Hi! I’m Soumya, the baker behind Gully Bakehouse

Growing up, I moved through the colorful patchwork of India — living in different states, speaking new languages, and, most importantly, tasting my way through gullies (streets) filled with local eats and street snacks. That early curiosity planted the seed, and by the time I was a teenager, I was baking from scratch and falling hard for the magic of butter, flour, and sugar.

Years later, marriage and life took me far from home — first to a quiet town in France, where I discovered the elegance of pâtisserie, and eventually to the U.S., where my love for baking truly bloomed. But it was in 2020, like many of us, stuck at home and missing India deeply, that I began cooking through my cravings. I dove headfirst into regional Indian recipes, studied spices like old friends, and started experimenting with fusion flavors that told my story.

By 2024, I took the leap — left my job as an accountant and officially began my baking journey with Cozy Crumbles. It was a joyful start, but I quickly realized something was missing: a clear heartbeat. The why behind the bakes.

That answer was always right in front of me — nostalgia and baked goods.

Food, to me, has never just been about taste. It’s the way we eat in India: a little bit of everything. Wholesome, balanced, flavorful. A spoonful of nuts in dessert, a hint of cardamom in your tea cake, spice woven into something sweet. It’s that feeling of walking through a neighborhood gully with a snack in hand and stories in the air.

So, Gully Bakehouse was born. Here, I blend everything I love — the richness and realness of French baking, the texture and fun of American classics like chewy cookies and melt-in-your-mouth cakes, and the bold, vibrant flavors of Indian home cooking. It’s a celebration of cultures, comfort, and creativity in every bite.

What started as Indian fusion with French and American baking is now extending into Asian cuisine as well.

What changed since then

Thinking about nostalgia takes me back to childhood, eating ladoos and cakes without a second thought. It makes me wonder what is so different now compared to back then. I got curious about the ingredients, about what has quietly changed. I’m not a nutritionist. I’m a curious foodie who likes to learn about food and then do my best to make things better.

As a mom, and as a grown-up who wants to do something different with desserts, I think of it as sneaking in nutrition. That idea comes straight from the paratha. As a South Indian, paratha means stuffed to me — the most popular being aloo paratha, spiced potatoes packed into a dough ball, rolled thin and toasted. Eaten that way, you get far more vegetable than you would from flatbread and curry. That is what I mean by sneaking in nutrition.

I don’t want to compromise on flavor. Along with the best flavors and the most real ingredients I can find within budget, I want to work toward the most nutritious baked goods I can make — especially Munchies, which I’m developing as a line of daily snacks.

If you see color in our food, it comes from the food itself — natural fruit and vegetable pigments, turmeric, spices. Never from a chemical dye.

So far I’ve been able to fully implement natural dye free colors, meaning no chemical dyes at all. Why we use what we use, and what goes into every bake, is on this website. I really hope you find our products useful, and we are always open to feedback. If you think of anything that would make this better, we are happy to hear it and will do our best to make it happen wherever we can.

Every bake is a small-batch celebration of nostalgia and adventure. From filter coffee brownies to golden milk scones to desserts served in small cups and mason jars — it’s comfort, curiosity, and culture in every bite.

We’re based in Tucson, Arizona, and we keep it personal, intentional, and joyfully nostalgic. Whether you’re gifting, grazing, or treating yourself, thank you for stopping by this little lane of mine.

You’re always welcome here!

Soumya Seemakurti
Founder & Baker, Gully Bakehouse