Joe Pastry

by: Food52

March 9, 2011

There are thousands of cooking blogs -- each week, we bring you highlights from the best. This week, we've got tarts on the brain.

Who is Joe Pastry? "A guy who believes that if a man feels like whipping up a nice almond cocoa genoise or a few madeleines, well ... he should be able to do so." He's not afraid to throw together anything from homemade doughnuts to dog biscuits, and show us how to do the same. And his blog, Joe Pastry (one that even Harold McGee might find himself poking through), is a library of helpful baking techniques, history and science.

Joe himself started baking in a serious way when, while working in advertising, he was diagnosed with stage four lymphoma. At the suggestion of a chef friend, he turned to pastry for a healthy dose of positivity. "So far I've enjoyed a decade of full remission and indulgence in something I love to do," Joe told us. "I started the blog, after a baking business I started in Louisville failed, specifically on basic techniques and preparations, since there seemed to be so little of that out in the blogosphere."

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Filling this void, Joe brings us Joe Pastry, his sweet and doughy doppelganger. "From the beginning, I promised myself that if I was going to start a blog, I was going to treat it like a job," claims Joe. True to his word, Joe Pastry is the Rolls-Royce of pastry blogs, a veritable dessert tray of tips, techniques, recipes, and discussion about all things baked.

The recipes are the clear heart of the website, each accompanied by an exquisite slideshow of Joe's process (no step left behind!). His instructional captions take you through an elaborate Buche de Noel or Joe's current favorite, jelly doughnuts, ensuring success for elementary and expert bakers alike. With late winter tarts on our minds, we're delving into Joe's pastry section: Cornish Pasties! Galette des Rois! Rehrucken! Bakers, sharpen those pencils and get ready to take notes! Let Joe be your inspiration in this week's special contest, and mitts off to all of you rolling, pinching, piping, and egg-washing your sweet way to victory!

See what other Food52 readers are saying.

lemonbarsforlife
Jeri Rotter
Lani Honma
Bridget_M
jeanpanzer65

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43 Comments

lemonbarsforlife July 2, 2022

If anyone is looking for Joe Pastry the web site is down but you can find pages on an internet archive called The Way Back Machine. I've been reunited with my one and only lemon bar recipe and pumpkin pie recipe! When I have the time and courage, laminated dough is next!

Ribbonsnroses August 4, 2022

Thank you for this!

[email protected] April 20, 2023

Thanks so much for posting this. There are lots of us who miss Joe Pastry. I hope he is doing well. I'm sure he is still baking and he bubbles into the distance. Love to Joe.

Paula February 18, 2024

The blog is back in its usual spot, but nothing new since 2015, and that was to say he was switching hosts. He seems to have fallen off all other radar about the same time.

Jeri R. March 18, 2020

OMG this is so great! I can face the Coronavirus with hope. Thank you Joe!❤️❤️❤️

Lani H. March 7, 2020

Joepastry.com is back up!!

Jean M. February 8, 2022

I thought this has happened before! The site is being flagged once again because something about site identity expired 106 days ago. I’m pretty sure he’ll be back up but I always panic when his site is temporally down!

Bridget_M March 2, 2020

Hello, in regards to the joepastry.com site, I too was devastated to find the site down. I contacted him yesterday and he let me know to please spread the word that the site will be back up and running in a few days. It was just a server error and the problem is getting fixed! Please share our love of this amazing baking site with other bakers! I will be donating $ in the future to ensure that this remarkable baking treasure trove will continue to exist! I can only hope that you would all do the same?! For the love of baking!! Please pass on this information!

Jeri R. March 18, 2020

Tell me where to donate

Jeri R. March 18, 2020

Just donated found on Joe’s site didn’t see it before.

Jeri R. February 29, 2020

Joe had a Facebook account at one time. I posted there but no reply yet. I’m about ready to go snail mail. The instagram account lists a restaurant. I’ll just ask if it’s his blog cause I’m not even sure who Joe is really and would he post answer in Facebook account. It’s a shot in the dark but it’s worth it.

Jeri R. February 23, 2020

Lordy me too! I would be willing to donate to save the web site. Hopefully someone is listening. Was there any warning?

Deanna B. February 26, 2020

I too would donate. I loved this site and only discovered it a few weeks ago. It did have a farewell post but also said as long as there was interest and an internet, it would continue to be hosted. 🙁

jeanpanzer65 February 18, 2020

UGH! I went to Joe Pastry's blog and it said "internal server error" I have been saving his "Opera Cake" step by steps for YEARS and refer to his blog when I take on something I deem challenging. I don't know if he stopped his blog all together and I missed it or what happened. Do we know his LAST name or if the website being down is temporary

mdelgatty February 22, 2020

Me too! Given the information that he was ill, I hope that isn't the reason the site is gone... Really wish the info were still available...

Lani H. February 23, 2020

I looked him up online- Jim Beatty in Louisville, runs an ad agency called Nerve Collective.

Lani H. February 23, 2020

Please share opera cake recipe if you have it. I copied the joconde sponge part off his site.

mdelgatty February 23, 2020

could you please share it here?

mdelgatty February 23, 2020

I tracked him down; he appears to be the head pastry chef at a spiffy caterer in San Diego called Waters Fine Foods:
https://www.waterscatering.com/our-team-1

and here's a video posted in 2018:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AwlDoXP2iMs

and his Instagram, with current posts:
https://www.instagram.com/joe_pastry/?hl=en

so he looks to be doing fine... No indication of anywhere he's likely to respond to pleas, though!

mdelgatty February 23, 2020

This request was meant for Lana H...

Jean M. February 23, 2020

Actually this is not the same Joe Pastry, I hit him up on Instagram and he said he was not the same Joe Pastry, but said he would help me find an Opera Cake a Recipe. He was really nice but was clear that other people had contacted him as well regarding the same “other Joe Pastry”

When I checked the last time I visited theJoe Pastry blog (Thanks to Google snapshot) there was a Farewell, it’s been fun post that said he couldn’t keep up with the webpage anymore... it’s taken me about a week to get all that info and I am so bummed that he is no longer on and hope he is doing well 🙂

Jean M. February 23, 2020

Apparently I have two accounts!!! The jeanpanzer65 and this one ... 🤦🏻‍♀️ sorry if that response was confusing! But they are both me lol

Lani H. February 24, 2020

Hi, I don't think I can upload a PDF to this site but I have his recipes for Joconde sponge, “Neo-Classic” Génoise (I made a buche de noel), and choix pastry dough. if you email me separately (not sure how to exchange emails through a public forum), I can either google share the docs or send you a pdf of those. It looks like he stopped posting in 2011 and finally shut down the site. I really loved his site, it was so comprehensive for a new baker like myself, describing things like the "birdsbeak stage" for choix pastry.

And here is the link on who I "think" is Joe pastry:
http://louisvilleky.com/tgif-local-lunch-post-fire-works-pizza-pork-crust-and-a-conversation-with-joe-pastry/

Jeri R. February 29, 2020

🥺

mdelgatty February 29, 2020

What I'm really bummed about is I can't remember why I was so sure I'd found the right Joe Pastry!

Jean M. March 1, 2020

Hah! be assured that you are not the only one! I messaged the person I thought to beat your pastry on Instagram and that’s how I found out it indeed was not him after I asked him why he shut down his blog LOL I am very disappointed to but it’s clear that the real job history doesn’t have time to keep up with the block and it’s a shame for those of us who enjoyed it ... but I hope he is well and happy at the very least 😊

Paula February 18, 2024

Is this what you were looking for? http://joepastry.com/category/pastry/opera-cake/

lookyloocooks March 15, 2011

Thanks Joe! Your a great teacher!
I really enjoying your site. Every visit I learn something new :)

Sagegreen March 10, 2011

Thanks for sharing this great site. I just gave a link to my friend's daughter who has wanted to make their dog biscuits!

Bob V. March 10, 2011

In just a five minute surf at Joe Pastry I learned why you add dry milk to bread, the secret to a Tres Leche cake, and how to un-seize chocolate. I know what I'll be doing over lunch today - more Joe Pastry for me please. Thank you for putting this on my radar. All the best to Joe - what a touching story of finding wellness in following your true passion.