Baking from scratch is a holiday tradition for many. It's the time-consuming art of mixing just the right ingredients from age-old recipes that produces a unique end result. That tradition still lives on today at A Bakery Creation at 9048 Union Street in Scottsville. Co-owners Gladys and Stephen Luce opened their bakery in March 1995. After extensive research, they decided on a lot surrounded by trees that makes the bakery look like something out of a fairy tale. "For some time," Gladys said, "we were known as the bakery out in the middle of the woods." In keeping with their style of baking, the couple helped build the bakery itself from the ground up. "We actually helped with the footers and everything," Gladys said. "We built the building ourselves." It's that same method that has drawn customers to the bakery. "We're an old fashioned bakery. We create from scratch," Gladys said. "We use seven different types of flour and sugar. So when we bake, it's like baking at home. It's the flour, the sugar, the whole thing that makes a difference. We probably make and bake at least 90 percent of the products we have." It's Stephen's collection of recipes that they use. He's been baking since he was 14 and in the business for almost 40 years. Stephen also taught baking at BOCES in Spencerport for 18 years. But his goal and dream has always been to open his own bakery, Gladys said. When the bakery opened, Stephen thought he could teach and run the bakery, but soon found it would be more demanding than he thought. The couple soon found that having their own bakery would require a lot of work. "This is a very hard business that takes a toll on your body, Gladys said. "I work 12 to 14 hours a day. That's what you find with a mom and pop business. It's your life. Stephen thought he could teach and have his own bakery, but it was too much. You give up a lot of your quality of life when you open any hard working business." Soon after it opened, customers came to know the quality of the baked goods and the friendly service at the "bakery in the woods." "It's by word of mouth that we do survive," Gladys said. "When we first opened, people took bets how long we would stay open, anywhere from three days to three weeks. When you have that theory, 'if you build it they will come,' it's true. But if you have a quality product at a reasonable price, they will come. We have regular customers from (throughout the area) - Brighton, Hamlin, Brockport, Chili, Caledonia, LeRoy and even Buffalo." The bakery is also a throwback to the days when a business was much more than just a business. "If anyone had to describe it, we're a neighborhood bakery," Gladys said. "You just don't see this happening in the world anymore." One year, a man couldn't get to his house because of heavy snow. He stopped at the bakery and Gladys and Stephen fed him, kept him warm and dried his boots. The story made it into the daily newspaper and the man referred to his shelter as the "neighborhood bakery." To this day he remains one of their most loyal customers. With the holidays fast approaching, Gladys and Stephen are in full baking mode. During the week of Thanksgiving, they baked close to 500 dozen dinner rolls and will probably do the same for Christmas. The bakery also makes all of their own fruit cakes, which are always very popular, Gladys said. Another favorite item is their Christmas tree shaped cinnamon raisin bun. "It's something under $5 that kids give to their teachers. Moms have really caught on to this," Gladys said. "We just took an order for 14 dozen. When you come in here you'll see nothing but cookie trays. It's a cookie holiday." Cut out cookies are a holiday staple. "We literally make dozens after dozens. By the time I'm done frosting them, I hate cut outs," she said with a laugh. "We bake so many - I can't even say how many." Christmas is the busiest holiday for the bakery with Thanksgiving and Easter coming in close behind. This year, Stephen convinced Gladys to put up their collection of Santas. Antiques usually fill the walls, but this year when customers walk into the bakery, they are welcomed by hundreds of Santas. "The other day a little girl about three years old came in and started talking to one of the plush Santas. She was telling him what she wanted for Christmas. 'I want this and I want that.' It was really, really cute," Gladys said. All of the charm that these neighborhood bakeries bring to their communities is disappearing around the country. When Stephen started baking it was almost all scratch baking, Gladys said. It was common to have a bakery on every block. But because of the ever changing society and the lack of educated bakers, many bakeries are turning to frozen products. "You can buy bread that is already made and all the baker has to do is thaw and proof (let it rise). You don't even have to know how to mix anymore. You can open a bakery and not even need a mixer. Everything is becoming faster. That is becoming the way of the industry." At the same time, Gladys points out, the quality of frozen mixes is getting better and better every year. "That's not to say you can't get a quality product by buying frozen. Ten years ago you couldn't get the quality, but now you can. But I'm not worried. Scratch is like baking at home." As one customer said to her husband as they were leaving the bakery, "We always leave here with our mouths and our hands full." A Bakery Creation |
