SCRIPPS RANCH FARMER’S MARKET
Angela’s Kitchen: the sweet smell of success
By Jill Alexander
The sweet aroma of sourdough bread baking in her Santee home a few years ago led one woman to launch a business that’s quickly gained momentum.
Angela Self, 39, started Angela’s Kitchen to help support her husband and their five children after her husband was injured on the job.
“I had to start thinking about some sort of business – and preferably one I liked – after my husband was hurt working for a maintenance company five years ago,” she said.
One day while Angela was baking bread, the delicious smell caught the attention of her neighbors, who soon began stopping by to ask about it. At first, she gave the loaves away. Then one neighbor asked if Angela could bake for a party, and word spread from there.
“She said, could I make four to five loaves for a BBQ party? That was my first sale,” Self said. “She asked what I would charge for those loaves, and I said $10.”
That modest sale turned into something much bigger. Today, Angela’s Kitchen offers more than 100 flavors, with jalapeño sourdough among the most popular.
“It has been all trial-and-error recipes that I developed over the last few years; nobody in my family baked,” she said.
These days, baking has become a full-time job. But even with the nonstop schedule, Self said her love for the craft hasn’t faded.
“I love baking because it’s therapeutic and Zens me out,” she said. “I still find it relaxing, even though I’m now baking or prepping seven days a week. When I’m not baking for the markets, I’m baking for my kids.”
In addition to her signature sourdough, Angela makes cinnamon rolls, garlic cheese rolls and other baked treats.
She currently sells her goods at five local markets and has been part of the Scripps Ranch Farmer’s Market for about a year.
“I like Scripps because of the vibes, and my fellow vendors are amazing,” she said. “We all get along great. Market season is interesting. Some days are slower than others – but even then, we have a good time there.”
Angela oversees every aspect of the business herself, from baking to selling, while her husband Sean, 40, homeschools their children and manages their busy schedules. Their kids range in age from six to 16.
“I was homeschooling and was a home-based mom before my husband got hurt at his job,” she said.
Her prices range from $5 for a single cinnamon roll to $15 for a specialty sourdough loaf.
“The most popular is the jalapeño sourdough, then the cinnamon rolls and then garlic cheese rolls,” she said.
Angela’s dream is to open a storefront bakery by the end of the year and eventually see her products on grocery store shelves.
Visit Angela’s Kitchen at the Scripps Ranch Farmer’s Market, held every Thursday from 3:30 to 7:30 p.m. at 10045 Carroll Canyon Road.