Interview: Pastry Chef Lian Zhou on Reviving Tradition with Plant-Based Pastries

Interview: Pastry Chef Lian Zhou on Reviving Tradition with Plant-Based Pastries

Hook: Pastry is unforgiving. Lian Zhou has rebuilt classic laminated and enriched doughs to perform without butter and eggs — a technical triumph with commercial implications.

Highlights from the conversation

Lian emphasizes technique, ingredient sourcing, and operational hygiene. She referenced modern guides on ingredient clarity and kitchen standards, and drew parallels with hospitality hygiene research (see Hotel Hygiene After COVID).

On technique and substitutions

Lian’s process focuses on layering fat alternatives and precise temperature control. She suggests small practice batches and using documented checklists; these operational routines echo broader studio hygiene conversations such as the studio mat-hygiene interview, because consistency reduces variance.

On running a resilient bakery

Lian treats documentation as an insurance policy: recipe cards with time and temp stamps, staff rotations that emphasize cleanliness, and a visible log for cleaning that guests can glance at on their way in. She argues the same transparency that worked in hotels is valuable for bakeries.

Advice for aspiring pastry chefs

• Start with a single laminated product and perfect it before adding varieties.
• Use fermentation and prefertered cultures for flavor depth.
• Invest in simple hygiene systems that are visible to customers; it builds trust.

Resources Lian recommends

• Operational hygiene reading: Hotel Hygiene After COVID.
• Mat hygiene and consistency inspiration: Studio owner mat hygiene interview.
• Weekly operations and scheduling: Weekly Planning Template.

“Technique scales when the team trusts the process. Documentation isn’t paperwork — it’s quality insurance.” — Lian Zhou

Closing

Chef Lian’s work shows that pastry can be both plant-based and technically excellent. Her emphasis on routine and documentation is a model for kitchens that want to scale reliable, high-quality pastry in 2026.

Interviewer: Rosa Kim — Food features writer. Featuring: Lian Zhou, Pastry Chef and founder of Flourless Atelier.