🍪 Episode Summary

Dani sits down with longtime friend and collaborator Michelle—a food scientist, former R&D pro, and current health inspector—to unpack the science that turns creative baking into consistent, business-ready results. From the chemistry of leavening to scaling home recipes for production, this conversation bridges classroom know-how, real-world teaching, and the behind-the-scenes systems that keep quality steady as you grow.

🧁 What You’ll Learn

• Why “baking is chemistry” — and how understanding reactions unlocks creativity
• The difference between baking soda and baking powder (and how to test ratios fast)
• Practical pitfalls when scaling recipes (equipment capacity, friction heat, kneading force)
• Why weighing beats volume for consistency (and how tiny errors compound at scale)
• Ingredient variability (like butter fat and seasonality) and how to control for it
• How specs, SOPs, and supplier standards create Mc-everywhere-level consistency in small shops
• When to consider co-manufacturing—and why written specifications are non-negotiable

💬 Key Quotes

• “At the end of the day, baking is chemistry.”
• “The point of creaming butter and sugar? We’re incorporating air.”
• “Not all butter is the same.”
• “If you can understand why you do something and how you do something, it can really help in the end.”
• “Science doesn’t kill creativity, it strengthens it.”

🌟 Episode Resources & Mentions

• Dani’s Kitchen Shop — daniskitchenshop.com
• The Business of Baking Course — Learn to turn passion into profit with systems, specs, and smart scaling
• Instagram — @daniskitchenshop

🧭 Connect with Dani

Website: daniskitchenshop.com
Instagram: @daniskitchenshop
Join the Email List: Get weekly tips for bakers & creative entrepreneurs