Central Coast startup Salty Bagel’s gluten-free treats are available for delivery from Orcutt to Paso Robles

Local baker Michael Milch may have celiac disease — a severe autoimmune reaction to gluten — but that hasn’t affected his diet or his sense of humor.

The disorder, which also affects his 10-year-old daughter, prompted him to focus his career on making gluten-free treats not taste “crappy,” he said.

His Los Osos-based registered cottage kitchen, which launched in 2022 as Salty Bagel, has exceeded Milch’s wildest expectations and now has him dreaming of one day opening his own shop.

“The extent of [the business’ growth] “Sometimes it really trips me up,” Milch said.

“When I first started, I did prepaid drops here and there in different parts of the county. I posted where I would be a week or two in advance and people pre-ordered. I baked everything in the morning and then hung around outside an unsuspecting store for a while with a small folding table, a sign, and a box full of orders. In one busy week I used about 30 pounds of bagel dough.

“In contrast, I’m now in three markets a week plus Harvestly and looking for more,” he said.

“At the height of tourist season this summer, I went through about 150 pounds of bagel dough in a week – enough for about 475 bagels – plus 30 pounds of cookie dough and 10 pounds each of muffin and banana bread dough.” Milch continued, noting that he started doing that too I tried to make flatbreads that were not only gluten-free but also vegan. “They are quickly becoming bestsellers.”

Milch’s Bakery now includes an outlet in The Kitchen Terminal SLO, helping him keep up with demand while juggling the duties of stay-at-home dad and “trophy husband” for his two middle school students and his wife, who owns a dental practice “ juggles practice in Atascadero.

“Between school pick-up and drop-off times on Tuesdays and Wednesdays, my assistant Sara Sydnor and I are in the Kitchen Terminal preparing for the weekly markets,” he said. “On Thursdays we bake during the day when I drop my children off at school. Then I pick her up, take her to the kitchen for a while, take her to dance class, and then return to the kitchen to clean before heading out [Downtown SLO Farmers’ Market].

“I wake up damn early on Fridays to bake at home for Cambria Market and fulfill my Harvestly orders. I bake everything for Harvestly the same day it’s delivered because the idea of ​​someone getting stale bagels makes me physically uncomfortable.”

Thanks to Harvestly, milk’s goods can be delivered to locals’ doorsteps, from Orcutt to Paso Robles.

The week ends with him arriving at the Kitchen Terminal at 5 a.m. Saturday to bake for the downtown Morro Bay market.

Milch’s sweet and savory baked goods use only the “greatest ingredients,” he boasts, including organic produce and King Arthur’s gluten-free all-purpose flour, which drives up the price a bit. But he won’t save. He also enjoys experimenting with recipes and ensuring the menu stays fresh and interesting.

“There are always new flavors coming out,” he said, “but they tend to be pretty spontaneous.” We started selling Flamin’ Hot Cheetos Bagels a few weeks ago, the same day we thought of it came.

“We have that [also] We have put a lot of creative energy into expanding our vegan flatbread range. Last week we had garlic and herbs, heirloom tomatoes and basil, another with golden potatoes marinated in gluten-free Bachan barbecue sauce… and the latest was rainbow carrots, Japanese sweet potatoes, drizzled gochujang and lemon tahini. Sounds complicated; tastes fantastic.”

Milch’s culinary career grew out of a series of setbacks, starting with his celiac disease diagnosis in 2016.

“Before Salty Bagel, I was something of a journeyman writer,” he explained. “I was a speechwriter and an unproduced screenwriter. I worked at Mindbody for three or four years before the pandemic, initially as [user-experience] Author, then as a marketing author.”

Then he was released.

However, he added: “The real turning point came after the pandemic, when my father died in June 2021 from metastatic cancer that seemingly came out of nowhere.”

“I was fortunate to be able to spend his final weeks with him in Buffalo, where I grew up,” he continued. “But when fall came and my kids went back to school and I still didn’t have a job, I didn’t really know what to do with myself.

“Baking was my escape. I made bagels for the first time in October just to make them, but they turned out much better than I expected. The whole thing kind of crystallized there.”

Long term, Milch hopes to help establish the Central Coast as “a gluten-free culinary destination, much like it is a wine destination.”

“There is a huge, untapped market for this type of experience,” he said. “Traveling is extremely stressful for people with celiac disease and gluten intolerance; It’s not a given that you’ll find a safe place to eat anywhere, let alone a place that is safe And yummy.”

He added that he was happy to say that everything is now starting to change.

“Little by little, more and more companies are doing it [opening] on the Central Coast that [are] gluten-free and excellent…from small bakers like Katie Bug Bakes and Rainbow Poppy to established companies like Hidden Kitchen,” he said.

“I’d like to think Salty Bagel is a part of it,” he added, but he’s just getting started.

Ultimately, he hopes to open “a place that has bagels during the day and pizza at night,” pointing out that before there was Salty Bagel, it was “almost Grumpy Pizza.”

Contributing writer Cherish Whyte will be stopping by Salty Bagel again for tasty treats and fun puns. Reach them at [email protected].