profile

Sourdough Duffy

Join 14,481+ bakers of all experience levels. In this newsletter, you will find recipes, guides, tips and tricks on how you can make bakery-quality bread and master those tricky doughs at home. I'm Matthew, a full-time baking professor and I'm excited to share all that I've learned in my 20 years as a professional chef.

Featured Post

Walnut Cassis Sourdough + A LOT of Cheese 🍞

Hey Reader! Wow... somehow I only have three work weeks left in Muskoka. This summer is absolutely flying by. It's also been insanely busy, so a quick apology to anyone who has emailed me and hasn't heard back. I get a lot of emails, and while I'm up here working, I just can't keep up with all of them. I promise I'm not ignoring you! That said, I had a great week. We had the long weekend off, and I got to spend a ton of time with my kids—basically hanging by the lake, swimming, eating and...

Hey Reader! It's 11:10 p.m. as I'm writing this, and the bakery is still going strong. There are baguettes in the oven, a batch of walnut cassis sourdough is resting on the bench, and I'm putting the finishing touches on this week's newsletter before calling it a night. Honestly, I wouldn't have it any other way. It's been a bit of a wild week around here. Juniper has been at wake camp all week and absolutely shredding both wake surfing and wakeboarding. She's been loving every minute of it....

Hey Reader! Summer somehow keeps getting better. We're not even halfway through, and already it feels like we've packed a month's worth of memories into just a few weeks. The days I work are busy, but somehow my days off are even busier, and I wouldn't have it any other way. Earlier this week, I took the girls over to the JW Marriott to visit my parents, who are staying there for a few days. We spent most of our time bouncing between the beach and the pool, and watching Juniper and Frankie...

a loaf of sourdough in a dutch oven

Hey Reader! I hope you're having a wonderful summer! One thing we've quickly learned about life in Muskoka is that you're never far from a deer. We see them almost every day wandering through the property, and the girls still get just as excited every time we spot one. This week's photo was taken after one of our evening walks, and moments like these are becoming some of my favourite parts of the summer. It also got me thinking about something that's been on my mind lately: When life is full,...

Hey Reader! It's been a bit of a whirlwind since arriving in Muskoka. I hit the ground running with a few big parties, a beautiful dinner, and plenty of long days in the kitchen. It's busy, but I genuinely love cooking up here. Every week brings a new menu, fresh ingredients, and the chance to cook for some pretty great people. The biggest bonus? My whole family spends the summer up here too. On my days off, I get to hang out with Jody, Juniper, and Frankie, jump in the lake, and soak up what...

Hey Reader! What a week. It feels like I just unpacked my suitcase from France, only to turn around and pack it all over again this time for two months in Muskoka. Along with my clothes came my knives, baking gear, a few favourite pans... and somehow my entire kitchen. I'm incredibly grateful to spend my summers here working as a private chef. It's one of my favourite places in the world, and the best part is that my wife and girls get to spend the summer here with me. That makes the long...

Hey Reader! Originally, this week's newsletter was going to be all about my favourite bakeries in Paris. The truth is... I'm still processing the trip. Between the incredible bakeries, the time spent at Moulins Foricher, and everything I learned from Alexandre Laumain and the team, there's simply too much to squeeze into one email. I want to do it justice, so I'll save my favourite bakery, café, and food recommendations for next week once I've had a chance to sort through my photos and gather...

Hey Reader! I'm writing this from Moulins Foricher in France after what feels like a whirlwind couple of days. This trip has been in partnership with The Gourmet Vacation to lead a bakery and food tour through Paris and a masterclass at the mill. We visited some of my favourite bakeries, pastry shops, markets, and restaurants, and ate an amount of butter that probably shouldn't be discussed publicly. We also had the incredibly talented William Torrillo join us to document the journey. William...

Hey Reader! By the time you're reading this (unless you're one of the very early birds), I'll be somewhere in Paris eating pastries and drinking coffee. It's hard to believe France is already here. It feels like yesterday we were talking about summer plans, and now June has arrived, the weather is beautiful, and I've got a long list of bakeries to visit. Next week I'll share some of my favourite bakeries, meals, and discoveries from the trip, along with a few places that are worth adding to...

Hey Reader! We just got home from an amazing few days in Victoria, and I'm still working my way through all the bakery photos, videos, and recommendations. A huge thank you to everyone who sent suggestions before the trip. We ate very, very well. This weekend is especially exciting because Frankie turns 5! 🎉 It feels like yesterday she was running around the bakery in diapers, and now she's somehow old enough to have strong opinions on pastries and birthday cake flavours. And next week I'm...