There are people who design buildings, and there are those who design tastes. Yoanna Yordanova is one of those rare individuals who can do both. An architect by training and a pastry chef by vocation, she builds desserts the way good architecture is created, with a clear concept, a solid foundation, and attention to every detail.
Her professional path includes training at École Ducasse in France, where she specialized in classic and contemporary pastry techniques, and in her work today she combines tradition and innovation. For her, French classics are not a framework, but a foundation on which to build, and each dessert is a composition, a play of textures, temperatures and flavors, in which nothing is accidental. As an instructor-pastry chef at "Colorful Factory" Joanna will bring not only technical skills, but also the philosophy of understanding the "why" and not just the "how", of looking for meaning behind every proportion, and of building taste with the same logic that builds a sustainable structure.
A conversation about the history of French pastry, classic desserts that teach technique and balance, as well as Joanna's personal journey from architecture to the magic of desserts.
Tell us more about the history of French pastry making and what are the foundations that we build on today?
French pastry often seems like just an art – refined, unattainable. But in fact, it is more of a precise construction, built on logic, proportions and accuracy. Its roots lead to the Middle Ages, when desserts began to have their role on the festive table, different from their previous sacred symbolism, and cooking and pastry began to be distinguished as professions. A real boost came during the Renaissance, with the marriage between the French King Henry II and Catherine de Medici. Her Italian pastry chefs created the first “refined desserts”, predecessors of today’s profiteroles made of steamed dough. In the 17th century, chocolate entered French cuisine, multi-layered grandiose cakes appeared for the banquets at Versailles, and François Vatel popularized whipped cream, known today as Chantilly cream.
The greatest development was in the 19th century with Marie-Antoine Karem, who in his book Le Patissier Royal systematized the techniques and laid the foundations of modern pastry making. It is to him that we owe the improvement of a large part of the French traditional recipes, and especially of the multi-layered dough and its lamination. French pastry making unites centuries of history into a clear and workable system. It is based on repeatability and consistent results every time, a balance between textures and respect for the product. If you use vanilla, it should be felt, if you work with chocolate, it should have character.
Today we build on this tradition with a lighter taste, less sugar and more seasonality, but the foundation remains the same: technique, precision and respect for the product - the dessert is both a pleasure and a well-built structure.
Can you say that you have your own style and preferences, or do you still prefer to experiment and look for a personal touch?
I think my style is still evolving. I don't want to limit myself to a framework, because for me, experimenting is part of finding your own style. At the same time, there are things that are repeated, such as the balance of textures, the clean and expressive flavors, the precision in the details. For me, a dessert should have character, tell a story, and be both beautiful and surprising.
Which desserts do you think are the emblems and foundations of French pastry?
For me, the emblems of French pastry are precisely those classic recipes that teach us the basic techniques. When you master them, you can experiment and create a variety of combinations and interpretations. Each dessert shows a different principle of French pastry: from steamed dough products - eclairs, profiteroles, etc., through French macarons and various tarts, to the multi-layered pastry dessert known in our country as Napoleon, the extremely elegant Opera cake, as well as perfectly tempered chocolates. Because, for example, even from the simple-sounding lemon tart, you can learn an enormous amount - it is a game of balance between acidity, sweetness and crunchiness. If the lemon cream is too sour or the meringue is too sweet, the dessert loses its meaning. The shell must be crispy enough to be in balance with the filling. The ideal proportion must be found so that all the components work in harmony and bring satisfaction to the person consuming it. These desserts are iconic not just as classics, but because they teach what makes French pastry unique: control, precision, balance, structure, and composition. These are the very principles you can then adapt and build upon.
You will be an instructor in the French Pastry program - what will be the highlights of the program and how did you work with FERRANDI Paris on the details, pedagogy, and training steps?
Yes, I will be a French Pastry Instructor. In the program I lead, the emphasis is on three things: the individual approach. Every student is different, our task as instructors is to help everyone grow as best as possible according to their own needs. Second is understanding the “why”, not just the “how”. When you know how things work, you gain the courage and confidence to experiment and continue to develop. And last but not least – the techniques, each recipe has a purpose and each next one rewards the previous one.
Read more about the professional program "French Pastry", in partnership with FERRANDI Paris HERE.
Being part of FERRANDI's training for chief instructors was an extremely valuable experience. The philosophy we share is that good pedagogy builds knowledge step by step, with the student and his needs at the center. My attitude is "how can I best help you understand". A positive environment, constructive feedback and the opportunity to learn from your mistakes make all the difference. Every student is a priority and I strongly hope that this is felt from the first to the last day of the program.
What is the role of seasonality in confectionery?
Seasonality is the heart of pastry making for me. Fresh fruits bring desserts to life – the taste, aroma, texture are different when they are in season. But it is even more important to think about sustainability and healthy eating – to use what nature gives us at the moment, to respect the products and to create desserts that are not only delicious, but also good for us and the planet.
Why did you focus specifically on confectionery and, in general, on cooking in general? Cooking has always been close to my heart since I was a little girl. I always loved cooking and experimenting with different recipes at home while growing up. My mother has a thick notebook full of recipes she collected over the years, and she was always making something sweet when I was growing up. I loved helping her and making these recipes together. Of course, licking the mixer blades when everything was whipped up was the sweetest part of the magic. My affinity for it has always been strong – I just saw it as a hobby that I enjoyed.
Over time, I realized that this was something that brought me true pleasure and meaning, and that I wanted to practice it constantly. I found my “art” and decided to pursue it. Of course, when you do something every day, not everything is always rosy. There are hard moments when you don't have the strength, but the satisfaction of the finished product always gives you back your enthusiasm, strength and desire to continue. It is very energizing to see the product that you thought about, put effort and prepared, ready and making someone around you happy.
"Food is a force of attraction - it energizes, gives warmth, sharing, and love."
How did you chart your steps and what path have you taken so far?
My path in pastry making is not linear, but has always followed my curiosity and desire to understand things in depth. It combines my passion for art with learning and practice. I started at home with experiments and observations, a lot of reading of different professional literature, then I went through training and practices, where everything is structured. Today I try to draw my steps with logic – first mastering the basics, then building on them with new techniques, flavors and more complex compositions, so that each step makes sense and leads to the next.
Which stage of your development in confectionery has been the most defining and important so far?
The moment that really led me to pastry is perhaps the most defining in my development. At the time, I had a stable and good job that I liked, but I felt that something was missing, I wasn’t completely myself, and this wasn’t the path I wanted to follow. It was like a catharsis when I decided to give up on the safe side and go in a new direction. After that, everything happened step by step – a job where I learned a lot of new knowledge and techniques, and training in France, which broadened my horizons and showed me how big and diverse the world of pastry can be.
You are an architect by education, but you chose to dedicate yourself to confectionery. How did this decision change you and can you name a connection between architecture and confectionery?
Leaving architecture behind and embracing pastry was as much a change as it was a discovery for me. I never felt completely at home in architecture – it wasn’t my “art”. Pastry, however, is, and that’s where I found my freedom and joy. Building a dessert is similar to building a building – it has structure, proportions, balance, details, but it’s inevitably sweeter and more fulfilling. Architecture gave me the discipline and sense of order, and pastry allows me to add emotion, grace and taste, and that’s what makes each dessert unique.
What advice would you give to a young person who is at the crossroads you were at between architecture and pastry?
I would simply say: "follow what makes you feel alive"It's not always easy and sometimes it's scary, but when you do something you truly love, the effort and challenges are felt differently. Give yourself a chance to find your "art" and don't be afraid to change direction if you feel like you're out of place.
