By Jon Show — For years, baking was something Raven James carried with her wherever life took her — even in a tiny house on wheels.

Long before having designs on opening her bakery, James spent 12 years working in veterinary technology and later helped launch a nonprofit with her family. But baking was always the constant. As she traveled with her dog, she baked bread in a small convection oven inside her tiny home, discovering a passion for naturally fermented sourdough while never losing her first love: cookies.

“I think there are two types of people: cake people and cookie people,” James said. “I’m a cookie person through and through.”

Her kitchen has always reflected that philosophy.

“If you’re my friend and you come over and ask, ‘Do you have a cookie?’ the answer is always yes.”

That lifelong hobby has become a storefront bakery that officially opens July 11 on Catawba Avenue, where James is focusing on a deliberately small menu built around quality rather than quantity.

“I want to do a few things really, really well instead of a lot of things poorly,” she said.

The bakery offers traditional sourdough loaves, cheddar-jalapeño sourdough, sandwich loaves, sourdough discard muffins and oversized stuffed cookies. Signature flavors include almond croissant, Dubai chocolate with pistachio butter and dark chocolate, and Biscoff white chocolate.

James began selling sourdough to friends and family from her home before looking to expand into farmers markets and a commercial kitchen.

Finding the Cornelius storefront made that possible, and within about two months, she transformed the space and opened the bakery.

Although she lives in Mooresville, James said Cornelius felt right from the start. The location fit her budget, the building owner was welcoming, and being across from Smithville Park provides steady foot traffic from youth sports families.

The bakery also sits next to an ice cream shop, creating what she hopes will become a complementary destination.

A regular at farmers markets, James said buying local and understanding ingredients are important. That philosophy carries into every loaf she makes.

Unlike many grocery store products labeled sourdough, her bread relies solely on natural fermentation rather than commercial yeast.

“I know what’s going into my dough every time,” she said. “The flour matters to me. I enjoy the process.”

One thing she doesn’t yet have is a name for her sourdough starter, though her teenage sister has suggested several, including Starlight, Blazer and Peonies.

For James, the bakery isn’t simply about selling bread or cookies. It’s about creating the kind of neighborhood bakery where good food, careful craftsmanship and a warm welcome are always on the menu.