THE BAKING SCIENTIST
CHERYL NORRIS
BAKES BY BROWN SUGAR PORTLAND, OREGON
By day, Cheryl Norris works as a reliability engineer for a local eletric utility, but by night, she transforms into a baking scientist, turning her kitchen into a laboratory devoted to the study of flour and sugar. Her love for science is evident in everything she does, including her blog, Bakes by Brown Sugar. Even Cheryl’s base recipe for Shortbread Cookies is an equation, using 12 ounces of flour, 8 ounces of butter, and 4 ounces of granulated sugar to create pure cookie perfection. As a self-proclaimed “baking science geek,” she likes “understanding what makes a recipe work” so she can optimize and share the information. It’s no wonder then why Cheryl’s favorite cookbook is The Cake Bible by Rose Levy Beranbaum, a book brimming with the scientific explanations of baking. As a past contestant on the Great American Baking Show, Cheryl had the opportunity to showcase her talent and strengthen her knowledge of baking in different environments. So, how does Cheryl balance a full-time career with baking every chance she can get? To her, it’s not a difficult equation at all. She loves engineering and she loves baking and teaching others, so it simply adds up to a life filled with passion—and sugar.
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