Perfect Pastry

What Gemma Stafford loves most about baking is sharing, which she does often—in person and virtually—with family, friends, and her millions of fans.

“I don’t know if it’s because I’m Irish, but I love to feed people. The reason I bake is not for me; it’s for other people,” says the popular creator of delicious baked goods. This often means feeding her production crew after long days of filming episodes of “Bigger Bolder Baking,” the YouTube cooking show she started with her husband, Kevin Kurtz, that has amassed nearly three million followers. Since it began a decade ago, this platform and its reach on social media have allowed her to virtually feed her many fans by providing access to quick, easy, and tasty recipes. “I was one of only a few baking channels out there,” she says. “It was a completely different landscape than it is now.” 

Stafford promotes recipes for a range of cooking skill sets (the average college student surely appreciates a microwaveable treat now and then), but at home in Los Angeles, she is thrilled to use her treasured Sub-Zero, Wolf, and Cove appliances to create her signature baked goods. She regularly employs her Wolf Convection Steam Ovens, as well as her Wolf Range with four burners and infrared griddle, where her husband and son join her to prepare pancakes on the weekends.

As part of a family of three, she says that the Steam Oven is especially helpful for cooking smaller amounts of food quickly since it preheats in just a few minutes. Stafford emphasizes that quality comes first and foremost in her work, and her cooking appliances enable her to achieve that quality. “There is a film crew in my kitchen every week, and my oven works much longer than other people’s ovens,” she says. 

Inspiration for “Bigger Bolder Baking” struck at a time when both Stafford and Kurtz were seeking career changes. After working as a pastry chef in San Francisco, she had been running a breakfast catering company for tech companies in Silicon Valley, called Rise and Dine Catering; her husband had been managing marketing for big production companies like Lucasfilm, EA, and Walt Disney Pictures. “We said, ‘Let’s marry both of our passions,’” recalls Stafford.

Although she had never been in entertainment, and Kurtz had no producing experience, they began creating digital content from their home in Santa Monica at the time. After much trial and error, Stafford says, “we solidified ourselves as one of the top food content creators.” The key was positioning herself as a professionally trained chef with experience in the field (Stafford, who is from Ireland, studied at the world-renowned Ballymaloe Cookery School in County Cork), which separated her from the many self-proclaimed cooks popping up on YouTube and social media.

Over the years, a sense of community has formed among Stafford’s “Bold Bakers” – without which, she says, her platform would not exist. She appreciates feedback and comments, and when a video hits big, she and her team pay close attention. One of Stafford’s most popular collections is “mug meals,” a variety of recipes, from pizza to cake, that can literally be cooked within minutes in the microwave. “Mug meals really blew up for us all those years ago,” she says. Since its inception, similar recipes began appearing on cooking websites, and now, mug meals are a TikTok trend – but Stafford is not bothered. “Like they say, imitation is the best form of flattery. When I see the mug meals out there, I think, ‘that was us ten years ago,’” she marvels. 

An Afternoon Tea with Gemma Stafford

Last October, Stafford co-hosted an Afternoon Tea event at the Sub-Zero, Wolf, and Cove Showroom in Costa Mesa, CA. with Chef Molly Kruger to promote Stafford's book, “Bigger Bolder Baking Every Day: Easy Recipes to Bake Through a Busy Week.” The event featured a book signing and cooking demonstration of featured teatime recipes using Wolf M Series Wall Oven and Convention Steam Oven. “I think it shows not only the equipment, but also showcases how it can be used and how it can be such a personal part of your kitchen,” says Krystina Holford, Regional Marketing Manager for the showroom.

Hosting your own teatime? Stafford has a few tips to ensure your event is picture-perfect. 

1. Prep, prep, prep. Stafford usually makes her scones the day before and even goes so far as to egg wash them before storing them in the fridge. “Then you literally just have to take them out and pop them in the oven.”
2. Let cakes and breads settle. Many afternoon tea recipes, like pound cakes, coffee cakes, and quick breads, benefit from sitting for at least 24 hours before being served. “They settle and get more moist,” says Stafford. 
3. Make your cookie dough in advance. If you’re making cookies, remember that dough gets better with age. Make your cookie dough 5-7 days beforehand and store it in the freezer. “The flavor becomes more concentrated, and the texture gets better,” she says.
4. Remember the little things. Prepping your linens, dishware, and cutlery the day before saves time and prevents you from scrambling on the day of the event.