In Erin Jeanne McDowell’s kitchen, precision is an act of love. Her voice—whether through a screen, a recipe, or across the pages of a book—carries both the confidence of a professional and the warmth of someone who’s constantly curious. “I’m a visual learner,” she says. “So, I do my best to describe things with as many visual cues as possible. When I’ve got the chance to demonstrate via video—even better, because I can share both words and visual instruction! I think sometimes the best way to teach is to find several ways to describe the same thing—this way, you’re simultaneously providing multiple examples to drive home instruction and, also, more people have a chance of resonating with it.”
There’s a generosity in that instinct—a belief that technique isn’t something to guard but to share until it finds a home in someone else’s hands. It’s the same spirit that shaped her earliest lessons. “I grew up baking with my mom and grandma, and those memories fuel a lot of my love of baking to this day,” she says. “Part of why I love sharing and teaching is because there’s also lots of people out there without this strong connection to food. Maybe I can be the surrogate ‘family member’ to teach someone how to bake something from scratch.”
That impulse—to make the kitchen a more human, forgiving place—anchors all of Erin’s work. Her “fearless baker” ethos has never been about perfection but about the courage to try, fail, and try again. “I loved watching Julia Child with my grandma on PBS,” she remembers. “Even when something didn’t go right, [Julia] always had encouraging words and a clear path forward. She made cooking seem approachable but also fun, and that’s something I try to do in all my work, too! There’s no reason to be scared—it’s all about having fun, enjoying the process and the delicious end result!”
That spirit of joyful, confidence-building teaching is one our readers already know well. Erin has graced the pages of Bake from Scratch many times over the years and has twice been a guest instructor at our annual Fall Baking Retreat—beloved by participants for her clarity, kindness, and contagious enthusiasm. Her classes sell out quickly, a testament to the trust and excitement she inspires in bakers who’ve learned from her both on the page and in person.
Erin approaches pastry like a conversation between the senses. “I think it’s wise to use all of your senses when baking. It can help you learn on a deeper level and improve your skills more,” she says. “So much of baking is muscle memory—and practice makes perfect! When you use all your senses, you’re learning to bake more like a professional. Not just following instructions blindly, but learning when things look, feel, smell, taste, and even sound just right.”
