I started baking when I was 14, mostly because I loved watching Food Network and wanted to

see if I could make what I was watching at home. What started as baking for friends and family

eventually became something I kept coming back to because I loved everything about it—the

smell of the house when something is in the oven, the creativity that goes into trying a new

recipe, and especially the process of figuring out what works and what doesn't.

I'm a scientist by background, so naturally, I turned baking into a little experiment.

I keep a lab notebook for my baking just like I would in a laboratory. I record my recipes, make

one adjustment at a time, and keep track of what works and what doesn't. Then I bake it again.

And again. I've tested different flours, hydration levels, fermentation times, cheeses, and

techniques to find what makes each recipe better—not just what is easiest.

My friends have unwillingly become my taste-testing panel, eating their way through countless

versions of banana bread and giving me the honest feedback that helped me make it better. I'm

really grateful for the people in my life who have shared their time, opinions, and expertise along

the way.

I don't take shortcuts when I bake. I shred my own cheese, slice ingredients by hand, and pay

attention to the little things that make a difference. My focaccia is baked fresh the morning of

pickup, and my loaf cakes are made with real butter, fresh fruit, hand-squeezed citrus, and

plenty of testing behind the scenes.

Baked by Layla is a small-batch bakery built around that process: good ingredients, a lot of

testing, and making things by hand whenever it matters.

A lot of testing goes into every loaf. Luckily, I really like the work.