15 Year Anniversary at House of Bread Wasilla
Contributed by Don Nelson
The House of Bread Bakery/Café in Wasilla recently reached a milestone as the bakery has been open in Wasilla for 15 years. There have been three owners of the franchise, the most recent being Don Nelson of Wasilla who has owned the operation for the past five years as of November 4, 2024.
Don Nelson, Owner
House of Bread, located in Creekside Plaza, is franchised with the original bakery/café in San Luis Obispo, California which is still going strong after 26 years of operation. Don acquired the bakery/café after his daughters worked there and came home and said the owner’s wanted to sell the bakery. After prayerful consideration, he decided to invest in the already thriving business and make a go of small business ownership, which had been a longtime aspiration of his. There is another franchise House of Bread located in Anchorage and owned separately from the Wasilla location. Both bakeries use the same core recipes, and each has some of their own products to offer.
House of Bread recipes are very simple in that we use only five simple ingredients in most of our bread, those being flour, honey (natural preservative), yeast, salt and water. No artificial ingredients or preservatives makes the bread wholesome and nutritionally sound. There are many customers who have been gluten intolerance or sensitivity that are able to enjoy our breads, especially sourdough, without any of the symptoms they get from eating supermarket breads. Vital wheat gluten (seitan-pronounced say-tan), a high protein ingredient extracted from wheat, is normally the culprit to many sensitivities and intolerances, as it is an additive. Not only does vital wheat gluten keep a loaf of bread pretty and make it easy to mass produce, but it also increases shelf life and acts as a binder making it a hot commodity.
At House of Bread we offer homemade breads, cheese breads, sweet rolls, brownies and other sweet treats, as well as deli sandwiches and soups served with our homemade breads. The holiday season is a great time to stop in to get wonderful gifts of fresh breads for your friends and family. Nobody was ever disappointed with a gift card or catered lunch from House of Bread! and Don says his goal at House of Bread Wasilla is to “put smiles on faces!” One of the ways we put smiles on faces is giving back to the community in partnering with Front Line Mission at Wasilla Lake Church of the Nazarene and Adult and Teen Challenge in Wasilla by donating day old breads that they are able to distribute to those in need in the MatSu area.
We are proud to be a part of this thriving community and are grateful for all of our friends who enjoy our baked goods.