2025 A Few Milestones and a Big Thank You 🎉
Before we get into anything else, I want to pause for a second and say thank you.
This year, we crossed 100,000 subscribers on YouTube, which honestly still feels a bit surreal to write. What started as a way to share what I was baking in the studio has turned into a place where bakers from all over the world learn, experiment, and get better together. I also just had the 100K plaque show up in the mail, so if you’re watching videos or visiting the studio soon, you’ll spot it hanging up. That one’s for all of us.
2025 was also the year the book finally made its way into the world. Seeing it released, going on tour, and watching it become a national bestseller is something I’ll be grateful for for a very long time. None of that happens without you showing up, baking from it, sharing it, and supporting the work in ways both big and small.
One of the highlights of the year was welcoming Alexandre Laumain into the baking studio to run workshops. Having a baker of that calibre in the space, working side by side with our community, was a truly special experience. The energy, the learning, and the conversations around dough were unforgettable. And yes, he’ll be back next year.
I also jumped back into the chef world this year, working as a private chef alongside everything happening in the baking studio. Being back in kitchens, cooking for people, was grounding in the best way and a good reminder of why I love this work so much.
More than the numbers, the tours, or the milestones, what mattered most this year were the quieter moments. The emails from home bakers who finally nailed a loaf. The photos of panettone cooling upside down in kitchens all over the world. The questions, the curiosity, and the genuine care for the craft.
If you’ve been reading these emails, baking along, or just quietly following and learning, thank you. This community is the reason I get to do what I do, and I don’t take that for granted.
Perfect Your Craft in 2026 ✨
Every baker knows that moment. The oven door opens, and there it is. The loaf you were hoping for. Good colour, good structure, and that feeling of “ok, this one worked.”
Whether it’s a panettone with real lift and aroma, a sourdough with clean scoring and an open crumb, or a rye that tastes like something you’d buy in a small European bakery, those moments never get old.
2026 can be full of them.
Over the past year, I’ve spent a lot of time refining how I teach and share this craft. From baking thousands of loaves in the studio, to learning alongside master bakers in Europe, to testing and retesting formulas so they actually work at home. The goal has always been the same: clear methods, strong fundamentals, and fewer mystery failures.
If you’re thinking about what you want your baking to look like next year, here’s what that can mean in real terms:
- Understanding sourdough well enough to adjust it instead of guessing
- Baking panettone that holds its structure and flavour, not just once but consistently
- Feeling confident experimenting with flavour and inclusions without breaking the dough
- Getting comfortable with rye and traditional breads that reward patience and technique
As we head into the New Year, I’ll be opening access again to my core baking resources, including an updated bundle and the new baguette course course that dropped earlier this year. Everything is built to work together, whether you’re focused on sourdough, panettone, rye, or classic breads you want to get right once and for all.
If leveling up your baking is part of your plan for the year ahead, this is a good place to start.
Panettone Season, One Last Look 🎄
Panettone season wrapped up the only way it ever does, with a lot of flour, very little sleep, and one final loaf cut open on Christmas Eve that absolutely delivered. This one was a chocottone, made with a chocolate dough and loaded with milk, dark, and white chocolate. The crumb was tall, open, light, and exactly what you hope to see after all the work that goes into these bakes.
Last week, I shared a pretty deep dive on panettone, including technique, structure, and the details that actually make the difference between a decent loaf and a great one. If you’re newer here or missed it, you can also dig through every past newsletter I’ve sent. I’ve been sending one every Friday at 7 am since November 2023, which still kind of blows my mind. Over two years of consistent weekly emails, recipes, and lessons, all sitting there if you want to go down the rabbit hole.
👉 Catch up on all my past newsletters and panettone tips here!
One of the most rewarding parts of this season is always seeing what other bakers do with the process. Every year, more people go from “I never thought I could make panettone” to pulling tall, well structured loaves out of their own ovens. Some are baking at home, some are baking at scale, but the common thread is understanding the process instead of guessing.
That chocottone formula is part of the panettone course, along with the base doughs and systems that let you adapt flavours without breaking structure or fermentation. If panettone is something you want to get comfortable with, or finally get right next year, I’ll be opening things back up during New Year’s Week.
I’ll share more when the sale opens, but if panettone is on your list for the year ahead, keep an eye out.
Reader Question: Sourdough Doughnuts and Sticking Parchment 🍩
Question:
I’m making your sourdough doughnuts, and the parchment is sticking to the bottoms. Do I peel it off before frying or after?
Answer:
Leave the parchment on.
When the doughnuts hit the hot oil, the paper releases on its own after a few seconds. I lower them into the fryer with the parchment attached, then use cooking tweezers to gently pull the paper out once it loosens. It keeps the doughnuts intact and makes transferring them way easier, especially when they’re fully proofed and delicate.
If you try to peel the parchment off before frying, you’re way more likely to deflate them or stretch the dough. Let the oil do the work.
I walk through this step and a lot of the small details that make these doughnuts work in the full blog post, including proofing cues, oil temperature, and shaping tips.
This week in the micro bakery 🕺 -Brie Stuffed Milk Buns for New Year’s Eve 🌲🧀
Before we officially move on from holiday baking, I have to share this one. These are soft tangzhong milk buns baked around a whole wheel of brie, and they’re dangerously good.
The idea was to shape it like a Christmas tree. It kind of turned into a round situation instead, but honestly, no one cared once it hit the table.
All you do is bake the buns around the brie, stud the cheese with a bit of garlic, scatter rosemary over the top, and let everything melt together in the oven. The buns stay fluffy, the brie goes molten, and people absolutely lose their minds pulling them apart. I made this both at work and at home, and it disappeared both times.
I’ve got the full tangzhong milk bun guide on the blog, plus I’ll drop the Excel formula in the recipe so you can scale it easily if you’re baking for a crowd. It’s a perfect New Year’s Eve bake if you want something impressive without overthinking it.
If you’re bringing one thing to a party, make it this.
• Excel formula for scaling and batch baking:
👉 Tangzhong Milk Buns - MJD.xlsx
• Full step-by-step guide on the blog:
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Happy Baking,
MJD
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Want to learn more from me? Check out my online video resources 👇
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