Hi! I’m Kristin “Baker Bettie” Hoffman. I’m a trained chef, bestselling cookbook author of Baker Bettie’s Better Baking Book, owner of Bettie’s Chicago, and baking educator specializing in baking fundamentals and techniques, yeast breads and sourdough, and approachable baking science. I’ve always been the person who asks “why?” about everything. Call it neurodivergence or simple curiosity, but I need to know why something works or why a rule is in place.
In fact, learning the “why” behind baking is what hooked me in the first place. In 2005, I came across an episode of Good Eats where Alton Brown explained the science behind a chocolate chip cookie. I was fascinated and began my own kitchen experiments immediately. Over the years, many people have referred to me as the “female Alton Brown,” which is one of the biggest compliments I’ve ever received.
My Approach to Baking
In 2012 I attended culinary school and was introduced to the concept of master recipes: foundational formulas that could be transformed into many different baked goods. This is where it all came together for me. Baking became my obsession and the entire basis of my career has developed into sharing the concept of master recipes and how they can be used to better understand how baking works.
My goal with this blog is to explain the science of baking. The experience of feeling intimidated by baking is common and I am passionate about making it less intimidating.
I have found that once you understand a few rules of baking you have so much freedom to experiment in the kitchen. I want to teach you the basics so that you can understand baking in a way that feels approachable! Once you have the basics, you will gain the confidence to experiment with your baking!
Getting Around the Site
A few things that might help you navigate the site more easily:
If you are brand new to baking, consider going through my Fundamentals of Baking section. These posts will give you the groundwork to begin baking like a pro.
I also have a section of the website dedicated to Baking Science that can answer many of your questions about ingredient functions and basic baking science.
If you are a visual learner, checkout my free YouTube content full of recipe tutorials, troubleshooting, and baking tips.
Better Baking School
Over the years I’ve amassed a community of over 1.1 million followers across platforms who are seeking the answer to the “why” questions in baking and trust me as a source to break it down in an approachable way.
To further support my audience, I founded The Better Baking School, an online learning platform with more than 50 courses that has served over 30,000 students worldwide.
Better Baking Book
I wrote my debut book, Baker Bettie’s Better Baking Book, as a baking fundamentals resource focused on teaching classic techniques, approachable baking science, and how to utilize master recipes to create endless baked goods. It is the book I wished I had when I first started baking!
It debuted as an Amazon #1 bestseller in multiple categories, including Professional Cooking, Pastry Baking, Cake Baking, Pies, Desserts, and Cookies, was named by Food Network as one of the Top 10 Baking Books of 2021, and has sold more than 40,000 copies.
The book breaks down basic baking science, ingredient functions, mixing methods, and is formatted with customizable master recipes to bring the concepts of culinary school to the home baker. It has since been adopted as an educational resource in middle school and high school culinary programs across the United States.
Bettie’s Chicago
In 2022, I opened Bettie’s Chicago, a recreational cooking and baking school in downtown Chicago styled like a 1950s diner to match the Baker Bettie brand. We host weekly hands-on cooking and baking classes using the curriculum that I created. I teach most of the baking-focused classes, particularly those centered on bread and sourdough.
With a perfect five-star rating and more than 260 Google reviews, Bettie’s Chicago has quickly become a sought-after culinary destination, attracting both local students and travelers from across the United States.
Connect with Me!
I love connecting with all of you and absolutely love to see what you are baking! If you want to share anything you have made with me you can tag me @bakerbettie or use the hashtag #bakerbettie
