Gemma Stafford is the Irish-born pastry chef, cookbook author, and YouTube creator behind Bigger Bolder Baking, the multi-million-subscriber online baking platform she launched in 2014 with husband Kevin Kurtz to teach home bakers worldwide. Born in Wexford, Ireland, trained at Ballymaloe Cookery School, and based in Los Angeles, Gemma has built her brand around bold flavor combinations, beginner-friendly recipes, and a consistently enthusiastic on-camera presence that has made her one of the most-watched baking instructors on YouTube.
TL;DR
- Irish pastry chef and YouTube creator, born and raised in Wexford, Ireland
- Founded Bigger Bolder Baking in 2014 with husband Kevin Kurtz, now a multi-million-subscriber platform
- Trained at Ballymaloe Cookery School, worked as professional pastry chef before YouTube
- Author of multiple cookbooks including Bigger Bolder Baking (2019) and Bigger Bolder Baking Every Day (2022)
- Based in Los Angeles; signature style emphasizes accessible recipes for home bakers without specialized equipment
Key facts about Gemma Stafford
| Real name | Gemma Stafford |
| Born | Wexford, Ireland |
| Nationality | Irish |
| Based in | Los Angeles, California, USA |
| Training | Ballymaloe Cookery School, Ireland |
| Husband | Kevin Kurtz (co-founder of Bigger Bolder Baking) |
| Channel launched | 2014 (Bigger Bolder Baking) |
Origins from Wexford to LA
Gemma Stafford grew up in Wexford, Ireland, in a household where baking was a regular activity rather than a special-occasion event. Her professional pastry path led her through Ballymaloe Cookery School, Irelands renowned culinary institution founded by the Allen family. The Ballymaloe training emphasized traditional technique with an emphasis on Irish ingredients, a foundation that shapes how Gemma builds recipes even now that her audience is global.
After working as a professional pastry chef across Ireland and internationally, Gemma met American Kevin Kurtz, the two married, and they eventually settled in Los Angeles. The Bigger Bolder Baking channel launched in 2014 with a clear editorial framework: bigger flavors, bolder ideas, and recipes that home bakers could actually attempt in a typical kitchen. The branding rejected the high-precision French pastry approach in favor of an enthusiastic, beginner-welcoming style that suited online video.
Gemma Stafford career timeline
- Early years Grows up in Wexford, Ireland with extensive home baking influence
- Late 2000s Trains at Ballymaloe Cookery School in Ireland
- 2010s Works as a professional pastry chef across Ireland, the UK, and other international kitchens
- 2014 Launches Bigger Bolder Baking YouTube channel and biggerbolderbaking.com with husband Kevin Kurtz, settled in Los Angeles
- 2015 to 2018 Channel grows steadily through accessible baking tutorials including mug cakes, no-machine ice cream, and beginner bread recipes
- October 2019 Publishes first cookbook Bigger Bolder Baking with Houghton Mifflin Harcourt
- 2020 to 2021 Channel grows substantially during pandemic-era home-baking boom; live cooking shows and email community grow
- 2022 Publishes second cookbook Bigger Bolder Baking Every Day
- 2023 to 2024 Continues building the Bigger Bolder Baking platform with new video series including Bold Bakes and signature recipe categories
- 2025 to 2026 Multi-million-subscriber platform across YouTube, Instagram, and the dedicated biggerbolderbaking.com recipe site
Gemma Stafford signature style and editorial approach
The Bigger Bolder Baking editorial signature is enthusiastic, accessible baking instruction designed explicitly for home cooks without specialized equipment. Every recipe foregrounds the question of whether the average home baker can actually attempt it: are the ingredients sold at supermarkets, does it require a stand mixer, can it be done without a specific obscure tin. The framing has earned Gemma a particularly loyal audience among beginner bakers who feel intimidated by more chef-focused baking content.
Gemmas on-camera tone is warm, energetic, and instructional. She breaks down each step with explicit attention to why it matters, often pre-empting common beginner mistakes before viewers can make them. The recipe choices favor bold flavors and visually striking results: layered cakes, oversized cookies, mug cakes, no-bake desserts. The Bigger Bolder Baking website extends the YouTube content into a structured recipe database with search filters, ingredient substitutions, and detailed troubleshooting.
Notable work: cookbooks and the BBB community
The Bigger Bolder Baking cookbooks Bigger Bolder Baking (2019) and Bigger Bolder Baking Every Day (2022) collect the channels most-popular recipes alongside new material. Both books focus on accessible home baking rather than aspirational pastry, with chapters organized around recipe categories beginners can build confidence with: cookies, cakes, no-bake desserts, breakfast bakes. The brand has expanded into Bold Bakes, a video series featuring more elaborate builds, and live cooking shows that engage the community directly.
The biggerbolderbaking.com platform extends Gemmas reach beyond YouTube. The site hosts a structured recipe database with search filters, ingredient substitution guides, and a Bold Bakers community where home bakers share their attempts. The model resembles how Donal Skehan built his cookbook-plus-website-plus-TV empire from his original food blog.
Awards and recognition
- 2019 Publishes debut cookbook Bigger Bolder Baking with Houghton Mifflin Harcourt
- 2020 to 2022 Channel grows substantially during pandemic-era home-baking boom
- 2022 Publishes second cookbook Bigger Bolder Baking Every Day
- 2024 to 2026 Continues to expand the Bigger Bolder Baking platform across YouTube, Instagram, and biggerbolderbaking.com
Impact and cultural relevance
Gemma Stafford has become one of the defining baking instructors on YouTube, alongside Ann Reardons How to Cook That and other major baking creators. Gemmas explicitly beginner-welcoming positioning distinguishes her from more chef-focused competitors and has built a particularly loyal audience among home bakers who would feel intimidated by professional-track content.
Within the broader Irish food-media diaspora, Gemma sits alongside Donal Skehan as one of the most internationally successful Irish food creators, both having moved abroad while maintaining strong Irish identity in their work. The Wexford and Ballymaloe origin gives Gemmas Bigger Bolder Baking a quietly Irish foundation even as the recipes themselves draw from American, British, and global baking traditions.
Gemma Stafford FAQ
Who is Gemma Stafford?
Gemma Stafford is an Irish pastry chef, cookbook author, and YouTube creator born in Wexford, Ireland. She runs Bigger Bolder Baking, the multi-million-subscriber YouTube channel and recipe platform she founded with husband Kevin Kurtz in 2014.
Where did Gemma Stafford train?
Gemma trained at Ballymaloe Cookery School in Ireland, the renowned culinary institution founded by the Allen family. She worked as a professional pastry chef across Ireland and internationally before launching Bigger Bolder Baking in 2014.
What is Bigger Bolder Baking?
Bigger Bolder Baking is Gemma Staffords YouTube channel and online recipe platform launched in 2014. It focuses on accessible home baking with bold flavors and beginner-friendly recipes designed to be made without specialized equipment.
Has Gemma Stafford written a cookbook?
Yes. Gemma has published Bigger Bolder Baking (October 2019) and Bigger Bolder Baking Every Day (2022), both with major publishers. Both focus on accessible home baking recipes that beginners can attempt.
Where does Gemma Stafford live?
Gemma lives in Los Angeles, California with husband Kevin Kurtz, who co-founded Bigger Bolder Baking with her. They settled in LA after Gemmas international pastry career and built the brand from there.
What is next for Gemma Stafford
Gemma continues to publish weekly recipes on YouTube and biggerbolderbaking.com, alongside cookbook releases and the Bold Bakers community programming. Follow her on Instagram (@gemma_stafford).
