No gluten? No problem. One of Tacoma area’s best bakeries excels as it looks to Year 2

Laureen Skrivan was 12 years old, sitting at the kitchen table, waiting patiently for her mother to share a slice of her beloved pound cake. Decades later, she longed to recreate that taste memory, but she feared it might never happen after developing an intolerance to gluten.

The desire to fulfill those lost moments for anyone who has struggled with gluten consumption, and especially those who are diagnosed with Celiac disease, led her to do something she also never anticipated: opening a certified gluten-free bakery.

Wren’s Nest Baking Co. opened in October 2023 at 5121 N. Pearl St. in Ruston. It occupies the first floor of the unique “Carriage House” building, which Skrivan’s construction and design company, Wren and Willow, completed in 2022. That business operates out of the second floor, while she and her husband live on the third. There are two other living spaces, one occupied by her daughter’s family, and an unexpected public gem: a rooftop patio, where bakery guests can enjoy a snack and a coffee in the warmer months. Along with the airy first-floor space, it’s also available for private-party rentals, where they have already hosted a few showers and other receptions.

Looking back at their first year, Laureen’s son Adam Skrivan, who manages the family business that now also entails bakery operations, said, “I never imagined that we would have this kind of experience and success early on. We were blown out of the water.”

Wren’s Nest was rolling out of the gate, thanks no doubt to nearly three years of recipe development before opening the doors.

Today the menu is more than 50 items deep, and every item is crafted without gluten, the key protein in traditional wheat flour that provides elasticity and air pockets. Bakers here use a proprietary gluten-free flour that’s blended for them by the supplier. Other ingredients like oats, nut flours, psyllium husk and various starches also play a role.

They make quiches and hand-pies, cookies and cakes, scones and dinner rolls, sourdough breads and buttery soft pretzels.

Importantly, Wren’s Nest is not exclusively dairy-free or vegan, although the case always offers a few selections that meet those additional criterion. Things get even harder if you also eliminate butter and eggs.

DEVELOPING WREN’S NEST RECIPES

The team is led by Coco Kislinger-Macaluso, a longtime gluten-free baker who studied at Le Cordon Bleu and cut her chops at prolific Los Angeles spots, including Huckleberry Cafe. She also ran her own successful gluten- and dairy-free bakery for several years, amassing a particular following for cakes and breads.

The latter can be especially difficult to get right without the glutinous helping hand.

One of their greatest challenges was the sourdough boule. Kislinger-Macaluso recommends frying a slice on the griddle with butter and finishing with a dash of salt, but I also enjoyed slices at home toasted and just as-is. Especially fresh, the bread boasts a crisp edge and a soft interior that’s also a pleasant vehicle for sandwiches.

The hard work has paid off: Wren’s Nest has regulars from Shelton, Seattle and even Portland, said Adam Skrivan.

What started as just a handful of bakers and front-of-house employees has grown to about 30, including some part-timers. Lead baker Erin Walter has worked with them since before they opened the doors. Kitchen staff begin arriving around 4:30 a.m. to kick off that day’s bake, with subsequent shifts turning toward tomorrow’s prep.

IN THE KITCHEN AT TACOMA’S GLUTEN-FREE BAKERY

On a Wednesday in October, about a dozen workers were buzzing around the counter and back and forth through swinging metal door to the kitchen — which is modestly sized compared to the breadth of goodies prepared here, from scratch, five days a week.

In addition to that sourdough, try loaves of brioche, seeded molasses or multigrain. A rotating cast of kolaches, a meat or veg-filled Texan-Czech bun, offers a filling savory snack, as do the very popular quiches — among them, asparagus and prosciutto and the current favorite, butternut squash and goat cheese.

Johanne Flannery was busy in a corner of the kitchen dedicated to pastry doughs. That morning she was rolling out the foundation of those quiches, cutting perfectly circular rounds, placing them in metal tins and carefully pinching the edge to create a pretty little scalloped edge. They chilled for some time in the walk-in before Camille Guerin took over, filling them with their fixings and finally whipped eggs.

Becca Verkuyl was busy making chocolate tea cake and a new seasonal favorite: pumpkin, of course, topped with cream-cheese frosting.

There were also hand-pies, cookies and scones, buttery soft pretzels and the Saturday-only cinnamon rolls, as well as lemon bars and tiramisu. Personally, I’m obsessed with the raspberry coffee cake, whose crumbly blanket and jammy layers reminded me, in a far-superior way, of a pre-packaged raspberry danish my family often stashed in the cupboard.

You won’t find the words “gluten-free” in the name or plastered around the shop. That’s purposeful, even though the occasional curmudgeon finds it misleading. Of course there are “people who feel like they’ve been duped,” said Kislinger-Macaluso, but way more appreciate the general delight or are grateful to have access to a truly safe choice for their needs.

“The gluten-free population is this big, and the rest of the population is this big,” she stressed, gesturing between a pinch of her fingers and arms extended wide.

In March, Wren’s Nest shared an important development: They received certification as a Validated Gluten Free Safe Spot, a subsidiary of the Gluten Intolerance Group. It’s no easy feat, noted Kislinger-Macaluso. Everyone working in-house must be trained, and even delivery drivers must take heed, she said. “It is a serious, serious deal.”

You’ll notice that decal on the bakery window.

Looking forward to Year 2, they anticipate more experimentation, including charcuterie boards with homemade crackers (which they have created for special events) and sandwiches. They serve beer and wine now, too, and hope to extend hours into the evening.

In fact, they are always testing — maybe a dozen recipes at any given time, “some that might not ever see the case,” said Adam Skrivan. “‘It’s pretty good for gluten-free’ — that’s not a compliment for us.”

Anyone on staff can bring an idea to the table, and, if approved by Kislinger-Macaluso, recipe development begins followed by ample feedback and careful tweaking. The process usually takes a minimum of four weeks, sometimes months.

Their mission to recreate the owner’s mother’s pound cake was almost abandoned after a year’s worth of options that just weren’t quite right. And then:

“I tasted it one day, and I teared up,” recalled Laureen. “I am 12 years old again in my mom’s kitchen.”

WREN’S NEST BAKING CO.

▪ 5121 N. Pearl St., Ruston, 253-693-0189, wrensnestbaking.com

▪ Tuesday-Saturday 8 a.m.-4 p.m.

▪ Details: certified gluten-free bakery near Point Defiance with coffee bar and ample seating, plus seasonal rooftop; most items $4.50-$9.50, breads $13-$18.50

▪ Call or email for custom order or private-event inquiries

▪ Thanksgiving: limited numbers of pies, cakes, cheesecakes and dinner rolls available for pre-order; pickup Nov. 26

This story was originally published October 30, 2024 at 5:15 AM.