The Mad Scientist's New Experiment ... Sandwiches!

By Abigail Harrison, DHI Communications Coordinator

Eight months ago, The Bakingtist brought their signature bread and pastries to Downtown Huntsville. Now, they’re bringing even more to the table with the launch of a full cafe experience.

Starting on Friday, August 11th, The Bakingtist will serve a variety of gourmet sandwiches, paired beautifully with their house-made bread. The inside of the restaurant will also be upgraded with a new sandwich station and beverage bar.

Heidi Kizer, the mad scientist behind the bakery, first started out as a biochemist and environmental engineer because she loved to do experiments and learn how objects worked. However, she soon began to experience a burnout from her biochemistry work, and after the sudden loss of her mother, Heidi spiraled into a dark place.

One day she was in a used bookstore when she came across a baking science book that was on clearance. She picked it up, brought it home, and read it cover to cover. She discovered a new passion for baking that slowly helped her recover from such a tragic time.

She found a way to combine her new love for baking with her background in biochemistry when she started to do tests on food.

“I would take a loaf of bread and change the liquid. At one point I did it with water, milk, and heated milk to see if you could taste or smell a difference,” Heidi said. “Then, I would bring those tests to farmers markets and share them with my family and friends and try to get observations on what people liked and didn't like.”

Heidi started to frequently visit farmers markets to sell her products and connect with other vendors. In her fourth year of baking, she participated in the Greene Street Market and experienced an abundance of support and loyalty in Downtown Huntsville that made her want to become a permanent member of the community.

In 2020, she began plans to establish a brick and mortar in downtown, but then the pandemic hit and put her plans on hold. Fortunately, she was able to open an establishment on Holmes Avenue in December 2022.

“The bakery is built off of bread and pastry, and the business plan from the get-go was to have that be the front and center, and then have sandwiches that are crafted to feature their own bread or pastry,” Heidi said.

The new sandwich menu launching on Friday is science-inspired and features “six main classifications” for the sandwiches. Each classification is named after a scientist that is relevant to one of the ingredients in the sandwich, and each one is hand-crafted to feature its own special bread or pastry.

A couple of sandwiches that guests can find on the menu include a gourmet peanut butter and jelly on a buttery brioche bread and a roasted beef and black truffle cream on a baguette.

There is also an “outlier” menu for items that do not fit into the sandwich classifications, such as parfaits, fresh fruit, and oatmeal. The new drink menu features a variety of non alcoholic beverages like tea, coffee, and juices.

All of these new menu items and more will be available for purchase after The Bakingtist’s Phase Two Grand Opening Weekend on August 11-13 from 9 a.m. - 3 p.m.

With The Bakingtist’s expansion, Heidi hopes to create an environment where people feel safe, nourished, and supported.

“In my heart and soul, I want to have a full, lively, happy place where people are really enjoying their food and drinks and feeling like they are in a safe place to share science,” she said.

The expansion has not been an easy task, and has required eight months of hard work and little sleep, but Heidi is grateful for her strong crew, which she refers to as her Team of Bakingtists, and the whole Downtown Huntsville community for supporting her business.

The launch of the full cafe experience comes during National Sandwich Month and at the start of Huntsville Restaurant Week hosted by the Huntsville/Madison County Convention & Visitors Center.