A near-miss with Alexandria, a sold family farm, and a steel-framed building that became Lafayette’s unofficial compass—turn left by Keller’s. We sit down with the Keller family to trace five generations of baking craft, from French roots in the 1700s to a downtown landmark that still runs on touch, timing, and tradition. This is a story about more than pastries; it’s about a living starter that links decades, antique machines that still work daily, and a team that keeps flavor anchored to place.
We unpack the evolution of Keller’s king cakes: a century-old dough recipe, the jump from a single butter pecan Danish to cream cheese and fruit fillings, and a surge from 50 cakes in a season to as many as 15,000—without ever leaving the shop shelves overnight. You’ll hear the four-day process that makes the magic possible, why freshness wins over scale, and how a small crew of four can roll hundreds of cakes by mastering the sheeter, the proof, and the bake. Along the way, the family shares how humidity bends oatmeal cookies, why baking soda and baking powder are not interchangeable, and how technique can trump a written recipe.
We also shine a light on the people behind the pastry. One baker has stayed more than 40 years, front-of-house students learn to move a line that reaches the door, and a daughter in Houston keeps the books and jumps in every weekend of king cake season. The building itself—on Lafayette’s historic register—gets thoughtful updates while preserving its bones, reminding us that resilience is built, not bought. If you love food stories grounded in place, process, and patience, you’ll feel right at home here.
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The podcast was made possible through partnerships with Logic Refrigeration HVAC, Ounce of Hope, Cajun Table, Vermilionville, Soul Haus Kitchen, Chris Logan Media, and Sunday Soda Fountain – proving that when a community rallies around celebrating local food culture, amazing things happen. Subscribe now to join this delicious adventure and become part of the movement that's transforming Lafayette's food scene one bite at a time!
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