Baker Chat: Interview with Pamela Thibodeaux of @deaux_baker
Meet the 7th generation Texan bringing heritage grains to life in her cottage cake studio
We're thrilled to introduce Pamela Thibodeaux, a 7th generation Texan (yep, that's right y'all) from Houston who's been working her way through kitchens across North and Central Texas for over a decade. With a B.S. in Hospitality Management from UNT with an emphasis on culinary, Pam skipped culinary school and learned her craft hands-on through various positions in garde manger and pastry.
Today, she runs Deaux Baker, a micro cottage cake studio in Blanco, Texas, where she creates stunning cakes in a renovated space attached to her home.
Follow along with Pam's beautiful work on Instagram @deaux_baker.
What's the one baking technique or ingredient you wish more people knew about?
USE A KITCHEN SCALE TO MEASURE BY WEIGHT Y'ALL. We need to just do away with cups and measuring by volume here in the US. It truly does set you up for success when you already have the blueprint (the listed ingredients) in a baking recipe by weighing each of the ingredients. It's the most universal way to measure…my 5 grams is the same as your 5 grams, but my leveled cup of flour is NOT the same as your leveled cup of flour….see where I am going with this? Why do we think when we make recipes our grandparents passed down, but we can't seem to figure out why ours come out slightly different than theirs did…..it's because the muscle memory of how their hands are measuring in volume is not the same as mine or yours, and therefore…..a completely different outcome. Thanks for the recipes mawmaw, but this ain't it!
Walk us through your favorite thing to bake when you're just creating for yourself. No clients, no pressure.
Probably pancakes, ha! Not exactly baking, but I have my recipe memorized (yes, in grams!) to where I just make the batter without even thinking about it. Sunday morning pancakes is something I always look forward to making for my family, especially as my 15 month old son LOVES his mama's pancakes :) There's something so satisfying and wholesome when it comes to making pancakes. It's also fun to switch up what flour to use. Lately it's been BSM Sonora whole wheat, though I do love to use BSM Einkorn whole grain from time to time.
What's a baking "rule" you love to break?
Hmm, maybe not ALWAYS checking the internal temperature when baking yeasted breads at home. Sometimes I'm just like eh, it looks and feels right.
If you could only use one type of flour for the rest of your life, what would it be and why?
Ohhh this is tough to answer Alyssa! As lame and basic as it sounds…probably All Purpose....I mean come on, there is a reason it's called that! Specifically though….the Barton Springs Mill Premium All-Purpose flour which consists of Rouge De Bordeaux 00 & Sonora 00. It's the most versatile for almost all baked goods under the sun minus maybe sourdough breads….that certainty needs a little more gluten strength.
What's bringing you joy in the kitchen right now?
It's December so cookie season is what I am currently joyous about! I thankfully have some very sweet neighbors, so I plan to drop off around the block assorted holiday cookies as well as just baking them for family/friends. Every year I try to recreate/derive from another arsenal recipe, a "new" version of a cookie–typically with homage to some other holiday treat. This year it's stolen shortbread!
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