Bite into a pink, sprinkled, or just plain glazed doughnut that Chef Stephanie Herrera has romanced into a dense, toothsome treat from her secret potato-infused dough, and you might never go back to the lightweight doughnuts you grew up on. Depending on the time and the day of your visit to Knead (Herrera’s magic is worked in small batches), you might also find pizza rolls, pistachio-cream croissants, or tiramisu so good you want to share it but just can’t.

Nestled in the heart of downtown Albuquerque, Knead opened in 2023 with Herrera and her husband, Albuquerque native Cisco Chavez, at the helm. It started out as a plant-forward brunch and breakfast restaurant, but eventually their sweet side took off—in August, they pivoted to become a not-so-vegan but still very vegetarian bakery and café. Replacing the full menu is a small, rotating selection of prepared foods and baked goods, served alongside locally sourced coffee and tea. This may come as a disappointment to fans of their inventive, plant-forward brunch dishes, but it also feels like a natural move for the winner of the pastry category in the 2023 Duke It Out! competition, and there’s no doubt that Herrera’s creative culinary style will continue to shine through her pastries.  

Herrera graduated from Central New Mexico Community College’s culinary program, but until last year, she and Chavez had been living in Austin, where, Herrera says, it’s hard for food truck entrepreneurs to break into the restaurant market. “It kind of just happened randomly,” Herrera recalls of their move. “We came out here for a Christmas vacation, and we had just bought a house in Austin. We were running a food truck and a catering business there. But then we passed this restaurant space, and we saw it was available.” The space had once been home to the popular Gold Street Caffe, and with its large windows looking out onto the street and a kitchen ready to go, the couple decided it was a perfect place to open a brick and mortar.

The serendipity of the moment was undeniable. “We called the owners, and they called us back the next day, even though it was Christmas. They told us how much it was and said they’d love to have us. Two weeks later, we signed the lease, put our Austin house up for sale, and moved out here. We opened the restaurant a month later. It happened really quick.”

Knead opened with a brunch menu that reflected Herrera’s creativity and commitment to using locally sourced ingredients. Her talent and verve for crafting plant-based dishes shone through in popular items such as the Cajun Lion’s Mane (a riff on eggs benedict made with a mushroom patty on Texas toast, with walnut pesto and a cashew-based Cajun cream sauce) and the sweet berry chantilly (a classic or gluten-free Belgian waffle topped with fresh berries, whipped cream, and a berry compote). 

Some of the sandwiches in the cold cases may be familiar from the brunch menu, such as a simplified version of the caprese: tomato, basil, and mozzarella on potato brioche. “And then we’re going to have our own balsamic reduction inside of it,” says Herrera. “It’ll be cold but people can have the option of having it panini-pressed to warm up.” They’re also still serving breakfast burritos, with a plant-based tofu option alongside vegetarian versions with eggs and cheese.

Knead’s new bakery menu, though, is where Herrera is really letting her creativity blossom. Conchas, croissants, and brioche danishes are among the treats on offer, along with doughnuts, which can be made to order on Thursdays. 

“We make everything in-house,” Herrera says. “From the rustic bread to the croissants.” She adds mashed potatoes to her doughnut dough, giving them a denser texture. Some of her doughnut flavors include pink almond, vanilla bean, strawberry-honey-cream filled, honey pistachio, and chocolate. Other unique sweet treats include her plum sake danish with a salted pastry cream and matcha canelés. Also made with potato, her hefty brioche—used both for savories and sweets—has a rustic feel yet is as soft and pillowy as you expect brioche to be.

To coincide with the new bakery and café vibe, they will have live music on the weekends as well as vintage market pop-ups. These are the times when you might find pizza or other specials in the art-filled space. “We’re also getting a massive vintage record player in here,” says Herrera, “so anyone can bring their own record and play it.”

Beyond the café, Knead distributes its baked goods to multiple spaces in the area, including coffee shops Zendo, Slow Burn, Castle, and Little Bear, and Nob Hill’s The Shop Breakfast & Lunch. Herrera’s aim is to expand this burgeoning wholesale aspect of her business and to take on more catering and private dinner events in the future.

For Herrera, baking is more than just a job—it’s a labor of love. She says that dough is alive: “It won’t give you what you need if you don’t give it what it needs. It’s a tedious process that requires work, just like any relationship. But it’s worth it.”

📍 218 Gold SW, Albuquerque, 505-347-8522