Pastry Chef Joanne Chang has great Sticky Buns
Born in Houston, Texas, Joanne Chang received her B.A. in Applied Mathematics and Economics at Harvard College. She spent two years as a management consultant after graduation, but it was her passion for food that prompted her to leave consulting for the food industry. Born in Houston, Texas, Joanne Chang received her B.A. in Applied Mathematics and Economics at Harvard College. She spent two years as a management consultant after graduation, but it was her passion for food that prompted her to leave consulting for the food industry. She landed her first food job as a line cook at Biba, an upscale restaurant in Boston, and later moved on to Bentonwood Bakery (Newton, MA) to hone her baking skills and then to Rialto (Cambridge, MA) where she gained experience in menu planning and general management. Then in 1997, she found herself at one of New York’s highly acclaimed French restaurants, Payard Patisserie & Bistro, further advancing her pastry techniques. She returned to Boston as pastry chef for Mistral, meanwhile working out plans for her very own bakery. Now, she is the proud owner of two successful Flour Bakery & Cafés and one new Chinese eatery, Myers + Chang, which opened in September of this year in Boston.
The first Flour opened its doors in 2000 and its great popularity led to the launch of the second one 7 years later. The mission behind Flour is very straightforward: Offering delicious, simplistic foods bringing loads of pleasure to diners. Prepared in-house by the kitchen staff, you’ll find everything from chocolate truffle tarts to oven-baked asparagus and potato tortes.
Also on the menus and sold out on most mornings at the Flour bakeries are Joanne’s Sticky Buns: brioche lathered in gooey caramel and generously topped with toasted pecans and cinnamon. These mouthwatering delights crowned Joanne as the winner of the bun competition against celebrity chef Bobby Flay on Throwdown with Bobby Flay. The episode aired on the Food Network in July.
In addition to running her bakeries and restaurants, Joanne also teaches classes at local cooking schools and advises pastry chefs within her bakeries. Outside of the kitchen, she writes pastry articles and reviews cookbooks for Fine Cooking magazine.
Engaged to Christopher Myers, half owner of Myers + Chang, Joanne enjoys running and has competed in every Boston Marathon since 1991.
Here’s more from the accomplished pastry-chef and restaurateur:
ASIANCE: What made you switch from management consulting to the food industry? Was it more than just for the love for food? Did you always have an interest in cooking and baking as a child?
Joanne: I have always loved food and was eager to try something new in my professional career. I didn’t feel like going to business school or continuing to consult and I felt that I was young enough and relatively responsibility-free that I could make the jump-however temporary-into something that I’d always loved. I used to cook and bake all of the time as a child.
ASIANCE: Could you tell us more about Myers + Chang? What prompted you to come up with this new restaurant? What are some of the items on the menu?
Joanne: It’s a casual fun and hip Chinese eatery with Thai, Malaysian, Korean, and other Asian influences. [Chris and I] wanted to create a restaurant that featured foods I’d grown up with, but in a fun and funky setting that would attract more diners than Chinatown does. We have a rocking sound system, pink barstools, open kitchen and amazing food. Some items are Mama Chang’s Pork and Chive Dumplings, Spicy Silky Tofu with Kimchee and Peppered Pork, Hakka Eggplant, Edamame and Celery Salad with Candied Lemon and Sesame, Thai Ginger Chicken Salad with Cucumber and Basil.
ASIANCE: Do you ever cook at home? How often do you come up with new recipes? Do you still come up with recipes for your Flour bakeries? Which recipes are you most proud of? Can we publish one of them?
Joanne: I do cook at home a lot. [Chris and I] come up with new recipes all the time at both Flour and M+C. I am really proud of our Banana Bread and Oreo recipes and our Dan Dan Noodle Salad [spicy Sichuan sauce made of ground peanut and sesame seeds served over noodles] at M+C.
ASIANCE: How did it feel to beat Bobby Flay with your sticky buns? Can you tell us a bit about the event?
Joanne: It was great! I was totally surprised and it was a lot of fun. The competition was around February/March, but the show was aired on the Food Network in July this year. I had never watched Bobby Flay before so I wasn’t sure what the show was all about but afterwards when someone explained it to me I realized what a great opportunity it was to be featured.
ASIANCE: What are your Thanksgivings like? What sorts of food do you prepare/eat? Is there a combination of Asian and American foods?
Joanne: When I was young we used to have roast duck and rice and mostly Chinese food. Since moving away from home we have more typical American Thanksgiving dinners with turkey, potatoes, etc. with not a lot of Asian stuff.
ASIANCE: How much of an influence does your Asian background have on the pastries/food at your bakeries and the way you cook or bake in general? Does it play an important role in your life? If so, how?
Joanne: I am not super big on really sweet items for the most part – “ I think that influences my baking a lot. In terms of cooking I do try to make sure there’s a good combination of crunchy, soft, cold, hot, the whole yin-yang thing.
ASIANCE: What is your take on fusion food? Do you like or dislike it?
Joanne: To be honest I haven’t really had any fusion food that I’m aware of… .
ASIANCE: Have there ever been challenges being in the kitchen as a woman? As an Asian-American?
Joanne: I’ve been fortunate to not really notice any discrimination either for being female or Asian in the kitchen.
ASIANCE: What has made you a better pastry chef or cook?
Joanne: Always tasting, always testing, always working with others.
ASIANCE: What’s the biggest challenge you’ve had while being in the food industry? Have you been able to overcome it and if so, how?
Joanne: The schedule is tough – “ but I’m engaged to someone who also is in the industry so we’ve managed to make it work!
ASIANCE: What were your experiences like working at Payard Patisserie, Rialto, Biba? Which was your favorite place to work under and why?
Joanne: All were great – “ very challenging – “ I loved working at all of my former places of employment because I had great bosses and mentors at all and I learned so much from each kitchen.
ASIANCE: Who do you admire and draw ideas from most?
Joanne: My fiancé, Christopher Myers, most definitely.
ASIANCE: What are the top 5 must-try items at Flour?
Joanne: Everyone loves the Banana Bread. I would also say the Chocolate Chip Cookie, the Pain aux Raisin, the Lemon Raspberry Cake, and the Multi Grain Rolls.
Joanne Chang’s Sticky Buns
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Inactive Prep Time: 3 hours 10 minutes
Cook Time: 45 minutes
Yield: 6 servings
- 1 recipe Brioche dough, recipe follows
- 2 cups brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 cup pecans, toasted and chopped Goo, recipe follows
Directions
- On a floured work surface, roll out the brioche dough into a rectangle that is approximately 1/4-inch thick.
- Combine the brown sugar, cinnamon, and pecans and sprinkle evenly on the brioche.
- Roll up the brioche jelly roll-style and slice the roll into buns about 1-inch thick.
- Spread the Goo on the bottom of a roasting pan and place buns evenly spaced in the pan.
- Cover and allow to rise for 2 to 3 hours in a warm place.
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
- Place buns in the oven and bake until golden brown, about 45 minutes.
- Let cool for 10 minutes and then invert onto a serving platter.
- Serve with Cafe au Lait.
Brioche Dough
Ingredients
- 2 1/2 cups high-gluten flour
- 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1-ounce yeast
- 1/3 cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar
- 1 tablespoon salt
- 1/2 cup ice water
- 5 eggs
- 11 ounces butter, softened
Directions
- In a large bowl of a stand mixer, combine all the ingredients, except the butter and beat on low with dough hook for 10 minutes.
- Add the softened butter and knead for another 20 minutes until dough slaps on the side of the bowl.
- Place in a container and cover well.
- Proof in refrigerator for at least 6 hours.
- Proceed with shaping of sticky buns (see above)
Goo
Ingredients
- 1/2 pound butter
- 15 ounces brown sugar
- 5 ounces honey
- 1/2 cup cream
- 1/2 cup water
Directions
- In a saucepan over medium heat, melt together the butter and brown sugar.
- Remove from heat, let cool, and whisk in the honey, cream, and water.
- Set aside.
Melody grew up loving to write, especially about food, and went on to receive a B.A. from U.C. Berkeley. Her last position at a food magazine allowed her to live out her then dream job of eating fancy foods everyday and critiquing their flavors and textures for articles. Now, she works for The New York Daily News and invents Asian-fusion recipes for Asiance. You can reach Melody at melody@asiancemagazine.com or visit her MyAsiance page at my.asiancemagazine.com/mymelody.
Above photo by www.jkvphotography.com
Hi Joanne
I saw you on TV and I think what you have done is great,
I want to try to make your Sticky Buns,you make it look
easy but I don’t think it is do you have some advise.
Looking over the recipe, I find a combination of oz measurements and cups.
Not everyone has a kitchen scale, so am wondering what equivalants are for the
butter, yeast, brown sugar, honey, etc. Am confused…honey—fluid oz or weight…?
Thanks much-
k
Hi -the recipe is actually very easy but it just takes patience and time. Please note that the recipe for Brioche Dough itself should just be taken to the point of making the dough…then at step 5 when it says to “shape and proof” you should proceed to the sticky bun recipe.
I would advise that you get all of your ingredients measured out first, read through the recipe in its entirety, then tackle the whole thing. With patience it’s really quite straightforward.
As for the measurements we did try to convert this to home friendly measurements but the recipe does assume you have a scale. All of the ounces are ounces by weight and unfortunately i don’t have the conversions to cups! Baking is all about precision and i’ve found that baking with cups is not all that accurate. you can buy kitchen scales for as little as $10 at stores like target or online at amazon. Sorry i don’t have the actual conversion available for you!
Joanne
Hi Joanne –
Love-Love-Love your sticky bun recipe! Have been making them since 2005 when I saw you on Ming Tsai’s show – quick question for you – in the original recipe I have, some of the ingredients and measurements called for, are different than what is posted here (and on other places on the web (Food TV, etc). These are such things as using all bread flour and not a mix of flours, the addition of corn meal and more eggs and less yeast. Is the recipe here, an ‘improved’ version that you use at ‘FLOUR’; and, does it make a difference in texture or taste of the buns to use your recipe here (vs the original)? Thanks for your comments – I appreciate them!
So for the brioche dough what do you mean by high gluten flour and where can I find that? Thanks so much!
Hi Janet! I unfortunately don’t have the Ming recipe in front of me so i’m not sure how it is different. I do know that cornmeal is not necessary in sticky buns so I would say go with the Food network recipe which is the most up to date and you should be great. We’ve used the same recipe since we’ve opened so perhaps there’s a typo in the earlier recipes??
Hi Lara! High gluten flour is a bread flour and you can often buy it in the supermarket. Or you can order some online at the King Arthur website. But many stores have bread flour so you ought to be able to purchase it without having to mail order. Good luck!!
-your recipe states 6 servings, but I always get much more-what do you consider a serving?
— after Shape,cover and proof at room temperature-do I go immediately to making the rolls “on the floured work service…”??
-I have made the recipe twice and getting different results each time–PLEASE HELP ON THIS GREAT RECIPE!!
Many Thanks,
Katherine
Our sticky buns are HUGE so you may very well be getting more than six servings per batch. Each one of ours is about half a pound!! This brioche recipe is confusing and I will request that they change it – after you make the brioche dough through step four, then go directly to the sticky bun shaping at the top of the recipe. In the brioche dough recipe, when it says “shape, cover and proof” that is when you shape the sticky buns, cover them, and proof them. SOrry for the confusion!
Hi Joanne,
It’s amazing to see you answering the comments yourself!! I came across your name when I was looking for how to knead a dough on youtube and I saw you on a video making puff pastry! I searched your name and have just read your amazing story!! I have a lot of admiration for you 🙂 I have just graduated from university with a good degree and feeling a lot of pressure to get a high-flyer job, knowing that my passion is in cooking and baking. It must have taken a lot of guts for you to leave the consulting job ( same job I am applying for T_T) for a line cook! I hope one day to follow you path and own a small bakery of my own 🙂 People says I’m such a dreamer but I will always have you as my inspiration. 🙂
Joanne,
Thank You. You are truly an inspiration. How did you come up with the name of your bakery – Flour – it’s simple and cute.
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Cookbook
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Do you know when you will be coming out with your cookbook? I have waited and waited and can’t wait to read it and learn from it. Have tried most of your published recipes and love them all. Thanks for sharing.
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Mathematics
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Any helpful mathematical hints on how you go abouts doubling, tripling or quadrupling a recipe until the maximum increase renders the recipe un-usable. I don’t have a mathematical background, but I know that you simply cannot take a recipe and say, quadruple it and the the same result – there has to be a breaking point and I am not sure how to arrive at that. Do you have any formulas someone could learn from?
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Sticky Buns – food network – throwdown
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As for the sticky buns, others might want to watch your food network throwdown – loved it.
Here it is:
http://video.aol.com/video-detail/flourbakery-cafe-joanne/2131620441
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oreos – amount of chocolate used
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One question for you – I watched a video where you were preparing oreos and just wondeirng the amount of chocolate used to make the oreo cookie – is that a chocolate sable cookie you made. Is that also a published recipe? If yes, do you have a link – I would love to try it. The cookies look yummy.
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A BIG THANK YOU
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Again, thanks for sharing. I look forward to your cookbook release =)
Hi. do you seriously cook the sticky buns for 40 minutes? What takes so long? I’d be afraid they would burn in that length of time…………but you’re the expert. If you say it is so, it is so.
Thanks for your time and for sharing your recipe
Hi Joanne..
As everyone else has said, just saw the episode on Food Network a little while ago. Its great to see someone change careers to something they’ve got a passion for. I graduated with a business degree and did marketing until I wanted something “more” and decided to make that huge leap and change to culinary. Been working at MGM Grand here in Vegas for almost 4yrs now and LOVING it!
Thanks for sharing your great story.. many successes to you 🙂
Message is for the moron with the message before mine.
Was going to write a little statement but people like
that arent worth the time.
Fon – good luck to you and thank you so much for your kind words!!
Sharon – My fiance named Flour – he is super creative and knew that such a simple classic name would match what I wanted to do with my bakery. I’m in the process of shopping around my cookbook proposal now – once a publishing house accepts it I think it’s about a year before the actual book comes out. The best book to learn about doubling recipes is the Cake Bible by Rose Levy Berenbaum – she goes into it for cakes – for other recipes it depends upon what kind of leavening, if any, is in the recipes. If there is no leavening you should be able to simply multiply upwards. We use a semisweet chocolate for the oreo – i’m re-working the recipe now so i don’t have one to share but hopefully i will soon!
Leasa – it all depends upon your oven – in our ovens it takes at least 30 minutes but we have convection ovens which are faster which is why I suggest 40 minutes for a regular oven – like with most things baking you should really use the recipes as a guideline and use your best judgement for things like time in oven – when they are brown all the way on top then they are done.
John – thank you and good luck to you! Vegas is amazing for food and I hope to make it there someday for a visit.
How is the new restaurant doing? heard some good reviews on some your dishes there. whos the chef?
Joanne, What a pleasant surprise that you took time away from your busy schedule to reply. Thanks.
Glad to hear that you are coming out with a cookbook…can’t wait =). Found the cookbook blog on your website and love reading it.
When I make it to Boston, Flour is on my list of ‘must sees’. Can’t wait!
Hi Joanne,
I traveled to Boston recently to visit my son who is
attending college there. He LOVES sticky buns, so Flour
was our first stop. I called both locations at around llam
and both were already out of the buns! I know these are
very popular and just thought, well, maybe you should
make more so your customers aren’t disappointed. After
the Bobby Flay experience (which is how we heard of you)
I would think you’d be prepared with plenty of sticky buns
for all. We’ll try again next time we’re in town.