The thought of driving through Southeast Minnesota conjures up many images: wide-open rural spaces, cornfields, wind turbines, wood-fired pizza, gravel roads …

Wood-fired pizza?

It sounds uncharacteristic, but at Rainy Days and Mondays Sour Dough Baking Company, Pizza and Pantry, located about one mile north of Ostrander on Fillmore County Road 1, that is exactly what you’ll find.

On this small farm located near, you guessed it, cornfields, husband and wife owners Jim and Kathy Parsons can be found preparing a vast assortment of baked goods. On Saturdays, they can be seen making wood-fired pizzas.

“This is our second year doing pizza,” Kathy said as a mixer worked together the next batch of one of her sourdough creations. “We started doing bread in June of 2016, as far as going to markets and selling out of the house.”

Having ownership of the house provided the Parsons with the opportunity to start the business.

“We had this house and we wanted to utilize it,” Kathy said. “It’s close to our house; we never really encouraged having renters in it. We had fixed it up when we moved here 25 years ago. I’m retired from Mayo after 32 years, so I had time to mess around here.”

“We’ve always liked to entertain,” she added. “We’ve constantly had company and we both like to cook, so it just kind of fell into place.”

When visitors arrive, they are greeted by Casey and Cora, the Parsons’ two border collies. With any luck, one of them will have a ball (or a pine cone) in their mouth and will request that you throw it by placing it on the ground or a chair and backing away in anticipation. Though the dogs are passive about adults, Kathy said they’re always excited to see children.

Inside the house, the baked goods connoisseur will have more than a fair selection from which to choose, whether it is baguettes, rolls, buns, or yeast breads made with recipes from Kathy’s Aunt Thelma.

“Our tried and true are honey wheat, rye, white and raisin,” Kathy said. “Those are all sourdough. We also do baguettes and rolls; those are also sour dough, but they are basically lard and sourdough. They don’t have any other ingredients in them. A lot of people really like them.”

Then there is the best seller, Fingerlickin’ Bread.

“This was a bread my mom did for us kids and we always called it ‘fingerlickin,’” Kathy said of this sweet creation. “We were messing around, trying different stuff, and I said, ‘Why don’t we make some finger licking and see how it goes over.’ It’s our best seller by far.”

Around the back of the house can be found outdoor seating for those that wish to stay and dine. The backyard also contains the very item that makes the business possible, the Parsons’ hand-made brick oven.

According to Jim, who still works full time as the facilities director at the Spring Valley Care Center, the oven came about thanks to his love of sourdough, which he makes with a yeast strand that is 17 years old.

“I kept reading about sourdough and I made some and the neighbors liked it,” he said. “One thing led to another and my wife bought me a book about five years ago called ‘The Bread Builders’ and they had a chapter in there about a wood-fired oven. She told me one day, ‘You’re not getting any younger. If you want to build an oven, go build it.’ So I got the materials and it took me about all summer to build the oven.”

Jim customized the masonry oven, adding insulation to help store the heat. The oven is capable of maintaining a temperature of 350-400 degrees Fahrenheit for a period of 8-10 hours.

“It allows me a pretty big window to do my baking,” he said. “The only drawback is it’s got a real small door. If it doesn’t fit in a 10” x 16”, it’s not going in the oven.”

But the oven took on another purpose when Jim realized it could also be good for baking pizzas.

If my temperature is there, it takes about three minutes to cook a pizza,” he said. “If my temperature is not there, it will take about five minutes for a pizza. I let the crust set and then give it a couple of turns to the left and the right. Most of the cooking comes off the top of the oven. The top is arched. You get a fire and you get it rolling up over and that gives you a really good broil effect.”

The oven is also used to sweat and roast the vegetable toppings ahead of time. And when it comes to toppings, you can count on the Parsons giving you something fresh.

“We grow our own tomatoes and peppers and I make the pizza sauce,” Kathy said. “We canned 50 quarts of pizza sauce last weekend because we go through quite a bit.”

Pizza is only available from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. on Saturday, but those that make the trip are invited to stay as long as they wish. Indoor seating is available in the barn on the property, where patrons can enjoy free popcorn from a popcorn machine while they wait. Diners are also invited to bring their own tables, chairs, utensils and beverages, though utensils and beverages are available on site.

The Parsons take reservations for parties of six or more.

Because of the harsh Minnesota winters, making pizza is seasonal; however, Kathy said they are looking to possibly build an enclosure for the brick oven.

Bread, on the other hand, is made year round.

“We go to the LeRoy Market on Thursdays and we do the Preston market when they have it,” Kathy said. “We do several orders for people around the area. People can make special orders or requests, which we do encourage.”

And like the pizza, the ingredients in the bread are fresh and locally sourced.

“We do try to use local honey, local syrup, local garlic, anything we can,” Kathy said.

Rainy Days and Mondays Sour Dough Baking Company, Pizza and Pantry is located at 18952 County Road 1, Spring Valley, MN 55975.

For more information, call 507-251-8750 or visit https://www.facebook.com/Rainy-Days-and-Mondays-Sour-Dough-Baking-Company-Pantry-and-PIZZA-377358885940024/.