Hey Reader!

This week’s been a wild one.

I pulled off a major 40-person wine dinner at work complete with three canapés, a main course, and a plated dessert. It was one of the biggest events of my summer private chef contract and honestly, it felt amazing to throw down in the kitchen again. I had some incredible help, check out the menu below so you can see what we served.

Ill also add a few pics at the bottom of this email if you want to see some of the food.

Next week, I’ll share the recipes for the profiteroles and mille-feuille we made for a second, more intimate dinner for 15 guests on the 2nd night. I also baked my signature Whole Wheat Tangzhong Milk Buns for the table always a hit!

I’m working straight through so I can take four days completely unplugged with the family. It’s going to be low-key, lakeside, and all about recharging.

Let’s keep this newsletter short and sweet, just a few good bakes and a big bonus announcement. Let’s go.

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Bonus Interview with MOF Champion Alexandre Laumain 🎙️

I’ve got something very special lined up for the Simplifying Baguettes course. I’m interviewing none other than Alexandre Laumain, MOF (Meilleur Ouvrier de France) and 2023 Champion du Monde de la Boulangerie in the bread category.

This is a huge honour. Alexandre is one of the best baguette bakers in the world and I can’t wait to chat with him about French tradition, technique, and what makes a truly great baguette.

We’ll be recording an exclusive 30-minute interview, and everyone who has pre-purchased the course will be able to:

• Submit questions by Tuesday, July 22
• Watch the full video in the BONUS module after it’s uploaded

💬 If you’ve already joined the course and have a question for Alexandre, please send it in by July 22 so I can include it in the interview!

A bit about Alexandre:

• MOF title holder (one of the most prestigious accolades in French craftsmanship)
• 2023 Bread Champion at the Coupe du Monde de la Boulangerie in Paris
• Instructor and mentor to bakers around the world
• Known for his beautiful, precise shaping and deep understanding of fermentation

This is an incredible bonus for the course and I’m so excited to share it with you.

👉 Already inside the course? Head to the BONUS section to ask your question.

👉 Not in yet? The best presale pricing is still live, and the course already includes:

• The first two full modules
• Two complete baguette recipes
• And more content coming soon (next upload on my next day off!)

🛒 Grab the presale pricing before it’s gone

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My First Muskoka Sourdough Bake 💪🍞

This was the first proper sourdough bake I’ve done since arriving in Muskoka, and wow, it felt good to get my hands back in some dough. Everything was hand mixed, baked in my little cottage setup, and honestly? The bread came out killer. Crispy crust, open crumb, rich flavour it reminded me how satisfying the basics can be when you give them care and time.

The recipe I used is from my Beginner Sourdough guide on the blog, and if you haven’t checked it out recently, we’ve just completely overhauled the post with fresh photos, updated tips, and an easier-to-follow layout.

This one’s truly a favourite of mine. Whether it’s your first-ever sourdough or your fiftieth, I hope it gives you the same joy it gave me this week, tucked away in a cottage kitchen with just flour, water, salt, and a little patience.

👉 Make the Beginner Sourdough

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Challah in Muskoka 🥖

This week, I had the chance to bake challah for a beautiful dinner as part of my private chef role here in Muskoka. There’s something deeply satisfying about baking bread in a quiet kitchen surrounded by nature, even when the days are packed with prep and service.

Challah has always been one of my favourite breads to make, rich, tender, and full of meaning. The braided loaf came out perfectly golden, slightly sweet, and soft enough to tear by hand. It’s one of those bakes that’s as beautiful as it is comforting, and it felt special to share it in a setting like this.

If you’ve been wanting to try making challah at home, I’ve got a full video tutorial on YouTube that walks you through the process step-by-step.

How to Make Challah Bread – Step-by-Step Video 📺

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Lemon Madeleines, Just Like We Made at Boulud’s 🍋

This week at work, I brought out one of my favourite classic bakes: lemon madeleines, light, fluffy, buttery little cakes with crisp edges and that iconic hump in the middle.

It’s a close version of the recipe we used when I worked for Chef Daniel Boulud, where we served them warm at the end of every meal, nestled in a linen-lined basket and dusted with powdered sugar. I’ve made thousands over the years, and they still bring me so much joy.

This time, I kept them simple: no glaze, just warm from the oven and finished with a little icing sugar. A perfect way to end a meal, elegant, nostalgic, and easy to love.

🍋 Get the full recipe here

🍋 Get the full recipe here

This Week in the Micro Bakery At the Cottage 🏕️ I couldn’t resist baking one of my all-time favourite desserts, Diana Henry’s flourless chocolate cake. Elegant, timeless, and endlessly versatile, it’s always a crowd-pleaser. Cake Ingredients(serves 8) 160 g unsalted butter 320 g dark chocolate (70 %) 145 g caster sugar 5 large eggs, separated 40 g ground almonds Coffee‑Whiskey Cream 300 ml double cream ½ tbsp instant espresso in ½ tbsp hot water 2 tbsp whiskey (or to taste) 3 tbsp icing sugar Quick Bake Method: Melt butter, chocolate, and sugar over simmering water, then whisk in yolks. Beat whites to soft peaks; fold in with almonds. Bake at 180 °C for 35 min The cake may crack as it cools. Whip cream with espresso, whiskey, and icing sugar. Serve dusted with sugar alongside. This week, I served it with a strawberry reduction and Ontario berries, a beautiful finish to a cottage dinner. 📚 The original recipe is from Diana Henry’s book Simple a must-have in any serious baker’s library.

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As promised, heres a few dishes from this week:

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Happy Baking,

MJD

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