MILWAUKEE, Wis. - They call him "Puff Daddy."
For chef Dave Schmidt, being the cream puff master at the Wisconsin State Fair isn't about the Benjamins it's about the people.
"How often do you get an opportunity to look at 400,000 people and put a smile on their faces for 11 days," he said. "That's what's really satisfying for all of us."
The record of 400,000 cream puffs was set a few years ago, meaning Team Cream Puff is no wimp. There are 200 workers under Schmidt's watch who are tasked with baking and filling each dessert, and every shell is cut by hand.
The past two mornings, corporate orders totaling 3,000 cases went out. There is high demand on the eve of the fair for a treat that is pure Wisconsin.
"We don't just have cream puffs," Schmidt said. "We have wonderful brownies and chocolate chip cookies at the bakery here, too, for those people who think they do stink. Although, I've never seen a cream puff stink."
The worker bees in the kitchen are vested in the culinary arts. Some are students and others are professionals, learning from the new CEO of the Wisconsin Bakers Association -- Dave Schmidt.
"It actually was new and changed in the bylaws in January," he said. "It's a name change - responsibilities have just increased a little bit."
Schmidt is also known as father, caregiver, problem-solver, grandfather and husband. At 6-foot-4 he's a towering force in the kitchen, but he's as gentle as the delicate cream inside his cream puff shells.
Puff Daddy said he loves what he does and wouldn't be anywhere else during the fair.
For chef Dave Schmidt, being the cream puff master at the Wisconsin State Fair isn't about the Benjamins it's about the people.
"How often do you get an opportunity to look at 400,000 people and put a smile on their faces for 11 days," he said. "That's what's really satisfying for all of us."
The record of 400,000 cream puffs was set a few years ago, meaning Team Cream Puff is no wimp. There are 200 workers under Schmidt's watch who are tasked with baking and filling each dessert, and every shell is cut by hand.
The past two mornings, corporate orders totaling 3,000 cases went out. There is high demand on the eve of the fair for a treat that is pure Wisconsin.
"We don't just have cream puffs," Schmidt said. "We have wonderful brownies and chocolate chip cookies at the bakery here, too, for those people who think they do stink. Although, I've never seen a cream puff stink."
The worker bees in the kitchen are vested in the culinary arts. Some are students and others are professionals, learning from the new CEO of the Wisconsin Bakers Association -- Dave Schmidt.
"It actually was new and changed in the bylaws in January," he said. "It's a name change - responsibilities have just increased a little bit."
Schmidt is also known as father, caregiver, problem-solver, grandfather and husband. At 6-foot-4 he's a towering force in the kitchen, but he's as gentle as the delicate cream inside his cream puff shells.
Puff Daddy said he loves what he does and wouldn't be anywhere else during the fair.