Hey Reader!

Happy Friday!

Fall is definitely here! The mornings are getting cooler, the days are getting shorter, and it's that time of year when we all need to start paying a little more attention to our dough temperatures. Keep those starters warm and happy! 😂

I'm heading to Montréal this weekend for a quick getaway to celebrate my wife's birthday! We're making it a bit of a food trip, so naturally I'm hoping to squeeze in as many great bakeries and restaurants as possible.

If you have any must-visit bakeries, restaurants, or hidden gems in Montréal, hit reply and let me know! I'd love your recommendations.

In this week's newsletter, you will find:

He's Back! French MOF Baker Alex Laumain Returns This January! 🇫🇷
This Week's Bake: 50% Whole Wheat Sourdough 🌾
Detroit-Style Pizza at Home 🍕
One Last Weekend in Muskoka 🍁

He's Back! French MOF Baker Alex Laumain Returns This January! 🇫🇷

I've got some exciting news to share! My good friend Alex Laumain is coming back to Canada this January for another round of hands-on baking workshops!

If you're not familiar with Alex, he's a Meilleur Ouvrier de France (MOF), one of the highest honours a French artisan can receive. It's an incredibly prestigious distinction recognizing exceptional craftsmanship and technical skill. Alex is genuinely one of the best bakers I've ever met, and every time we work together, I learn something new.

Last year's workshops sold out FAST, and this past June we even took a group of bakers over to France to learn and bake together. It was an incredible experience!

Now we're bringing Alex back here, and I think this year's workshops are going to be even better.

We'll be hosting three two-day workshops in January 2027:

January 9–10 (Saturday & Sunday)
January 14–15 (Thursday & Friday)
January 16–17 (Saturday & Sunday)

Last year's workshops sold out quickly, so this time we're giving our newsletter readers the opportunity to hear about registration before everyone else!

Registration isn't open just yet, but if you're interested in joining us this January, simply click the link below! That's all you need to do. You'll automatically be added to our early-access list and be among the first to receive workshop details and registration information.

👉 GET EARLY ACCESS TO THE JANUARY WORKSHOPS

This Week's Bake: 50% Whole Wheat Sourdough 🌾

I baked 30 loaves of my 50% whole wheat sourdough for the micro bakery this week, and they were KILLER! I even managed to keep two for myself. 😂

And a little shoutout to Juniper, who scored the loaf in this photo! She's getting pretty good with the lame. Proud dad moment right there. ❤️

This is one of my favourite everyday breads. It's got a beautiful caramelized crust, a soft interior, and loads of flavour from the whole wheat. Perfect for toast, sandwiches, or just a thick slice with some good butter.

If you want to give it a go at home, I've got the full recipe on my blog, including the dough schedule, fermentation tips, and step-by-step instructions.

👉 Get My 50% Whole Wheat Sourdough Recipe

Detroit-Style Pizza at Home 🍕

I've been craving some Detroit-style pizza lately. You know the kind — thick, airy dough, a crispy golden bottom, and those incredible caramelized cheese edges!

A big shoutout to Linda, who gave me the heads-up that LloydPans Detroit-style pizza pans are currently on sale!

I just ordered two 8 × 10-inch pans with lids. Even on sale, the two pans and lids came to $161. 😂 Good pizza is serious business!

If you've been thinking about making Detroit-style pizza at home, now might be a great time to grab a pan.

Here are the two sizes I'd recommend:

8 × 10-inch Detroit Pizza Pan — Great for smaller pizzas. This is the size I just ordered!
10 × 14-inch Detroit Pizza Pan — Perfect for making a larger pizza to share.

These are affiliate links, meaning I may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. Thanks for supporting my baking content!

And of course, you'll need a good recipe to go with those pans. I've got you covered!

👇 Get My Detroit-Style Sourdough Pizza Recipe

One Last Weekend in Muskoka 🍁

Last weekend I was back up in Muskoka for a pretty big weekend of cooking! Friday night we hosted a party for 24 guests with king crab, côte de boeuf, oysters, and some beautiful wood-fired sourdough pizzas. Then on Sunday, it was Thanksgiving dinner for 25!

It was a LOT of planning, prep, and cooking, but I absolutely love doing events like these. There's something pretty special about cooking great food for a big group of people, especially in such a beautiful setting.

The best part of the weekend was that my whole family got to come up north with me. Even though I was working most of the weekend, getting to spend some time together in Muskoka made it that much better.

A pretty great way to wrap up the season up north! 🍂

Happy Baking,