A few months back while talking about Thanksgiving plans with friends I heard one mention she was going to take it easy on herself and order some goodies from a local baker, Jaymi Ray. After further inquiry I was told she made most any kind of baked good you could ask for and I should definitely try the Pesto Bread. I never did get around to ordering anything at Thanksgiving but I started to follow Jaymi’s business on Facebook, Bakes by Jaymi, and she routinely posted pictures of her creations which further piqued my interest.  I ended up meeting Jaymi at a Polk Home event and we set up some time for me to visit with her and sample some of her recipes I’d been seeing for months.

You could almost smell the bread from the front porch of Jaymi’s historic home in Lynnville, TN. Upon entering I could distinguish the savory smell of garlic and herbs along with the sweet crisp aroma of baked apples. She walked me to her kitchen where a mountain of baked goods awaited me. As we worked to photograph everything before diving in to eat she told me her story about becoming a baker.

Jaymi has always had an interest in baking and about a year ago began selling some of her baked goods. The recipes are her own creations and are tweaked sometimes over months to get them to taste just the way she likes.  While the recipes are her own, she is open to ingredient requests from her customers. Like a little lemon in your apple pie- no problem! Have a favorite dessert you can’t find anywhere- Jaymi can help recreate based on the flavors you describe.

I dove first into her homemade pizza rolls which are made with her homemade garlic butter. Diced pepperoni dots the bread knots which are perfect for dipping in your favorite sauce as an afternoon snack or pre-dinner nibble.

But back to the garlic butter. Jaymi takes ten bulbs of garlic and roasts them in the oven until their pods are filled with a warm garlic paste. The garlic paste is then folded into several pounds of butter and reset into blocks for her baking whimsy. Jaymi made me both garlic rolls and a garlic loaf for tasting and I was hooked.  It took some self-restraint to save some rolls and bread for a dinner I was going to later that evening.

Next up was bread I had been looking forward to since Thanksgiving- the Pesto Loaf. Jaymi takes homegrown basil and makes fresh pesto to use in her bread. There is a swirl of flavor in every bite and while good on its own, Jaymi showed me an added trick I’m sure to use once summer comes. Jaymi places a ripe tomato slice on top of the pesto bread, sprinkles it with salt and a liberal dose of cheese and broils in the oven until melted. It. Was. Heavenly.

After sampling all of her savory wares I was ready to move on to the sweets.  Jaymi had made Apple Pie Tarts and Cinnamon Twists for us to enjoy. Growing up I always asked for an apple pie for my birthday so I’m a little fickle when it comes to the recipe, but this did not disappoint. The tarts were adorable and the crust was perfectly handmade while filling let the apples speak for themselves with just the right amount of cinnamon. Jaymi’s cinnamon twists were a new recipe she was trying out and they came out perfect. I gladly took home leftover twists and used like a biscotti with my coffee the next day!

The last goody we tasted was her Monkey Bread Fruit Cobbler. Jaymi brought out a warm loaf of gooey monkey bread topped with apple, walnut, and cinnamon crumbles. This could easily be breakfast or dessert!

Jaymi could not have been more welcoming and it is obvious she puts a lot of love in her baking. To ensure customers are getting the freshest goods Jaymi bakes goods on demand. Customers can pick up orders from her Tuesdays and Thursdays and the James K Polk Memorial Home. To place an order you can reach out to Jaymi directly at (706)897-4313. Her complete order list is on her Facebook page HERE and you can also follow her on Instagram at BAKESBYJAYMI.