Today we’d like to introduce you to Jordan Smith.
Hi Jordan, can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today.
I own a gluten-free micro bakery called Small Comforts Kitchen. At the beginning of 2022, I set myself a challenge to bake 52 pies in a year. The twist? I have to follow a strict gluten-free diet due to celiac disease, and pie is famously hard to make gluten-free. But I didn’t set out to start a business. I started this challenge to cope with stress while I finished graduate school. I was inspired by the late Julie Powell’s “Julie and Julia” project, where she cooked all of Julia Child’s Mastering the Art of French Cooking in one year.
I honestly didn’t expect to get very far – I’m not usually successful when I set myself a numerical New Year’s resolution. But I kept at it, and by the summer, it was clear that I had found a new passion and was making something that Knoxvillians are interested in. I documented my project on Instagram, and after the enthusiastic reception from new followers, I decided in July to switch from updates about the 52 Pie Project to starting a business. My first event was selling pies for Thanksgiving, and I sold out of 32 in just a few days. (That may not sound like a lot, but it is when you are brand new and working out of a home kitchen!) Overall, I ended up making over 80 gluten-free pies in 2022!
“Small Comforts Kitchen” is the name of the old food blog I had in my mid-twenties. I’ve wanted to work in food for so long but thought it might not be possible because of having celiac. I always thought I’d be a recipe developer or food writer, not a bakery owner, but I’m so glad things have worked out this way! (Honestly, the former two options aren’t off the table yet!) Some have asked me why I haven’t changed “Kitchen” to “Bakery,” but I love alliteration, and I hope to offer things other than baked goods several years down the road.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall, and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
I’ve been really surprised that people are so excited about pie! It’s honestly very humbling and beyond what I expected. Multiple people have told me that my pie crust is the best they’ve ever tasted, and several of these people don’t even have a gluten intolerance. They purchased my offerings because they wanted to gift one to a family member, or they were excited about the filling flavor rather than seeking a specifically gluten-free item. I’m so grateful that this community has been so receptive and welcoming, and the road has been very smooth! One struggle for me is balance. Since I’m in my business’s early days, I still have a full-time day job, so finding ways to schedule around that and still attend markets and pop-ups have been challenging. Additionally, as a home-based baker, my kitchen space is currently limited, so I can’t produce nearly as much as I’d like, but I’m working on plans to move to a commercial kitchen space by the summer. There are also a lot of limits on what I can make and sell from my home per state and county laws – though I think that makes me more creative! Another aspect that I don’t think will surprise anyone with celiac or gluten intolerance is the cost! Everyone I know in food is struggling with setting prices to account for rising inflation, but gluten-free ingredients have always been more expensive. I’m still figuring out how to price items so I can make a profit without making my items inaccessible to people.
Thanks – so, what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
As I mentioned, my specialty is gluten-free pie, but I also offer cakes, cookies, and other pastry items. What sets me apart from that I don’t use a store-bought flour blend – I make a custom mix of gluten-free flour and grains for each recipe. That way, I’m enhancing the flavor of each flour to suit the item itself. This might be too technical, but, for example, my pie crust contains oat flour, millet flour, sweet rice flour, and tapioca starch. Other recipes may swap out some flour for sorghum, almond flour, and cornmeal. I have like fourteen kinds of flour in my house, hah! This extra effort of customizing my blend to the item certainly takes more time, but I think it produces a better result overall. I also take my pie crust through a lamination process, and this gives my crust that extra “flake.”
Finally, I love to use seasonal and local ingredients with a “twist.” For example, I offered salted caramel apple, cranberry oat crumble, and spiced sweet potato for Thanksgiving. My newer menu offerings for the spring include blueberry chocolate, earl grey with beetroot & blood orange, and strawberry lemonade. I especially love adding botanical elements like herbs and spices that you might not always see. I’m excited to start decorating with edible flowers when the weather is warm again! Being a small-batch baker means I can devote more time to creating a uniquely beautiful end product.
What do you think about luck?
I’m not sure I’d classify it as luck, but moving to Knoxville has been great for me. I doubt I’d have gone ahead with this business in a different city. I moved here in 2019 from Austin, TX, and while I still love that city, I think it can be much harder to break through the noise there. Knoxville has an extremely supportive and involved food community, especially in the last few years with the establishment of places like Real Good Kitchen. I’ve made so many wonderful new friendships through social media and talking to other business owners at farmer’s markets. While I don’t know exactly what the future holds, I feel fortunate to live in a city where people lift each other up and value community over competition. So, in that sense, I am lucky, but I’ve also been learning about gluten-free baking for many years and have worked hard to get to this point. The adage that luck is really when preparation meets opportunity applies here. Truly though, I’m so lucky to have a partner, family, and friends who support what I do. The timing has just been perfect in that sense. For that, I’m endlessly grateful!
Contact Info:
- Website: smallcomfortskitchen.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/smallcomfortskitchen/
- Facebook: facebook.com/smallcomfortskitchen
- Other: https://smallcomfortskitchen.substack.com/
