Idle Hands Bread Company
407 Strawberry St.
Vegan ‘the whole lot bagel’ croissant
Jay Metzler’s “dream of a French-inspired bakery utilizing solely 100% sourdough and by no means industrial yeast” got here true in 2015, has received hearts and bloomed into one thing magical past his preliminary imaginative and prescient: Idle Palms Bread Firm has grow to be a pastry haven for each butter-eaters and people who comply with plant-based diets. “I went by way of a number of completely different mainstream dairy options, and a few native, and eventually determined to try to give you one thing made right here that may work for us,” Metzler says. “For the previous 18 to 24 months, I’ve been making all of our plant-based dairy options in-house.”
Different go-tos: Vegan cruffins, gluten-free scones
Buttermilk Bake Shop
257 E. Financial institution St., Petersburg
Vegan cinnamon-sugar doughnuts
Completely satisfied, colourful, sugary creations wink at you from behind Buttermilk’s glassy show case — maybe none extra engaging than the doughnuts. Whereas it is a conventional bakery, homeowners Laura Boehmer and Ben Cronk embody vegan and gluten-free choices of their baking plans every day, with particular orders, corresponding to vegan tiramisu, obtainable. The duo opened Buttermilk in 2014, eager to carry a from-scratch bakery to Petersburg — though a little bit street journey from Richmond for pastries and antiques makes for a superb Saturday.
Different go-tos: Gluten-free flourless chocolate cupcakes, vegan birthday cake macarons
Wonder City Bakery
245 E. Broadway Ave., Suite 2, Hopewell
Gluten-free chewy ginger-molasses cookie
Marvel Metropolis proprietor and baker Trish Honaker labored beneath WPA’s Rohrer earlier than opening her cute spot in Hopewell firstly of 2020. Honaker, alongside along with her husband and fellow co-owner, Scott, helps the revitalization of town’s historic downtown and depends on native merchandise corresponding to Wade’s Mill flours and Richlands Creamery dairy within the recipes. A lot of Trish’s choices are naturally gluten-free or vegan. When a wheat substitute is required, she likes a mix of rice flour, potato and tapioca flour. She prefers coconut oil to exchange butter and makes use of flax as an egg stand-in.
Different go-tos: Gluten-free Fruity Pebbles crispy bars, gluten-free tiramisu
Anna B’s Gluten Free
7429 Brandy Creek Drive, Mechanicsville
Mini vegan chocolate Bundt cake
Sisters Angela Eby and Kimi Brown personal and function this prolific, totally gluten-free gem that produces a whopping 50-plus merchandise, all with dairy-free and egg-free choices. Anna B’s proprietary base blends gluten-free flours, oils, xantham gum and flax and excludes soy and peanut substances, making the store a deal with mecca for allergy victims. Their bread can be discovered at Ellwood Thompson’s, Entire Meals and Libbie markets and it’s used for gluten-free sandwiches at Garnett’s, Crossroads, Ipanema, The Continental Westhampton and City Farmhouse.
Different go-tos: Gluten-free cranberry-chocolate biscotti, gluten-free garlic baguette
WPA Bakery
3414 Semmes Ave.
Gluten-free caneles
The Nicely-Made Pastry Alliance is an apt moniker; the meticulous care put into recipes and shows is seen in the whole lot that comes out of the WPA kitchen. Proprietor David Rohrer honed his expertise baking desserts at Ipanema Cafe, so when the time got here to open a bakery, his love for the Works Progress Administration’s posters and murals impressed the identify and brand. Experimentation with gluten-free and vegan substances together with starches, gums and “milks” has resulted in a number of the most delightfully fluffy baked items on the town.
Different go-tos: Vegan cherry-almond sticky buns, vegan biscuits with tofu scramble patties
Sunflower Gardenz
Gluten-free and vegan cinnamon swirl shortbread cookie
Homeowners Melanie “Mo” Monji and Kam Allen whip up a hefty choice of killer vegan and gluten-free choices of their Randolph ghost kitchen, with snacks from the Black- and queer-owned bakery obtainable to order on-line. Whereas attractive desserts are on the coronary heart of the enterprise, their lunch and weekend brunch lineups characteristic gasp-inducers for restricted diets corresponding to gluten-free, vegan fried fish or bacon, egg and cheese sandwiches. Lifelong vegans, Monji and Allen are skilled designers, so count on the whole lot from the packaging to the cake ornament to be stunning.
Different go-tos: Upside-down blood orange-turmeric cake, pleasure flag-inspired breads
Minglewood Bake Shop
3337 W. Cary St.
Gluten-free and vegan cosmic brownie
Minglewood was impressed by homeschool baking lessons that the Sheehy household taught their daughter, Corri, who has wished to open a bake store ever since. Corri’s dad and mom, Shannon and Chris, determined to take the leap along with her, and in October, the workforce took over the previous Guitar Works house in Carytown and put their 25 years of veganism to work. Discover a large case stocked with vegan muffins, brownies, scones, hand pies and cookies, in addition to a smaller rotating choice of vegan morsels which might be additionally gluten-free. Bonus: They provide vegan tender serve, milkshakes and espresso drinks.
Different go-tos: Vegan frosted fruit hand pies, vegan triple chocolate cookie
