What It Is: A Deep Dive into My 50 Favourite Recipes 🕵️
Why I’m Sharing My 50 Best Recipes
You might be wondering why I’m offering my top 50 recipes in one package. It’s simple: I want you to experience the joy of baking with the recipes I’ve tested, refined, and baked thousands of times over the years. Whether you’re just starting out or have been baking for a while, this collection is designed to help you build confidence, consistency, and creativity in the kitchen.
Full Access: No Secrets, No Shortcuts
Yes, you’re getting the full formulas — nothing held back. Each recipe includes everything you need: ingredient percentages, method, desired dough temperatures, baking temperatures, and even pro tips I use in the studio. These are the exact formulas I rely on every day, and now they’re yours to explore, tweak, and make your own.
Designed for Every Skill Level
This isn’t just for advanced bakers. The Excel is beginner-friendly and intuitive, so you can get started right away. Whether you’re baking one loaf a week or scaling up for a cottage micro-bakery, you’ll have the tools you need to get consistent, bakery-quality results.
Tools to Make You Better
Beyond the recipes, you’ll also get pro-level tools like my Desired Dough Temperature (DDT) calculator, which takes the guesswork out of dough management. These features make it easy to experiment, adjust, and learn, no matter your skill level.
No Excel? No Problem
Even if you don’t have Excel, this database works seamlessly with free options like Google Sheets or LibreOffice. The format is simple and flexible, so you can use it on whatever platform you prefer.
Why This Is So Valuable
I use this database every single day in my studio and micro-bakery. It’s the foundation of my baking — the place where every formula starts, grows, and evolves. Offering it to you at launch pricing is my way of giving back to the baking community that has supported me all these years.
Why This Tool Is a Game-Changer for Your Baking Journey 🏆
Whether you’re just starting out or have been baking for years, the 50 Best Recipes Excel is built to make your life in the kitchen easier, more consistent, and way more fun. Here’s how it can help you:
- Simplifies Scaling: Need to bake for a crowd or just want a second loaf to share? Plug in the numbers and the spreadsheet does the math — no complicated calculations, just perfect results every time.
- Customizes to Your Needs: Every baker is different. Whether you want to push hydration higher, adjust flour blends, or experiment with inclusions, this tool adapts to your style and goals.
- Improves Consistency: Baking is all about repeatable results. By tracking your formulas and tweaks, you’ll build the confidence to get the same amazing loaves bake after bake.
- Sparks Creativity: Want to riff on a favourite recipe? Take the base formula and build your own version — think jalapeño-cheddar, cinnamon-raisin, or whatever inspires you.
- Saves Time: Life is busy. This tool takes the guesswork out of scaling, planning, and tweaking so you can spend more time baking (and eating) and less time crunching numbers.
- Supports Growth: From home bakers to small micro-bakeries, this is the same resource I use in consulting and in my own studio. It’s helped countless bakers refine their skills and scale their baking — and it can do the same for you.
I’ve poured years of experience and thousands of loaves into building this tool, and I can’t wait for you to see what it can do for your baking.
How I Use the 50 Best Recipes Excel in My Baking Studio 🕺
This tool isn’t just something I made for you, it’s something I rely on every single day. Every recipe I create, test, or tweak starts in this Excel file. It’s become the backbone of my baking process, helping me stay organized and consistent, whether I’m developing a brand-new loaf or scaling a trusted favourite for a big event.
- Testing new ideas: When I want to try something different, like a new porridge bread or inclusion combo, I start with a small batch in the Excel sheet. From there, I make tweaks and keep track of what worked (and what didn’t), so every bake gets better.
- Adjusting hydration and inclusions: Sometimes a dough needs just a little more water, or I need to figure out the right ratio of jalapeños to cheddar. This tool makes those adjustments painless.
- Seasonal tuning: Hot summer days in Muskoka? I drop the levain percentage to slow fermentation. Cold winter mornings? I bump it up to keep things moving. That flexibility has been a game-changer for consistency all year long.
- Printing for efficiency: In my bakery and studio, I like to print my formulas before each bake. It keeps my laptop clean and gives me space to jot down notes directly on the page, little details that make the next bake even better.
This is the exact process I use to stay consistent while still experimenting and improving and now you can do the same.
Here’s a shot of some of the 34 high-hydration sourdough loaves from a bake I did in the studio last week. Even with a dough this wet and tricky, the Excel made scaling simple and kept every loaf consistent — from mix to bake. Whether you’re baking a single loaf or running a micro-batch for family and friends, this tool makes scaling and precision effortless so you can focus on what really matters: flavour and technique.
Coconut & Cherry Crunch Granola 🥥🍒
This recipe holds a special place in my heart. It’s based on the granola I used to make when I was the baker at Langdon Hall, one of Canada's most acclaimed country house hotels and a culinary destination. We've been experimenting with this new updated version, and I have to say—it's honestly the BEST granola we’ve ever had 🌟.
The combination of toasted oats, coconut flakes, and dried cherries creates a perfect balance of crunch and sweetness. It’s so good that we've been caught eating it dry with a spoon—no milk or yogurt needed 😅. Whether you enjoy it as a quick breakfast, a healthy snack, or even straight from the jar, this granola is bound to become your new favourite.
Coconut & Cherry Crunch Granola Recipe
Yield: Approximately 750g (Makes 3 x 250g jars)
Ingredients:
- Rolled Oats: 200g
- Almonds (optional): 50g
- Pumpkin Seeds: 40g
- Sesame Seeds: 40g
- Coconut Flakes: 40g
- Flax Seeds: 40g
- Salt: 5g
- Cinnamon: 5g
- Pure Maple Syrup: 100g
- Coconut Oil: 175g
- Dried Cherries: 150g
- Raisins: 150g
Instructions:
- Preheat the Oven: Preheat your oven to 165°C (325°F) and line a large baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat.
- Mix the Dry Ingredients: In a large bowl, combine the oats, almonds (if using), pumpkin seeds, sesame seeds, coconut flakes, flax seeds, salt, and cinnamon. Stir until evenly mixed.
- Prepare the Wet Mixture: In a small saucepan over low heat, melt the coconut oil. Remove from heat and stir in the maple syrup.
- Combine and Coat: Pour the wet mixture over the dry ingredients and stir well, ensuring everything is evenly coated.
- Bake the Granola: Spread the mixture evenly onto the baking sheet and bake for 15 minutes. Then, remove from the oven, stir in the dried cherries and raisins, and continue baking for an additional 10-15 minutes, stirring once more to promote even toasting. Keep a close eye towards the end to avoid burning. Cool and Enjoy:
Once golden and fragrant, remove from the oven and let the granola cool completely on the baking sheet. This cooling process helps it achieve that perfect crunchy texture.
- Store: Store your Coconut & Cherry Crunch Granola in airtight jars or a large Cambro. It will stay fresh at room temperature for up to two weeks.
We like to layer jars with yogurt, fruit, granola and a touch of honey or maple syrup the night before a busy morning so we can grab and go when we are with our girls.
This week in the micro bakery 🕺
After a summer of private cheffing where sourdough was more of a sidekick than the star, my starter definitely took a bit of a vacation, too. At the end of summer, as I was wrapping up my time, it went unfed for 5–6 days and in and out of the fridge.
To bring it back to life, I gave it one “revival feed” — 10g starter, 50g rye flour, 50g water and left it out for 24 hours. After that, I went back to regular feedings, and it bounced right back, ready for some serious baking.
If your starter took a summer break too (or just needs a little TLC), I made a quick video a couple of years ago while visiting Vietnam that walks you through my exact process to revive your starter and keep it thriving even when you’re away.
Jump to the video and see how to revive your starter ➡️
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Happy Baking,
MJD
P.S. If you’re not interested, no worries I’ll still be here sharing recipes and tips with you next week. But if you are interested and don’t click the link below, you won’t get any of the launch emails this weekend. Remember, the price is going up after the pre-sale, and this is the only time you’ll be able to grab it at this low rate. Don’t miss out click the link to get notified and be first in line.
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