The Real Reason Duff Goldman Became A Baker

Baking legend Duff Goldman has lived an interesting life for sure. He started experimenting in the kitchen when he was just four years old (via the Culinary Institute of America.) He was inspired by his great-grandmother, who was herself a baker. Goldman then entered the food industry when he was a teenager, holding down gigs in fast food eateries and learning on the job. Additionally, he greatly benefited from working alongside renowned chef Cindy Wolf from Savannah restaurant while he was studying at the University of Maryland. 

It's clear that Duff Goldman has always been proactive about his career. He believes that baking is incredible because there is so much potential (via the Food Network). He said that all you need is a list of basic ingredients, such as sugar, eggs, flour, and butter, to create a plethora of different dishes. Experimenting with the quantity of ingredients can allow a baker to come up with lots of scrumptious desserts. 

Duff Goldman told the Food Network that baking was fascinating for him. As someone who studied philosophy in college, Goldman loved that baking gave him a chance to think and reflect. "You know, you have to think; you have to be very observant when you're baking. You got to sort of be in the moment," he said, explaining that baking is an analytical job.

Goldman had another theory too. He mentioned that when he first got into fine dining, he was clueless about what to expect and was told to prepare biscuits and cornbread. It took him a few weeks to realize that he was able to get work done at his pace when he was baking, but others in the same kitchen weren't as lucky. He said, "I'd look over on the line and these guys are burning themselves, getting screamed at by the chef, they're cutting themselves ... they're sweating, and I'm like, 'this job [of baking] is much better than that job.' So, I became a baker."

Additionally, even with his analytical, thought-filled mind, it's clear that there's something almost transcendent about baking that appeals to Goldman. He told Food Network, "The thing about baking is that it's always magical, every time you do it. You put something in the oven and a couple minutes later it's something completely different." We have to agree.