Black Friday is Coming 🎉 (and it’s a big one this year)
We’re getting close to my favourite time of the year, and not just because it’s my birthday. Every November, I run my biggest baking sale of the year, and this time I’m going all-in.
If you’ve been wanting to level up your sourdough, get into baguettes, tackle rye, or finally try panettone… this is the moment. I only do one big sale a year, and I make it count.
This year, there’s more available than ever:
- Simplifying Sourdough — your foundation for confident, consistent bread.
- Simplifying Rye — earthy, flavourful, and one of my favourite breads to teach.
- Simplifying Baguettes — with a full interview + technique breakdown from MOF Alexandre Laumain.
- Simplifying Sourdough Pizza — because pizza night should always be a highlight.
- Simplifying Panettone — if you’re ready to climb the mountain.
- 50 Best Recipes Workbook — completely revamped, refined, and expanded.
And… I’ll be offering an ULTIMATE Bundle for those who want the whole toolbox, every course, every workbook, every resource, at the best price I’ll offer all year.
This sale happens once a year. And that’s it.
If you want early access (and first chance at the bundle pricing), join the early access list below. I’ll only send sale details to the early group, no inbox flooding.
Baking with an MOF 🇫🇷 (and we’re only halfway through)
This week has been wild 🤯, in the best possible way. We’re right in the middle of a 6-day stretch of workshops with Alexandre Laumain (MOF 2023), and the bakery has been absolutely buzzing. He’s not just an incredible baker, he’s generous, funny, focused, and has this calm mastery that just changes the room.
He’s been:
- In the bakery with me every day
- Teaching my kids brioche (still can’t believe that happened)
- Breaking down technique in a way that just clicks
So far we’ve baked:
- Brioche
- Baguettes
- A handful of sourdoughs
- And we’ve gone deep into mixing strength, shaping economy, fermentation decisions, and scoring mechanics
And we still have 3 more days to go, which honestly feels like the best part.
I’ve worked with some incredible bakers over the years, and Alexandre is right up there at the top. Watching him shape dough is like watching someone write calligraphy, smooth, efficient, and absolutely confident.
And here’s the cool part:
You can actually come bake with us again next year.
We’re hosting a trip to France, June 14–21, 2026 — Paris → Loire → château life → incredible wine → and a two-day masterclass with Alexandre and me at Foricher Moulin des Gaults, right at the mill.
👉 Bake with us in France (limited spots left)
https://thegourmetvacation.wetravel.com/trips/the-art-of-dough-croissants-to-cabernet-with-chef-matthew-duffy-chef-richard-gruica-99314282?source=widget_trips
It’s a small group, hands-on, and honestly… It’s special.
If this week has taught me anything, it’s that baking alongside someone who truly lives the craft changes everything.
(LFG to Paris 🥐🇫🇷)
Sourdough Pop Tarts 🍓✨
These ones always make me smile. It had been a while since I made them, but they are still one of my kids’ absolute favourites. Not going to lie, I grew up with the boxed Pop-Tarts, and there’s something about the toaster + jam smell that just hits right in the childhood memories.
This version is everything I wish those were: nbuttery, flaky, lightly tangy from the sourdough discard, and filled with good jam. They taste like a treat, but they’re made from actual ingredients… so I don’t have to talk myself into being okay with them for breakfast or school snacks. Win-win.
The key is keeping the dough cold; the cold butter makes that perfect flaky pastry. Once you get the hang of assembling them, you can batch freeze and bake whenever. The kids will eat them warm as soon as the icing goes on… and yes, sprinkles are basically mandatory.
Sourdough Naan 🫓
We’ve been making this naan a lot at home lately. It started because I wanted something easy the kids would actually eat with dinner, and now it’s become part of the rotation. I’ll make a batch, and the girls will take pieces in their lunch the next day with a little butter chicken or curry. It’s soft, warm, and one of those things that just makes a meal feel cozy, even on a busy weeknight.
This version is fermented with sourdough discard (no commercial yeast) and cooks right in a skillet. You can even make the dough ahead and keep it in the fridge so it’s ready whenever you need it. Simple, flexible, and genuinely useful, especially if you’ve got hungry little people around.
This naan is soft, warm, stretchy, and super comforting, the exact thing you want as the weather cools and soups and curries start showing up on the dinner table again. It’s made with discard, no yeast, and it comes together way faster than most sourdough projects. You mix the dough, let it rise, cut into 8 little pieces, roll them out, and cook them right in a skillet.
And if you want to be extra ahead of the game (aka: future-you will thank you):
You can let the dough finish rising, pop it in the fridge, and just roll + cook as needed throughout the week. My kids love these dipped into soup, wrapped around leftovers, or just brushed with a little melted butter and devoured straight off the stove. I have learned to stand back.
This week in the micro bakery 🕺 Let's Go Blue Jays ⚾️
We had some serious Blue Jays energy in the micro bakery this week. My brother has been a Jays fan since we were about five years old. The real kind of fan. Knows every stat, every call, every trade, and watches every game start to finish. So when the Jays made it deep into the postseason, the bakery basically turned into playoff headquarters.
For Game 6 and Game 7, we baked Blue Jays stencil sourdough, and people went wild for it. Folks were picking up loaves on their way home to watch the game. The vibe was electric, flour everywhere, everyone hopeful, everyone in it.
And the best part:
Alexandre (MOF 2023, master of dough, precision, elegance, all of it) watched the games with us. Baguettes by day, playoff baseball by night. He is now, officially, a lifelong Blue Jays fan. I’m calling it.
And yeah… when they lost, my heart broke. But it broke even more for my brother.
If you want to make your own team stencil loaf, I filmed a simple step-by-step:
👉 How to Make Blue Jays Stencil Sourdough
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GwXrjxunvBQ
Bread holds community.
Bread holds memories.
Sometimes, bread holds sports heartbreak ,too.
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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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