Nightingale Breads Harmonizes Artisan Breadmaking with Community Care
On the corner of Front and Second streets in Forestville, Nightingale Breads hums to life long before sunrise. A baker arrives in the early morning hours to bake bread that was mixed, shaped, and cold-proofed the day before. By 7:00 a.m., the next shift rolls in to mix fresh dough for the following day’s bake, while Sundays bring a seasonal batch of fresh scones.
As opening nears, the front-of-house team carefully sets out bread and pastries, preps orders, and welcomes the day’s first customers. Meanwhile, another baking crew hand-shapes a new batch of dough and sets it aside to chill overnight for maximum flavor.
By evening, the wood-fired oven is lit, burning steadily until a baker rakes out the coals later that night, leaving just the right amount of heat for the next day. In total, it takes 180 hours of labor each week for 20 hours a week of bread sales.
Despite its out-of-the-way location, a loyal following appears the moment the doors open (and sometimes before) that includes locals, cyclists, and tourists who have heard about the hidden gem through word-of-mouth. Nightingale has been a natural community gathering place in Forestville for 16 years now, offering neighbors and visitors alike access to exquisite, organic bread and pastries baked that morning, along with a delectable selection of products sourced from the surrounding region.
Savoring the Seasons
Nightingale’s use of traditional baking techniques and its commitment to seasonal ingredients make them a popular Sonoma County destination, but seasonality is also part of their creative process. When fruits like Meyer lemons or Gravenstein apples are in abundance, they find their way into pastries and breads. Overbaked cinnamon rolls don’t go to waste—they’re transformed into rich, flavorful bread pudding. A commitment to minimizing waste while celebrating the local bounty is a defining feature of the bakery.
Nightingale Bread’s original owner, Beth Thorp, opened it in 2008. Thorp, a former nurse, named the bakery as an homage to Florence Nightingale and a testament to the guiding philosophy of care for the community that continues to flourish with the current owner, Jessie Frost.
When Frost purchased the bakery from Thorp in 2018, this commitment to care and quality remained at the heart of the bakery’s identity, even as she brought a wealth of new experience and her own deep appreciation for artisan bread.
“I learned so much from [Brickmaiden] owner Celine Underwood about running a small business, supporting the community, and focusing on sustainability and organic, high-quality products,” says Frost. Taking the helm at the Forestville bakery was a dream come true for Frost, allowing her to preserve its legacy while making it her own by introducing new recipes and expanding the menu.
“The base of our breads and pastries was in place long before I took over, inspired by different European traditions,” says Frost. “I had the pleasure of adding new offerings—like scones, cookies, and more seasonal variations—while building on our existing menu.”
Collaboration is at the heart of Nightingale. Employees are encouraged to experiment with recipes, while customer feedback helps shape the menu. One of the bakery’s longest-running partnerships is with Moonlight Brewing Company, which supplies spent grain from its brewing process. Rather than letting this byproduct go to waste, Nightingale transforms it into the beloved Moonlight Spent Grain loaf, baked fresh every Saturday. During the holiday season, Moonlight’s Death & Taxes lager adds depth to the bakery’s signature gingerbread cakes.
The bakery’s influence extends beyond its storefront as it supplies bread to well-known local eateries like Black Piglet Food Truck, Valley Ford Cheese Co., Farmhand in Guerneville, and Tiny Town Cafe in Forestville. The bakery also supports local artisans by curating a retail section featuring handmade goods.
Like many small businesses, Nightingale Breads adapted to the challenges of the pandemic by introducing online ordering. Customers can now pre-order their favorite breads and pastries up to 48 hours in advance, ensuring availability even on the busiest days.
Eat Local
When you take home the classic award-winning Forestville French, eat half and then use the rest to toast up the best 2-inch croutons ever for the evening’s French Onion soup. Or take home a square of focaccia in any flavor to make sandwiches. Just add a little mustard, slices of ham and cheese and you have an instant gourmet lunch.
Of course, the pastries and scones stand on their own too; flavors vary seasonally, but you might be able to catch the “everything but the bagel” scone in the early summer.
Beyond its signature loaves and pastries, Nightingale Breads also offers versatile pizza dough, which Frost encourages customers to experiment with. “I bake it at 500º in my home oven on a pizza stone, and it comes out great,” she says. “It also makes fantastic focaccia—just press it into a taller-sided pan, coat it generously with olive oil, and dimple it. Or try making mini pizzas or breadsticks.”
Nightingale Breads
nightingalebreads.com
6666 Front Street, Forestville
(707) 887-8887
Thursday-Friday, 11am-4pm
Saturday-Sunday 10am-3pm