Pastry chef Sierra Axtell is developing a cult following for her decadent cinnamon rolls
Nostalgia drives Sierra Axtell’s approach to desserts. As the former pastry chef at The Anchorage, Axtell says she “was always trying to bring a little piece of nostalgia to the fine-dining aspect of plated dessert. We did a lot of plays on familiar favorites, but did little twists to elevate them. I call it ‘new nostalgia.’”
These days, Axtell stuffs childhood dessert memories into her cinnamon rolls as the owner of Sunday Crumb. A Clemson grad with a degree in international business, she launched her pop-up baking venture in June this year, and since her first pop-up at Mountain Goat coffee shop, her rolls have been a sweet sensation. “We sold out in just over an hour,” the self-taught chef reports. “It’s been 100 miles an hour since I started, which is phenomenal.”
Why all the buzz? Her oversized rolls are pillowy and soft, not overly sweet, and easy to share. The original version is generously slathered with addictive brown butter vanilla icing. Axtell got the idea for cinnamon rolls from an Australian pastry shop she found on Instagram, figuring Greenville has its fair share of donut and ice cream shops, but nobody is just doing cinnamon rolls.
She credits her fascination with food to stints living in Japan and France with her family. In France, she got acquainted with classic pastries like eclairs, financiers (a small molded cake), and Paris-Brest (a ring-shaped pastry), which she later experimented with recreating.
Sunday Crumb translation
That French experience now translates to Sunday Crumb. “People might love cinnamon rolls, but have they ever had one with a French technique brioche-based dough?” muses the mother of four children under four years old. “We concentrate on the actual vessel—not just the filling or the topping.”
The great thing about cinnamon rolls, Axtell believes, is the endless combinations that feed her creative side. As we talk, her ideas bubble up like a fountain: “You can do a pistachio one, a chocolate tiramisu one, a lemon blueberry one, a Biscoff cookie butter one.” She even does savory versions, such as a breakfast roll filled with pork and turkey sausage with spiced aioli and cheese. “I have ideas that would fill a couple of years,” she shares, laughing.
Axtell admits she’s bootstrapped the business so far, but before the holidays, she hopes to be in a semi-permanent location where she can have a consistent presence every week. Eventually, she plans to grow into a brick-and-mortar bakery. Either way, the community aspect lies at the foundation of her concept. “Hospitality is such a gift to give,” she says.
Look for Sierra’s pop-up locations on Instagram @sunday_crumb_.
Holiday Pick Me Up
For something fun over the holidays, Sierra Axtell will be launching a new product: single-serve tiramisu boxes. They’ll be available in 5-inch by 3-inch drawer boxes color-coded to reflect the flavor of what’s inside—from classic tiramisu to gingerbread tiramisu, pistachio tiramisu, and even lemon meringue tiramisu. “My goal is to have a box where you can get six flavors in one,” the baker says. Hint: They’ll make great hostess gifts for those holiday parties.
