Today we’d like to introduce you to Ally Nix.
Hi Ally, we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, maybe you can briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today?
I’ve loved baking for many years. I had sold occasional orders to friends and family and had participated in a few farmer’s markets. I did a little of everything; cakes, cupcakes, cookies, breads…everything but pie. I had made one or two disastrous attempts at a pie crust and had sworn off of ever trying again. Then, in the spring of 2020, the world shut down. Baking (and stress eating) a loaf of bread every day wasn’t working well for us, so I decided that my pandemic project would be to figure out the perfect pie crust. I spent countless hours researching, studying cookbooks, reading articles, testing, sampling, tweaking–after many failed attempts and trashed crusts, I finally developed a recipe that was buttery, impossibly flaky, perfectly crisp, with a slight hint of salt. My love for pie was born and I’ve been obsessed ever since. I launched my home bakery in September 2021 and it has been a fun and exciting ride!
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall, and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
The biggest challenge has been (and continues to be) figuring out how to balance the workload. My most important job and highest priority is being a homeschooling mom to my four kids. They are still young (ages 9, 7, 5, and 2), and I don’t want to look back at this season of life and realize that I missed what was truly valuable because I was too focused on building a business. As my number of orders has increased, I’ve had to figure out how to keep up with the volume while not taking time away from my family. Getting up at 4 am every day to bake before they wake up seems to be working…for now!
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about Hearth & Home Baking?
I am a licensed home-based bakery in Troy. I specialize in made-from-scratch pies and cinnamon rolls. Every single pie is homemade, with love, from start to finish. I enjoy celebrating classic and time-honored pie traditions–rolling and crimping pie crust, weaving a beautiful lattice top, highlighting seasonal and local ingredients–but I also enjoy bringing some innovative creations to the pie table. Mostly, I want each bite to bring a sense of home-baked contentment and warmth. Generations of pie bakers in flour-covered aprons have taught us that pie=love, and I’m doing my best to continue bringing a little more of that love into the world, one pie at a time.
What were you like growing up?
Growing up, I loved reading. I always had a book with me and would happily spend hours traveling into new literary worlds. I’d like to think I was a pretty good child. I was fairly quiet and enjoyed being home. I still enjoy that, actually.
Contact Info:
- Website: Hearthhomebaking.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hearth.home.baking/
- Facebook: https://facebook.com/HearthHomeBaking
Image Credits
Bennett Gray Photography
