Josie Lutz likes to keep things healthy. After all, she has been a nurse for 16 years and is in the habit of encouraging better habits. As the owner of Sweet Annie’s Bakery, however, she also prepares brownies, muffins, cupcakes and more to go along with a selection of freshly baked bread. Lutz opened the bakery in downtown Kelseyville on August 27. It’s her first shop, though she professes a lifelong love of cooking and baking. The Chicago native moved to the area a year ago from Las Vegas.
1. Pie or cake?
Oh, that’s a hard one. I like both. But cake-wise it has to be a decadent chocolate. Pies, I like fresh fruit.
2. How difficult is baking?
I guess I really don’t know how to answer that. Baking in an oven is what makes or breaks it, so the timing with the oven is everything — and they are all different.
3. What’s it like to open a business?
It’s scary. I’m excited and nervous at the same time. It’s very involved.
4. Do you have a favorite bread?
I have two favorites — can I say that? I like multigrain, but it has to be Kelsey Creek [using grain from Kelsey Creek Brewing], and Yam I Am. I like the flavor of the yams and I like things on the healthy side.
5. Can you make brownies and cupcakes healthy?
To some extent. I make protein muffins. We had fruit tarts and they went pretty fast. We make breakfast muffins — those are healthy.
6. How hot is it when you’re baking?
In the back where the ovens are it gets a little warm. But we have a swamp cooler. It’s comfortable up here.
7. People don’t eat as much when it’s hot outside. Is it ever too hot for baked goods?
Things with cream cheese icing get smooshy. And chocolate melts.
8. That leaves bread. How many different styles are there?
We have boules, batards, baguettes, loaves — whatever hits me that day.
9. I see roasted garlic, asiago, olive, yam. Is there anything you can’t add to bread?
I don’t know if there’s a limit. But it’s a lot of fun.
10. So if you couldn’t be baking …
I would want to be retired.
