A family’s love for baking – and a few special recipes – are at the heart of one of Turlock’s longest running bakeries. Sunrise Bakery specializes in Assyrian pastries, which have become one of the most popular treats around town, and across the nation.

It all started when Filameh Givargis simply could not stop baking.

“My mother-in-law has always had a passion for baking,” Sargon Eddy, Givargis’ son-in-law and a co-owner of the business, said.

Givargis’ recipe for nazook, an Armenian baked good popular with Assyrian people, had developed a bit of a reputation in the community.

Sunrise Bakery, then owned just by Givargis and her husband Ebrahim Givargis,  first opened in 1991 in the shopping center at the corner of Minnesota Avenue and Geer Road in Turlock. Five years later, with business booming, the bakery moved to the site of the old Polly Ann Bakery in downtown Turlock.

In 1998, the bakery moved to its current location on Geer Road, but still bakes out of the old Polly Ann site.

Sunrise’s lavash bread, baked that old Polly Ann Bakery, is now shipped and sold  across the country.

Sunrise Bakery still sells that famous nazook, alongside other Assyrian delights like pirogh, kadr, and tabagha, a cake layered with homemade custards.

“They’re very popular cookies,” said Eddy. “Once they try a piece they love it. Nazook comes in two types of cookies. One of them is the original cookie with a vanilla flavor. We also have a nazook that comes with walnuts and cinnamon.”

Sunrise also sells a full line of more traditionally-European baked goods, like Danish, coffee cakes, cookies, and red velvet cake. Custom decorated wedding cakes and birthday cakes are also on offer.

“If you haven’t already tried our famous Assyrian pastries stop by,” said Eddy.

Sunrise Bakery is open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday through Saturday. The bakery is located on 1531 Geer Road in Turlock.