Cupcakes range in flavors such as Chocolate Overload ($4) and Vanilla Cake ($4).[/caption]
Mother and daughter Anne Hoyt and Taylor Nicholson opened Unrefined Bakery, a gluten-free bakery, in Frisco in 2013 as a result of a family’s lifelong medical condition.
Growing up, stomachaches were a normal occurrence for Nicholson and her sister. But the source of them was unknown until Nicholson, her sister and her mother were diagnosed with celiac disease in 2007. Celiac disease is a genetic autoimmune disorder where the ingestion of gluten causes damage to the small intestine.
The family became gluten-free after the diagnosis. A gluten-free diet—which is primarily used to treat celiac disease—is a diet that excludes the protein gluten. Gluten is found in grains such as wheat, barley and rye.
“When we made the change, it was dramatic,” Nicholson said. “We instantly started feeling better.”
But making the switch was difficult because most standard American food has gluten, Nicholson said. Hoyt loved to bake but said she stopped because most of her recipes included gluten.
At Unrefined Bakery, customers can order cakes ($35-$140) for all occasions.[/caption]
Hoyt said most of the gluten-free products available were not tasty and were filled with refined carbohydrates and a lot of preservatives.
So Nicholson and Hoyt learned everything they could about gluten-free ingredients and began modifying recipes using a combination of flours and starches. The pair shared their gluten-free breads and pastries with friends and family. The baked goods were well-received by people with and without food allergies.
“We realized that our product was better than what was commercially available, and we knew we needed it because we weren’t the only people like us,” Nicholson said. “So we took a leap of faith, quit our jobs and started our own bakery.”
The bakery also offers an array of cookies such as Chocolate Chunk ($15 per dozen).[/caption]
Nicholson and Hoyt opened their first store in 2010 in Dallas. Within six weeks, they were so busy they sold out of their products every day the store was open, Hoyt said. The pair opened a second store in Frisco two years later. The duo has a total of five bakeries in the Dallas area, with plans to add more. This summer, they opened an 8,000-square-foot production facility in Dallas.
The stores’ items include cupcakes, cookies and cakes. Unrefined Bakery can ship the products to anywhere in the country. The bakery uses only pure and whole ingredients, such as organic and non-GMO flours, sugars, dried fruits and nuts. Organic and free-range eggs are also used.
Aside from baked goods, Unrefined Bakery also offers trail mix ($15).[/caption]
Everything in the bakery is gluten- and soy-free, and there are options for people who have other food allergies. Nicholson said it is important to accommodate anyone at the bakery.
“I believe that we truly change people’s lives. You’re very much what you eat, and food is so intrinsic to every culture,” Nicholson said. “Gluten is in everything, and if you’re told you couldn’t have it anymore, it would be difficult. The fact that we can make that normal for people where they don’t feel deprived is huge.”
Cupcakes range in flavors such as Chocolate Overload ($4) and Vanilla Cake ($4).[/caption]
Mother and daughter Anne Hoyt and Taylor Nicholson opened Unrefined Bakery, a gluten-free bakery, in Frisco in 2013 as a result of a family’s lifelong medical condition.
Growing up, stomachaches were a normal occurrence for Nicholson and her sister. But the source of them was unknown until Nicholson, her sister and her mother were diagnosed with celiac disease in 2007. Celiac disease is a genetic autoimmune disorder where the ingestion of gluten causes damage to the small intestine.
The family became gluten-free after the diagnosis. A gluten-free diet—which is primarily used to treat celiac disease—is a diet that excludes the protein gluten. Gluten is found in grains such as wheat, barley and rye.
“When we made the change, it was dramatic,” Nicholson said. “We instantly started feeling better.”
But making the switch was difficult because most standard American food has gluten, Nicholson said. Hoyt loved to bake but said she stopped because most of her recipes included gluten.
At Unrefined Bakery, customers can order cakes ($35-$140) for all occasions.[/caption]
Hoyt said most of the gluten-free products available were not tasty and were filled with refined carbohydrates and a lot of preservatives.
So Nicholson and Hoyt learned everything they could about gluten-free ingredients and began modifying recipes using a combination of flours and starches. The pair shared their gluten-free breads and pastries with friends and family. The baked goods were well-received by people with and without food allergies.
“We realized that our product was better than what was commercially available, and we knew we needed it because we weren’t the only people like us,” Nicholson said. “So we took a leap of faith, quit our jobs and started our own bakery.”
The bakery also offers an array of cookies such as Chocolate Chunk ($15 per dozen).[/caption]
Nicholson and Hoyt opened their first store in 2010 in Dallas. Within six weeks, they were so busy they sold out of their products every day the store was open, Hoyt said. The pair opened a second store in Frisco two years later. The duo has a total of five bakeries in the Dallas area, with plans to add more. This summer, they opened an 8,000-square-foot production facility in Dallas.
The stores’ items include cupcakes, cookies and cakes. Unrefined Bakery can ship the products to anywhere in the country. The bakery uses only pure and whole ingredients, such as organic and non-GMO flours, sugars, dried fruits and nuts. Organic and free-range eggs are also used.
Aside from baked goods, Unrefined Bakery also offers trail mix ($15).[/caption]
Everything in the bakery is gluten- and soy-free, and there are options for people who have other food allergies. Nicholson said it is important to accommodate anyone at the bakery.
“I believe that we truly change people’s lives. You’re very much what you eat, and food is so intrinsic to every culture,” Nicholson said. “Gluten is in everything, and if you’re told you couldn’t have it anymore, it would be difficult. The fact that we can make that normal for people where they don’t feel deprived is huge.”
