Enough time has passed; we can now safely discuss how we all started making bread in 2020. Let’s get it out in the open and admit to some of those baking failures. It happened to all of us, even Ryan and Kris Wilson, who turned the pandemic hobby into a growing Las Vegas business.
“Ryan posted a picture recently of the some of the first loaves he made, these flat, wet pancakes,” jokes his wife, Kris.
But their excuse was better than ours. The Bay Area couple had given up corporate jobs and set their sights on travel when the world shut down. They were stranded in Uruguay, living in Airbnb rentals for months, when Ryan decided to try his hand at some sourdough goodness—without essential tools like a digital scale or an appropriate oven.
“It was terrible bread, but it piqued his interest. And I think it made him better, because it was so challenging under those circumstances,” Kris says. “We really had to learn why the dough is rising like it does, everything that happens during the process. He’s totally self-taught, and now he’s doing this really beautiful bread.”
Fast forward to 2023 when Las Vegans are loving the Wilsons’ country loaves made with freshly milled flour and known for their toasty, caramelized crust; the Don Chengo light sourdough speckled with briny Kalamata and Castelvetrano olives; and the top-selling Bay Bae, the couple’s homage to that tourist treat of San Francisco sourdough.
“We named it the Bay Bae so people would know it was the more sour one, but … everyone has that strong sense memory of having the Boudin clam chowder bowl on the wharf that one time, so they gravitated toward that,” Kris explains.
That’s the loaf that put 5098 Bread on the map in Las Vegas, and now the couple’s products are readily available at a half-dozen businesses across the Valley (including beloved spots like Valley Cheese & Wine, Khoury’s Fine Wine & Spirits and CraftHaus Brewery), along with weekly farmers market events in Green Valley, Summerlin, Boulder City and other neighborhoods.
The Wilsons landed in Las Vegas when they were finally able to return to the U.S., because Kris’ parents have lived here for decades. It wasn’t supposed to be the couple’s permanent home, but the bread has played a major role in keeping them in town.
“We were living with my parents and [realized] this [pandemic] wasn’t really ending, and we were not going to be able to travel the way we wanted. We weren’t sure if we should get back into working, but we had to do something,” Kris says, “so we threw all our eggs into this basket. Ryan was baking bread, so let’s try to sell it. It was a complete leap of faith.”
They started giving bread away from Kris’ parents’ house, signaling neighbors on the Nextdoor app, then slowly began to charge for their creations. The couple rented a house Downtown and fell into its white-hot restaurant and bar scene, and soon 5098 Bread was available at the Vegas Test Kitchen on Fremont Street.
“The more we got to know Downtown and the off-Strip scene and the food people, we realized this is a really unique place,” Kris says. “The community has been so supportive. Everyone tells you the next place you need to eat, even if it’s one of their competitors. I’ve never been a part of something like that.”
Even though the Wilsons have found fast success, they’re keeping it close and cozy for now. “We’ve thought a couple times about opening a brick-and-mortar [store], but … going down that road is not why we left our previous careers,” Kris says. “We love doing it just us, having complete participation. He does all the bread and I do all the markets, and it’s super special to us. We wanted to create a life where we’re part of a community, so that’s something we’re purposely trying to protect.”
5098 BREAD Pickup locations & farmers market schedules at 5098bread.com.
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