Sweet buns with an altitude
Out in Montana, where the horizon often rests gently against the tips of the Rocky Mountains, one baker is stretching typical country cuisine to new heights with recipes curated to satisfy at altitude. Christine Lugo-Yergensen, owner of Sweet Buns Catering, moved to Montana from Tampa, Florida, after her husband Jake received an offer to be an executive pastry chef at Yellowstone Club.
When she noticed her trademark chocolate chip cookies were falling flat, Lugo-Yergensen retooled and retested the recipe with the help of her husband and the very limited literature she found on high elevation baking tips. It wasn’t as simple as following that special high altitude section on the back of a Pillsbury cake box, though.
Lugo-Yergensen described not being a chemist but knowing enough about hydration, elevation and altitude-change cooking to make a difference. “There’s a significant change in elevation (from Florida to Montana),” she said. “Here in Big Sky, the air is so dry and your bread needs extra hydration, where in Florida it needs the opposite.”
Finally, after countless rounds of trial-and-error, Lugo-Yergensen found a way to make her cookies as delicious as they had once been back in Florida — a signature recipe that quickly became her town’s favorite for chocolate chip cookies. After this success, she applied this newfound knowledge to other baked goods, such as laminated doughs and donuts. Anyone who has attempted to bake a macaron knows how finicky they can be, but Lugo-Yergensen’s recipes are thriving despite the elevation of Big Sky, which ranges from 6,000-11,000 ft above sea level, according to Altitude Guide.
Building a Business
After cooking for nearly every event at The Wilson Hotel in Big Sky, Lugo-Yergensen took a particularly large catering event that gave her the seed money she needed to officially start Sweet Buns Catering, which opened in 2019.
Despite the pandemic, the catering business thrived. “We were busy because everything was drop-off meals,” she said.
Lugo-Yergensen continued to build on her success and kept a regular booth at the local farmer’s market for nearly three years before opening her very own brick-and-mortar bakery in Big Sky Town Center in March.
In June, she was voted the Emerging Entrepreneur of the Year, an award through the Big Sky Chamber of Commerce. “I’m like 33 with three kids and two little dogs that came from Florida,” Lugo-Yergensen said. “It’s kind of craziness, but it comes from hard work and trying to be different and trying to improve.”
A love for the spice
Lugo-Yergensen describes Big Sky as slow-paced and relaxing with plenty of family-oriented events. It’s one of those places where everybody knows everybody — a far cry from her birthplace in Brooklyn or the Floridian suburbs where she grew up.
With a father from the Dominican Republic and a mother from Panama, Lugo-Yergensen knows her flavor profile is different from anything Big Sky is used to. She often teases that she tends to overseason food. For their Dias de los Muertos party, her family showcased the distinct tastes of all of Latin America rather than solely focusing on Mexico.
Lugo-Yergensen’s creativity in the kitchen doesn’t just come from her heritage or family though. In 2009, she earned a certificate in baking and pastry arts at the Art Institute of Tampa. From there, she spent several years working in kitchens in New York City, Los Angeles, Florida and the Bahamas, including big industry names like Todd English’s Olives at the W Hotel and Quattro Gastronomia Italiana in New York City.
After a life of travel cooking, this mom-of-three took a few years off to raise her twin daughters, Ava and Vivienne, and her son, Leif. And then came Montana. This time Lugo-Yergensen knew she wanted to get out of the kitchen and work in the “front of house” as well.
The future is Big (Sky)
Today, the bakery owner spends her days alongside her family. During especially busy seasons, her children, husband and even parents will help in the kitchen. Lugo-Yergensen also welcomes kids within the community to learn culinary techniques behind-the-scenes, especially young women.
“We’re starting our own culinary foundation here in Big Sky so that way all the young girls who want to learn to be pastry chefs have a good grasp on what it’s actually like,” she said. “It’s hard out there for any woman in a kitchen to even tell a man ‘no, this is the way you do it,’ so I want them to be prepared and have their bearings.”
Down the line, Lugo-Yergensen hopes to publish a book on her family’s recipes and tried-and-true techniques for high-altitude baking not only to add to the literature on this craft, but also so that those following in her footsteps have a useful resource to consult when things get tough.
Aja Hannah is a writer, traveler, and mama. She’s writes on diversity, equity, and sustainable travel for publications like AAA and The Independent. As the Secretary of the Society of Travel Writers central chapter, she pushes to prioritize travel that has an eco-tourism angle or human-first focus. She believes in the Oxford comma, cheap flights, and a daily dose of chocolate.
This story was originally published November 17, 2022 at 3:04 PM.