Hey [FIRST NAME GOES HERE]!

What a Summer and What’s Next?

I’ll be honest with you, I’m writing this one a little under the weather. It’s been a whirlwind couple of months, and my body finally told me to slow down. From July 1st through August 25th, I was up in Muskoka working as a private chef. It was an incredible summer full creative freedom in the kitchen, long hours, and the chance to create some core memories with my family in between the busyness.

When I finally wrapped up, I came home for just four nights before heading off to Quebec City with my family on a partnership with Porter Airlines. We spent the week exploring bakeries, pizzerias, and restaurants Nina Pizzeria and Chouquette Bakery were big highlights (more on those soon when the collab goes live on IG!).

Then it was straight into back-to-school chaos for both my daughters. Our youngest, Frankie, started junior kindergarten, while Juniper, my oldest, is already in grade 2. It feels like just yesterday Juniper was starting school herself. Time really does fly.

And now, things aren’t slowing down. In just over a week, I’ll be heading to Vegas for IBIE, and the craziest part? My debut cookbook, Bread Etc., comes out in less than two weeks 🤯. A project that’s been over five years in the making is finally about to be in your hands, and I honestly can’t believe we’re here.

The countdown is on, Bread Etc. officially lands September 16th, and I can’t wait for you to bake from it.

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Bread, Etc. is Almost Here + Book Tour Announcement! ✨

It feels surreal to say this, but my debut cookbook Bread, Etc. officially comes out on September 16th—less than two weeks away! This book has been years in the making, packed with over 100 recipes and techniques to help you bake everything from sourdough to pizza to sweet breads.

One of the best ways you can support me right now is by preordering a copy. Preorders make a huge difference because they help drive early sales, which means more bookstores stock it, more people see it, and ultimately, more bakers get inspired to pick up their mixing bowls. If you’re already planning to grab the book, locking it in now is an amazing way to support me and the launch.

👉 Preorder Bread, Etc. here​

But that’s not all I’m also taking the book on tour! 🎉
I’ll be hitting the road across Ontario (and beyond) for demos, dinners, and book signings. Here are a few of the upcoming stops:

• Sept 14 – Las Vegas, NV | Demo + signing at IBIE​
• Sept 19 – Toronto, ON | Baking Demo at Cirillo’s Academy​
• Sept 20 – Lincoln, ON | Drop-in signing at RPM Bakehouse​
• Sept 28 – Stratford, ON | Baking Demo at Stratford Chefs School (SOLD OUT)
• Oct 5 – Elora, ON | Drop-in signing at Seasons Gifts & Decor​
• Oct 11 – Toronto, ON | Drop-in signing at Cheese Boutique 11-2pm
• Oct 23 – Uxbridge, ON | Dinner at Urban Pantry with Blue Heron Books​

(And yes, I’ll happily sign your copy if you already bought one!)

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The 50 Best Recipes Excel: Your Baking Game-Changer

After years of teaching, consulting, and running my own micro-bakery, I’ve pulled together my most trusted, go-to formulas into one powerful tool: the 50 Best Recipes Excel.

This isn’t just a recipe collection, it’s a baking system. With it, you’ll be able to:

• ✅ Scale recipes effortlessly — bake 1 loaf or 30 without guesswork.
• ✅ Dial in consistency — track and tweak hydration, inclusions, and fermentation until you nail your perfect loaf.
• ✅ Save time and stress — print formulas, make notes, and keep your bakes organized.
• ✅ Unlock creativity — swap inclusions or adjust percentages to create endless variations.
• ✅ Use pro tools at home — from the built-in DDT calculator to baker’s percentage breakdowns.

Who’s it for?

• Beginners who want guidance and confidence.
• Intermediate bakers ready to refine their craft.
• Professionals and micro-bakers who need efficiency and precision.

This is the exact tool I used while developing recipes for my upcoming cookbook (Bread Etc., out Sept 16th!). It’s the same Excel that powers my baking studio every single day—and now it’s yours.

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Marble Rye – My All-Time Favourite 🌾

This bread is one of my all-time favourites, and it’s also one of the most requested. In fact, it was chosen for the cover of Bread, Etc. for a reason, it’s just that striking.

What makes marble rye so special is how it’s built: two doughs swirled together into one loaf. The lighter dough has a mild, nutty rye flavour, while the darker dough is enriched with molasses and cocoa powder, giving it a deep, earthy sweetness and bold colour. When you combine them, you don’t just get flavour contrast, you get that iconic marbled swirl that makes every slice a little piece of edible art.

You’ll find the full recipe in my 50 Best Excel and, of course, in my upcoming book Bread, Etc.. It’s one of those bakes that looks impressive, tastes even better, and always makes people say, “Wow, you made this?”

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Mega Challah!!! Bigger, Bolder, Beautiful

This summer, I baked what might be the most epic challah of my life, a Mega Challah. Golden, glossy, and braided into an eye-catching design, it was the kind of loaf that makes people stop in their tracks and say, “Is that even real bread?”

The recipe itself comes straight out of my upcoming book Bread, Etc. (coming September 16th!). Though the braid I used here is a little different. The beauty of challah is how versatile it is; you can shape and braid it in endless ways.

👉 If you’re looking to level up your braiding skills, I walk you step-by-step through one of my favourite braids in my first book, and I also share techniques on my YouTube channel. In fact, the very video below is linked via a QR code inside Bread, Etc., so you’ll always have a guide on hand when you want to try something new:

Challah is one of those breads that connects food, family, and celebration—and baking a mega one just makes it even more fun.

Watch the Braiding Tutorial on YouTube

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Focaccia Two Ways, Tomato 🍅 & Olive 🫒

A few weeks ago, during my private chef contract, I went back to one of my all-time favourite breads: sourdough focaccia. Same dough, two totally different personalities, one topped with juicy garden cherry tomatoes, the other studded with briny olives and rosemary from the kitchen garden. Both turned out amazing.

Focaccia has a special place in my baking journey. It was one of the very first recipes I ever shared on my blog and YouTube channel, and it’s also featured in my first book. It’s simple enough for beginners but endlessly adaptable, which makes it a bread I return to again and again.

If you’re looking for something that’s:
✔️ Beginner-friendly
✔️ Perfect for late summer produce
✔️ Guaranteed to impress at the dinner table

…this is the one.

Whether you go tomato, olive, or come up with your own topping, I’d love to see your bake. Send me a picture when you try it!

👉 Grab my full focaccia recipe here

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This week in the micro bakery 🕺 For my first bakes back in the micro bakery, I kept things classic: baguettes and sourdough. Baguettes are always a fantastic way to dial in your environment timing, fermentation, shaping, and scoring all need to come together just right. These were from my Baguette Course that I released right before summer, and I’ve been blown away by the results students have been sharing. It’s been amazing to see so many of you nail such a tricky bread! Alongside that, I baked a few dozen classic sourdough batards. Sometimes the simplest breads are the most rewarding, and it felt great to get back to the rhythm of feeding, mixing, and shaping after a summer away. If you’re starting out (or if you want to revisit the foundations), I’ve got a Beginner Sourdough Recipe waiting for you on my blog. 👉 Check out the Beginner Sourdough Recipe here →​

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Happy Baking,

MJD

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