Pushkin’s Bakery, a quaint and friendly bakery, opened on Valentine’s Day to a sizable crowd as the only dedicated vegan and gluten-free bakeries in the downtown Sacramento. 

Olga and Danny Turner, the only employees right now, own Pushkin’s Bakery. Olga has a bachelor’s degree in business from Sacramento State and Danny’s bachelor’s degress in english is from U.C. Davis. In fact, Olga decided to stop pursuing her master’s degree in economics in order to open the bakery.

Before she and Danny decided to open a bakery, Olga worked at the restaurant Bandera. One of her previous coworkers, Erin Sabacke, was at the grand opening supporting the Turners by purchasing food for her sister who is gluten-free.

Olga said they decided to open a gluten-free bakery because Danny cannot digest dairy or gluten.

When they were first married, Turner said she started baking gluten-free and her cookies “were so good, I couldn’t believe they were not on the market.”

Judging by how many people came to the bakery’s opening, there certainly seems to be an untapped market.

Debora Remington, who lives near Pushkin’s, said she chose to be sugar and gluten-free due to health reasons. When she learned a gluten-free bakery would be opening in her neighborhood, she said she was excited about being able to buy fresh-baked goods on her walk home.

Those baked goods are where Pushkin’s shines brightest. As someone who has celiac, meaning I cannot digest gluten, I miss cookies that actually taste like real cookies.

The chocolate chip cookie I tried was large, chewy and warm enough to melt the chocolate when I bit into it. If I did not know it was made in a dedicated gluten-free kitchen, I would have sworn it was made with standard flour.

Olga said every ingredient the bakery uses comes from a certified gluten-free source and the recipes they use are designed to contain less gluten than the healthy maximum for celiacs.

For food to be considered gluten free, it must contain no more than “20 parts per million,” Olga said. Pushkin’s products have been designed to stay below that threshold so as to prevent any negative health consequences.

Olga said, only cupcakes, muffins and cookies are the only items currently offered they want to focus on the quality of those items and will add breakfast items, like cinnamon rolls, in the future.

“We’re trying to keep a limited menu so we can offer a lot more and a lot better quality,” Turner said.

Overall, a gluten-free bakery is a welcome sight in Sacramento, especially one that’s only a short lightrail ride from Sac State.