Jimmy Griffin: The Career of a Sixth-Generation Master Baker

Pastry Arts Podcast

Jimmy Griffin is a sixth-generation master baker from Galway Ireland. He has forty years' experience in the bakery industry, growing up in the family business. He is a specialist in viennoiserie, sourdough, bread and cake production. He holds a Master's degree in Food Product Development and Culinary Innovation and lectures to honors degree bakery students at the School of Culinary Arts and Food Technology, Technological University, Cathal Brugha Street, Dublin. He also works as an advisor and consultant to industry. In 2016, Jimmy was appointed as president of the Jury at the Coupe du Monde de la Boulangerie in Paris. He regularly lectures and teaches overseas and has been involved with baking and competitions in most continents of the world.

In this episode, we discuss:

• Being a sixth-generation master baker
• Why he chose baking as a profession
• Describing lamination techniques
• His process of making the perfect croissant
• Why croissants are challenging for some professionals
• The differences in flours in relation to specific pastry products
• Yeast considerations for laminated doughs
• The bicolor croissant inception
• Croissant trends today
• How competitions influenced his career path
• Self publishing his book
• And much more!