By TONY GUERRERO
Hays Post
A HaysMed nurse has turned an idea into a new bakery in Ellis to fill a breakfast gap in the community.
Tammy Wolf is the owner of Boxcar Bread, located at 814 Washington St., and is also an operating room nurse at HaysMed. Her shop opened on March 5 after demand for her homemade sourdough outgrew her home kitchen.
"I always wanted to bake since I was a kid," Wolf said. "I started selling sourdough out of my home ... if you know anything about sourdough, it's a process."
Boxcar Bread stems from an idea about two years ago when Wolf and a group of coworkers decided to start making sourdough. While others did not continue, Wolf kept baking for family and friends.
It was not until August 2025 when Wolf began selling it from her home through word of mouth and Facebook. She said everything is made fresh, either the night before or the same morning of the sale.
"Our loaded burrito is our top seller for hot foods. My blueberry muffins is what I suggest people come in and give it a whirl," Wolf said, giving food suggestions from her menu.
Boxcar Bread’s menu also includes breakfast bowls, sausage biscuits, fruit tarts, croissants and cinnamon braids. Drinks include coffee, hot and iced tea and espresso.
The bakery additionally carries several handmade items by Wolf, such as baby and kitchen items that can be used as gifts. The shop is in the former location of JR’s BrickHouse Diner, which has undergone minor renovation.
Wolf said the community response has been strong, with customers thanking her for opening a place where people can gather for breakfast and coffee. Ellis is her hometown.
"Ellis needs it. The community needs it and I need the community," she said. "I felt like now's the time to do it. I'm not getting any younger. My time at the hospital, I'm able to do it with flexibility."
Wolf credits her HaysMed coworkers and her family, including her husband and two children, Spencer and Nia.
Wolf remains a nurse, with the bakery open Friday through Sunday from 7 to 11 a.m. with occasional lunches. You can follow Boxcar Bread on Facebook.
