The rich and delicious traditions of Sunrise Bakery

BY CHRISTOPHER CORREA Turlock Journal

Turlock is home to one of the largest Assyrian communities in the United States, hovering between 15,000 and 20,000 people – nearly a quarter of the entire city population. One of the most popular traditions of this storied culture is baking, which makes it understandable as to why Sunrise Bakery on 1561 Geer Rd. has been successful for over three decades.

The storied history of Turlock’s oldest Assyrian bakery begins with Filameh Givargis and her love of baking. Her son-inlaw and bakery co-owner, Sargon Eddy, simply described Givargis as someone who just couldn’t stop baking, particularly nazook, which is a traditional pastry with a crispy, flaky crust, wrapped around a buttery, sweet roux-based filling.

As her nazook started getting a cult following and requests for the pastries started piling up, Givargis and her husband, Ebrahim, decided to take the leap into the business world.

The two would open Sunrise Bakery in 1991 down the road from their current location in the shopping center that now houses Wal-Mart Neighborhood Market. In 1996, skyrocketing popularity led them to move into downtown Turlock at the former home of Polly Ann Bakery before finding their permanent home on Geer in 2006.

And popularity continues to grow, as Sunrise Bakery offers nationwide shipping on their nazook and on lavash, a thin flatbread usually leavened, tradition- ally baked in a tandoor or on a sajj. The bakery also sells a variety other Middle Eastern and European desserts like pirogh, kadr, tabagha and custards.

Over the years, Sunrise Bakery has built a reputation for some bigger baked creations: cakes. The business offers extravagant custom cakes and dessert tables for a number of special occasions, including weddings, bridal showers, baby showers, baptisms, birthdays and more. Customers are encouraged to bring in photos of cakes they have seen either via online or in magazines that they like so that consultants could customize cakes to their expectations.

Whether you just want to stop in for a quick snack or want plan ahead for a major celebration, Sunrise Bakery has their door open from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. from Monday to Saturday.