Background
I grew up in a farming community in rural Wisconsin, and have loved baking all my life. As a child I was drawn to the science of baking, fascinated by how changing ingredients and proportions could affect the end product. My journey into gluten free baking began thirteen years ago, after my husband was diagnosed with Celiac. We had to replace our diet overnight and find meals that were acceptable to our three young children, which was incredibly daunting at first. Prepackaged gluten free foods were often unpalatable, so I started experimenting with unfamiliar ingredients and discovered that they were not necessarily worse, just different than what I was used to. Slowly, through endless experimentation we were able to recreate our favorite recipes in delicious gluten free versions.
Becoming Educated
Often people recently diagnosed with Celiac have nutrient deficiencies. In addition, the gluten free diet holds some inherent challenges. It can be lacking in fiber and some vitamins and minerals due to the elimination of many grains. Wanting to understand the science better, I decided to go back to school for a degree in Nutrition, and became a Registered Dietitian Nutritionist (RDN) so I could better advise people making the transition to a gluten-free diet.
From Hobby to Business
My goal during the early years was simple: to feed my family, and still be able to bake for friends and family who didn’t have to eat gluten free. I found tremendous support in the gluten free community in those days, and came to realize that I wanted to support others going through this journey. After being encouraged by friends and family for years to open a bakery, we finally decided to do it. I can’t wait to bring back the joy of eating baked goods for you!
Background
I was diagnosed with Celiac Sprue in my early forties. What a frustrating experience. I liked to cook, so we had to make so many adjustments to our recipes. We tried all kinds of different combinations of flours and failed so many times, but we kept at it until we came up with some great gluten-free flour blends. These are at the heart of the great texture and flavor of our products. Gluten-free baking is such an exact science and we absolutely love the challenge. We can't wait to come up with great new recipes and improve on existing ones.
Fortunately, around the time I was diagnosed, the public was becoming more aware of this condition with an increasing number of gluten-free products being offered. Restaurants were even becoming more accommodating. Still, even with more gluten-free options on the market, it seemed to me we still had a long way to go. Sure, some gluten-free substitutes were edible, but not enjoyable. I really didn't want to miss out on great flavor. So I began to develop a gluten-free bread recipe that tastes as close as possible to the bread I remembered eating. It's just too delicious to only bake at the house. I want other people to share in the experience of really great tasting gluten free bread.
From there, so many things become possible. How about a gluten free meatball sub, a Philly Cheesesteak, or yummy garlic cheese bread?
The Future is Tasty
Eating gluten-free doesn't have to be a sacrifice. In fact, it can be even better than what you used to eat. Sure, there are some foods that may never work as well gluten-free. There is so much food that not only works gluten-free, but is even better than the original gluten version. Sometimes the textures of gluten-free foods is superior to foods made with gluten based flours. Give our products a try and taste for yourself. Now, can we talk about bread?