When Jahn discovered she had a wheat allergy in her early adulthood, she struggled to find gluten-free pastries that had both the taste and texture of their wheat flour alternatives. So, she left her job as a full-time realtor and embarked on a mission to create them herself.
“You can go anywhere and get (something) gluten-free, and it tastes like blah. We're eating it because we're hungry or just because we want a treat, but it's nothing special,” Jahn says. “I wanted to make sure that our pastries looked as good as they taste and taste as good as they look because (those with celiac disease) have never had this.”
Her husband, a science-minded problem-solver, joined her in the kitchen, turning their home into a kind of culinary test lab. Together, they spent hours testing and tweaking blends with the goal of making gluten-free baked goods that no one would guess were missing wheat.
In 2019, the couple rented a kitchen and began sharing their gluten-free creations via delivery. In 2022, the brick-and-mortar Knead Luv Bakery & Cafe opened and has been serving the north Scottsdale and Phoenix area ever since.
Jahn says a common mistake that home bakers make is buying gluten-free flour at the store and using it instead of regular flour for any recipe. At Knead Luv, they’ve developed a specific flour for dough that needs to rise (like bread), which is different from that of a croissant or pizza dough.
But with that specific, catered approach comes hurdles. The ingredients Knead Luv uses are often organic and hard to source, which can be challenging in both pricing and demand.
“It’s really hard to get the grains that we use — all of that is a very big challenge,” Jahn says. “We educate the consumer because if you go buy everything it costs to make these, it's going to cost you a lot of money, and then your time to make it. Our profit margins are so thin because of the cost of these grains.”
Knead Luv also makes specialty cakes and desserts for birthdays and special occasions. Many items can also be made dairy-free on request.
Knead Luv Bakery & Cafe
With cozy cafe seating and the hum of the espresso machine behind the counter, Knead Luv feels more like a neighborhood hangout than a specialty bakery. Families stop in for muffins and coffee and others linger over gluten-free enchiladas or sandwich plates that don’t require dietary disclaimers.
The 40-seat gluten-free restaurant is open for breakfast and lunch and while alcoholic beverages aren't available yet, Jahn is actively working on acquiring a liquor license.
“We're very blessed because Buck & Rider and Ingos are buying our bread now, and they're going to be expanding it to all their stores,” Jahn says. “They love it.”
Not only will that partnership help the business grow, Jahn is excited for a wider audience to try the baked goods she's dedicated her life to perfecting.
The biggest compliment, Jahn says, is when customers can't spot the difference between her baked goods and those full of wheat.
“I literally had a customer who tried it and she spit it out," Jahn recalls. "I'm like, 'Oh my God, is there something wrong with it?' She said, ‘No — it tastes so good. It doesn’t even taste gluten-free.’”
