I was working on another show concept when I heard that Chip and Joanna Gaines were starting Magnolia Network. I called the producer I had been working with and said something to the effect of “THAT’S MY DREAM NETWORK!”
Yes, I said it in all caps.
I have always admired the passion and intensity that Joanna and Chip have for the work they do, but still impart so much joy into their projects. That resonates with me.
Baking is a craft I LOVE and want to share that with the world. I couldn’t think of a better platform to do that on than Magnolia Network and I am sooooo grateful they felt the same way when they saw my audition “sizzle” and invited me to join their community of creators.
Zoë Bakes is more than a show about baking, although there is lots of that too. It is an ode to my entire food community in Minneapolis. I am excited to share this town with people, who may not know its long tradition of baking.
Minneapolis sits on the Mississippi river and was developed as a wheat milling town. Those old mills (now museums and restaurants) still stand on the banks of the river as a reminder of our roots. My house is in a neighborhood built by the wheat barons. The history is everywhere. The current community of farmers, millers, and bakers have rich stories to tell and I am so honored to share them on Zoë Bakes.
Want to learn more about the guests on my show and receive exclusive recipes from them? Sign up for my Substack where I feature Q&As with the guests, exclusive recipes, and much more.
Zoë Bakes on Magnolia Network
Episodes Available Now
Watch Zoe Bakes on Magnolia Network’s Cable Channel (formerly DIY Network) or stream on discovery+ or on the Magnolia Network | Time Well Spent app.
Season 1
Episode 1: Porch Party Pies
Zoë François bakes up a table full of irresistible pies and cooks up one of her favorite desserts to share with friends and family on her porch as they kick off their annual tradition of welcoming spring back to Minnesota.
Recipes: Strawberry Rhubarb Pie | Strawberry Fool
Episode 2: Biscuit Bake
Zoë is invited to a backyard barbecue and visits a local chef known for his biscuit baking. She incorporates his tips into her own recipes as she makes two of her favorite Southern-inspired sweets.
Recipes: Zoë’s Quick-Fold Biscuits | Banana Pudding | Biscuit Topped Cobbler
Episode 3: Making Meringue
Zoë dives into the magic of meringue when she bakes it into a Pavlova (from Zoë Bakes Cakes), a whipped cream and fruit-filled dessert, for a dinner party with friends. She also visits a local pie maker who has mastered the art of meringue and uses it as a crust.
Recipes: Pavlova | Stephanie Meyer’s Beef Stew
Substack Exclusive for Extras subscribers: Making Meringue
Episode 4: Decorating Cakes
Zoë surprises her best friend by making a devil’s food cake (from Zoë Bakes Cakes) topped with champagne buttercream for her anniversary. She also shares her tips for piping roses and borders, and explores current trends in cake design at a local cakery.
Recipes: Devil’s Food Cake | Swiss Meringue Buttercream
Substack Exclusive for Extras subscribers: Decorating Cakes
Episode 5: Buzzworthy Bakes
Zoë bakes a beehive-shaped birthday cake (from Zoë Bakes Cakes) for her beekeeper dad, complete with marzipan bees and a variety of honeys from her visit to a honey farm. Then, she whips up baked doughnuts with a honey glaze.
Recipe: Beehive Cake
Episode 6: Cookie Delivery
Zoë wants to give her college son a taste of home by baking delicious chocolate chip cookies that highlight a friend’s fun technique. Later, she sends everything but the milk when she includes a variety of customized brownies.
Recipes: Sarah Kieffer’s Pan-Banging Chocolate Chip Cookies | Zoë’s Perfect Chocolate Chip Cookies | Brownies 4 Ways
Sarah’s Book: 100 Cookies
Substack Exclusive for Extras subscribers: Cookie Delivery
Episode 7: Pizza Farm
Zoë visits a pizza farm to learn about her new wood-fired pizza oven and how to use it for baking at home. Then, she gets inspired to create a pizza farm experience in her own backyard for a group of friends.
More information about my Fontana Forni Pizza Oven and Copper Olive Oil Cruet.
Substack Exclusive for Extras subscribers: Pizza Farm
Episode 8: Apple Classics
Zoë kicks off apple season by visiting an orchard and picking new varieties to put a twist on her classic Apple Bundt Cake. She also whips up a few childhood favorites like a Dutch Baby and pink applesauce to share with a friend.
Recipes: Apple Cake with Honey Cider Glaze, Dutch Baby, Pink Applesauce
Substack Exclusive for Extras subscribers: Apple Classics
Episode 9: Coffee Break
Zoë explores a Scandinavian tradition called fika, a coffee break with sweets, when she visits a local bakery and finds inspiration for a new twist on her Cinnamon Braid. Then, she makes a Cardamom Pear Cake and enjoys both with an old friend.
Recipes: Pear-Cardamom Cake | Brioche Braid
Episode 10: Easy Breads
Zoë shares her passion for baking bread daily with a simple recipe anyone can master. She explores the benefits of using fresh flour when she visits a local mill and reveals tips for shaping boules, baguettes and epis.
Resources: Bread in 5 Master Recipe | The New Artisan Bread in Five Minutes a Day | Gluten-Free Artisan Bread in Five Minutes a Day | The Best of Artisan Bread in Five Minutes a Day | artisanbreadinfive.com
Bread baking tools can be found here!
Substack Exclusive for Extras subscribers: Easy Breads
Episode 11: Pumpkin Treats
When Zoë’s sons come home for a visit, she heads to a pumpkin patch to get ingredients for their favorite fall desserts. Charlie joins her in the kitchen to make sweet scones with squash they picked, and Henri enjoys pumpkin creme brulee.
Recipes: Pumpkin Creme Brulee | Squash Scones
Substack Exclusive for Extras subscribers: Pumpkin Treats
Want to learn more about the guests on my show and receive exclusive recipes from them? Sign up for my Substack where I feature Q&As with the guests, exclusive recipes, and much more.
Season 2
Episode 1: Cheers to the New Year
Zoë celebrates New Year’s Eve by baking a gorgeous cream puff tower coated in caramel, known as croquembouche, for a party with her closest friends.
Recipes: Croquembouche
Magnolia Network Workshops
You can find my workshops on the “Magnolia | Time Well Spent” app! To find my courses, open the app, find “Create,” then click “Workshops” and you’ll see me there!
The Fundamentals of Baking: Cookies
In this workshop there are nine chapters to guide you through some of my favorite recipes and help you create YOUR perfect cookie! This course is basically my Chocolate Chip Cookie 101 blog post on steroids where I bring you step by step through my process of changing a cookie to the texture and flavor profile you love.
Zoë’s Homemade Vanilla Recipe
Baking to Share: Quick Breads and Muffins
In my second workshop you’ll learn to bake classic quick bread and muffin recipes. I share my favorite recipes including blueberry muffins and pumpkin bread as well as tips for gifting your delicious homemade treats to friends.