Here to kick off a new year—and brand new era of BAKED in Science—is Mark Floerke! With 45 years of industry experience, he knows the ins and outs of baking. And now he’s here to host this podcast, sharing all his knowledge and insight with you.

Meet Mark

From working in small to large bakeries, to preparing food for royalty and popstars, Mark has had an eventful career in baking. It all started with an apprenticeship in Germany as a pastry chef. He credits his humble beginnings as the root of his practical and scientific understanding of baking. From there, he gained many experiences in various facets of the industry, from retail bakeries, cafes, restaurants, catering companies, hotels, resorts, conference centers, commercial commissaries and commercial bakeries, to corporate experience in technical service, product development and ingredient research.

Over his career, Mark has mentored future industry professionals as a baking and pastry instructor for community colleges and private baking schools. He is well connected throughout the industry and enjoys sharing his knowledge and experiences. So although currently retired in beautiful Cape Breton Nova Scotia, Canada, he’s working with BAKERpedia to help freely share knowledge with baking industry professionals!

Bakery Advice & Insight

As a preview of what’s to come in this season of BAKED in Science, Mark shares some of his favorite moments from past Q&A sessions in BAKER Academy seminars. Along with Dr. Lin Carson and Richard Charpentier, here are few topics covered are:

• Flour quality
• Dough processing
• Laminated dough
• TTA and fermentation
• Shelf life
• And more!

What topics would you like to hear more about? Let us know in the comments!