuts and frycakes. He enjoys making egg braids and working by hand with sourdough and Farmer’s Rye. He also mentioned rolling Swiss bread as one of the parts of the job he particularly enjoys.

That variety is part of what has kept baking interesting after all these years.

There’s also something that comes through again and again when Eric talks about his work: pride in doing it well.

Customers and coworkers have complimented him over the years on the beautiful shape of his breads, donuts, puff pastries, and other creations. After thousands of batches and decades of practice, that recognition still means something to him.

Practice, Precision, and 43 Years of Experience

Eric may have decades of experience, but that doesn’t mean he stops checking his work.

One lesson he learned early has stayed with him throughout his career: start with the recipe and get the measurements right.

Before he begins mixing, Eric checks the recipe book and makes sure everything is scaled correctly.

No guessing. No assuming that 43 years of experience means you can skip the fundamentals.

That attention to detail, combined with decades of repetition, has helped him develop the skills he uses every day.

And now, he’s able to pass those skills along.

When new employees come into the bakery, Eric enjoys helping train them. He can show someone how to mix dough correctly, fry donuts, roll dough, and perform some of the same tasks he once had to learn himself.

There’s something particularly special about that when you consider where his story began.

At 14, Eric was the kid washing dishes and helping the other employees.

Today, he’s the experienced baker teaching the next person.

An Honor 43 Years in the Making

Recently, bakery owner Angela recognized Eric’s extraordinary years of service with a Flame Award.

For Eric, receiving the crystal award was a special moment.

He described himself as both proud and very happy to receive it, especially because it was the first award of its kind he’d received.

But his pride isn’t limited to an award sitting on a stand.

It’s also in the work.

It’s in a beautifully shaped loaf of bread. A batch of donuts coming out just right. Puff pastry made with care. A new employee learning a skill. And in knowing that his work has contributed to keeping New Glarus Bakery baking year after year.

After 43 years, Eric is still proud to be here.

And we’re incredibly proud that he’s here, too.

One Last Question…

After spending most of his life surrounded by breads, pastries, donuts, and other treats, surely Eric must get tired of bakery food eventually, right?

Apparently not.

Ask the baker what he still reaches for, and Eric has his favorites ready:

Swiss Bread, Apple Frycakes, and Stollen.

After 43 years, we’d say that’s a pretty strong endorsement.

Congratulations, Eric, on 43 remarkable years at New Glarus Bakery. Thank you for the countless early mornings, the knowledge you’ve shared, the care you’ve put into your craft, and all those beautifully shaped loaves along the way.

Or, as Eric signed his answers to us:

“From best baker Breads, Eric Mattmann.”

We couldn’t have said it better ourselves. ❤️