Flavors to Savor:
Love and Nostalgia at Rollhouse Bakery
When I first take a bite of the Lemon Blueberry Roll from Billings’ own Rollhouse Bakery, I can taste both the love and nostalgia mixed in amongst its layers. This is a tamed version of a lemon bar encased in a tender, fluffy dough with a cake-like crumb and interlaced with a blueberry compote. It is crowned with a topping that is somewhere between a glaze and a creamy frosting. There is just enough frosting to ooze over the roll as I take another bite. It is the perfect mix — a bit of sweet paired with the sour of a good lemon flavor.
“Lemon is one of my favorite flavors. It’s so bright. It’s delicious,” owner and baker Jennifer Keller says. She believes that “all frosting needs cream cheese. Then I add lemon zest to add fresh sharpness.” It was her sister Leah’s idea to add a bit of blueberry.
Jennifer opened her bakery in the former Sassy Biscuit Co. space last year, on National Cinnamon Roll Day in early October. With her main daily offerings of classic caramel rolls, pecan caramel rolls a.k.a. “sticky buns,” and cinnamon rolls with cream cheese frosting, welcoming customers on this day was appropriate. Every day she creates a specialty roll, such as the Lemon Blueberry Roll. Strawberry, chocolate, caramel apple, and cranberry-orange rolls are among the other selections.
The baked goods come from Jennifer’s love of old-fashioned recipes. She still refers to the Betty Crocker cookbook her mother gave her when she was 19. “My mom loved to cook. I was 9 when I baked my first pie, a peach pie,” Jennifer says, explaining that her mother made cooking an easy, capable thing.
“I never thought cooking was hard or a challenge,” Jennifer says confidently. “The kitchen is my playground.”
Inside Rollhouse Bakery, she churns out brownies, scones, croissants, pies, cupcakes, cakes, loaves of bread, English muffins and quiche. Her latest additions have included pretzels, brioche donuts filled with cream, and pineapple upside-down cake.
The cinnamon roll recipe that anchors Rollhouse Bakery came from a binder that held her collected recipes. “I was scared of, intimidated by it,” she admits of her fear at first. Normally she likes challenges, but this recipe daunted her. She proceeded to educate herself by watching YouTube videos and studying recipes until she felt comfortable tackling it. Finally, after making the rolls, she says, “It was the best dang recipe.”
For two years, she sold rolls on Facebook. At the time, she was working for Trident Medical Express, a company that offered medical delivery services. Her route was between Billings and Miles City. “I brought a brand-new car and quickly put on 360,00 miles,” she says.
That is when Jennifer started to imagine opening a bakery. “I manifested, visualized the space I wanted,” she says. “I always loved this space, but I never thought that, in a million years, I would be lucky enough to be here.”
One Sunday, she drove past Sassy Biscuit after the occupants had vacated the building. With others interested in the space, Jennifer had to present a proposal and business plan. Her submission was accepted over the others. Her dream was realized.
While baked goods are her signature offerings, Jennifer quickly branched out. Soups and sandwiches are available at lunchtime. On future Thursday, Friday, and Saturday nights, she wants to duplicate the Detroit-style pizza her brother Henry makes at the Lewistown Eagles Club, with a crispy, cheese-edged crust, a mozzarella-filled center and fresh ingredients.
Whether you prefer one of her rolls, scones or sweet treats, or just need something savory to go along with a fresh cup of joe, one thing is clear. In just six short months, Jennifer Keller is already baking up lots of nostalgia and love inside downtown Billings’ sown Rollhouse Bakery.
