Baked2Go co-founder Ziad Khoury doesn’t look like your typical baker. He wears a lab coat and throws around words like satiety. Walls of his new bakery have signs that look a little like the periodic table and a pretty display case holding fresh baked goods also displays nutritional info. Curious to know more about the concept behind the boutique, and the baker himself, we recently paid a visit to this new spot on St. Laurent.

It comes as no surprise to learn that Khoury is actually a food scientist with both a bachelor’s and master’s degree in Food Science and Technology from McGill University. After ten years making food for elite athletes and private companies, he decided to open up a bakery of his own, albeit with a scientific approach. “We decided to make some fresh goodies and have fun designing them. The advantage here is that I can go from the idea to store front in a couple hours, instead of waiting 6 months to a year, and that’s only if the idea makes it to the market,” said Khoury.

The offerings are split into two categories. The indulgence line is the sweeter of the two, but it’s still healthier than your usual snack with all-baked goods capped in calories and with a maximum of 10 grams of sugar. The protein line has products featuring 10 grams of protein each. “One of the benefits of protein is satiety, so if you have a muffin and you are on the go it will keep you going for 2-3 hours or more, plus you have steady blood sugar. It’s a good snack,” explained Khoury.

The bakery is gluten freeand can cater to clients with celiac disease. “When you claim you are gluten free, this is a serious allegation and we take it seriously. There is not a trace of gluten in this building. We test our products in house and outside,” said Khoury. He is especially happy with their bread, which like all other products was developed in-house. “It tastes moist and doesn’t crumble at all. Once people try it they understand what we are talking about when we say it really has the character of bread.”

Pulling from his ten years of experience developing products, it still took them six weeks and countless batches to get everything just right. We tried the matcha mini cake. It was delicate and not too sweet with a hint of white chocolate. The dairy and gluten free chocolate chip cookies were light and we didn’t miss the dairy in the chocolate. Just in time for the holidays they are also offering a gluten and dairy free Yule Log (Bûche de Noel). The sponge in the Yule Log was very soft and the chocolate was dark and intense.

Khoury explained that the decision to go gluten free was not about piggy backing the gluten-free trend. Instead they wanted to improve the nutritional profile of baked goods, and the first way to do that is by changing the flour. If eating nutritious means indulging in Baked2Go’s sweet treats, we are all for it.

Baked2Go, 4255 boul. St-Laurent, Montreal, 514-844-3232, www.baked2go.com