A day in the life of a Danish begins early at
J. Skinner Baking. Long before the rooster stirs in his nest, before dawn's first glow begins to light up the sky and paint the rolling grain fields crimson, our bakers have clocked in to begin measuring out the ingredients for the day's Danish runs.
Every devastatingly delicious Danish we bake begins with ingredients that have passed our rigorous flavor standards, as well as global Safe Quality Food (SQF) standards.
Great stuff like hard red winter wheat, fruit and sugar, all watched over by employees like Director of Operations and 35-year Master Baker, Dennis Nolan.
Dennis knows all and sees all: very important when your plant's open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week!
You see, it’s only 3 AM when our dedicated measuring crew starts work. Two hours later, at 5 AM sharp, gigantic mixers roar to life and begin blending our artisan-quality dough, watched over by a man that’s been with J. Skinner for over 26 years. Now that’s dedication - and maybe a touch too little sleep. But when he’s done, that dough’s rolled out to begin creating the best Danish on the planet - J. Skinner Danish!
The J. Skinner food legacy began in 1911 when brothers Paul and Lloyd founded the Skinner Macaroni Company. In 1979, then the sixth largest US pasta producer, Skinner Macaroni was sold to Hershey Foods Corporation.
Four years later, ready to re-start his family heritage, grandson and current company CEO Jim Skinner started J. Skinner Baking with his father Lloyd.
His plan was simple: use old-fashioned baking methods to create addictive, European-style Danish with over 100 layers of authentic Danish dough. It worked!
Our addictive, melt-in-your-mouth flavor doesn’t come quickly: it takes 24-36 hours start to finish to make Danish the J. Skinner way. Thin sheets of our artisan dough are layered with margarine and folded again and again into over 100 thin layers, then rest for up to a day at 34°F while the flavors blend and yeast rises.
This moist, exquisitely-textured dough is worlds apart from the hurried, cake-like offerings of competitors… all the better to stuff to an incredible 30% filling to dough ratio with creamy fillings, lush fruit toppings, and devastatingly sweet icing.
Wait, we’re getting ahead of ourselves! These are some of the details kept running smoothly by Plant Manager Tom Urzendowski: old-school and proud of it, he embodies the art of baking, able to tell by a dough’s texture and aroma if it’s properly mixed.
Okay! When our soon-to-be-Danish has had nearly a third of its weight in fillings added, it’s baked to golden perfection in an oven that’s an awe-inspiring 120 feet long. After that, it’s off to be iced in a variety of styles, prior to preparation for packaging and shipping to your favorite grocery store!
From hand-twisted Indulgent Selections™ Caramel Apple Blossoms™ filled with apple chunks, to
Heavenly Cheese Danish™ stuffed and topped with rich, creamy Neufchâtel Cheese, J. Skinner modern artisan treats quickly satisfy your lust for life. And with the only tamper-evident safety seal in the industry, you can trust our products to always be fresh and safe.
Fill your life with delicious moments the old-fashioned way… with J. Skinner modern artisan baking!