Local bakery closes, announces brand new baking school for downtown Huntsville

In a heartfelt social media post last week, The Bakingtist owner and head Baker, Heidi Kizer, announced the closure of her downtown location in the historic Times Building at 222 Holmes Avenue. 

Over the past week, the community turned out strong all week leading up to Sunday, January 07, when the Bakingtist closed its doors. Baked goods flew off the shelves, and a one item per person rule was imposed to help with the high demand for quality goods. 

However, for those friends and avid supporters of the business, Kizer is cooking up an exciting new project that she hopes will spark interest with the Huntsville community. Kizer sat down with the Huntsville Business Journal to talk about her new venture: The Bakingtist School of Baking.

Starting this month, Kizer will begin teaching baking classes in breads, cakes and more at The Bakingtist School, which will still be located in the same Times Building. She’s offering a whole curriculum of baking classes – from fundamentals to advanced courses and even a diploma.

“In fundamentals, we are going to delve into techniques of baking, but also get into the science,” Kizer explained. “The more you can learn the science of baking the more you’re able to figure out why something didn’t go well and what you need to do differently next time.”

Kizer’s curriculum includes introductory classes like Bread 101, where pupils learn the basics of white bread. Each course gets a little harder and builds on the previous lessons. Bread 202, for example, teaches rich breads, or sweet breads, like cinnamon rolls. Then the 300-level course explores complex breads like sourdough.

Once students ace the fundamentals, they can sign up for an elective course, learning how to bake foods like bagels, pretzels, or English muffins.

“You take what you learned in the light bread class,” Kizer said, “and now you apply it to your elective.”

In addition to breads, Kizer is creating courses in pastries, pies, cookies, cakes and more. Each of those areas will have fundamentals, electives and a diploma option.

Kizer expressed sadness about the recent closing of the bakery, which she announced the first week of the new year in a tearful video on Instagram. But she said baking classes have always been part of her business plan, and she is very excited about teaching baking science.

“I spent seven years baking professionally out of my apartment,” Kizer said, “so I have a lot of experience working at home and figuring out how to work with finicky ovens and how to make bread without a mixer.”

Future plans include kids’ classes and camps, parent-child classes and date night classes for couples. The Bakingtist School of Baking will also sell baking supplies and equipment like bakery boxes and rare ingredients.

Classes are hands-on and will cost between $35 and $40 an hour, with a three-hour class priced at about $120.

“The minute you get here,” Kizer said, “you start working and it’s completely from scratch, all ingredients, all supplies. You always are going to go home with your baked goods, maybe even extra.”

For more information, please visit the-bakingtist-school-of-baking.square.site.