Bread Etc. is Officially a National Best Seller 📚
I honestly can’t believe I’m writing this — Bread Etc. is now officially a National Best Seller here in Canada.
When I started writing this book back in 2020, I never imagined it would end up here. What began as a few scribbled formulas during lockdown somehow turned into a real, printed book on shelves across the country, and now, it has that little “National Best Seller” label beside it.
That’s thanks to you. Every person who pre-ordered, shared a photo, told a friend, or baked something from the book you helped make this happen. I truly mean it when I say none of this would be possible without your support.
It’s wild to see Bread Etc. listed alongside some of the biggest books in the country on both Amazon and Indigo, and I’m still trying to process it, this already feels surreal.
From the bottom of my heart, thank you for believing in the book, for baking from it, and for helping it reach this milestone.
The Dream Baking Trip to France (Coming June 2026) ✨
This has been in the works for over a year countless calls, timing challenges, and “what-if” planning sessions but it’s finally happening.
Next summer, I’ll be leading a once-in-a-lifetime trip through France for a small group of passionate bakers.
For now, I can’t share everything (some details are still under wraps 👀), but here’s a little taste of what’s to come:
🥐 Bake in Paris — We’ll start our adventure in the City of Light, exploring some of my favourite bakeries and patisseries while diving into the art of French viennoiserie.
🏰 Stay in a private château — Our home base in the Loire Valley looks like something out of a storybook, complete with gardens, wine, and enough charm to make you forget what day it is.
🥖 Learn from a MOF — A true career highlight for me: we’ll spend two full days at Foricher Moulin des Gaults, baking shoulder to shoulder with Alexandre Laumain, Meilleur Ouvrier de France and World Bread Champion 2023.
This is not your average class; this is the kind of rare access bakers dream of.
🍷 Michelin-worthy meals & wine tastings — Between bake days, we’ll dine at Michelin-starred restaurants, sip local wines straight from the vineyards, and connect with French artisans who live and breathe their craft.
This trip is being hosted with The Gourmet Vacation, and we’re limiting it to just 20 guests.
It’s designed for people who love good bread, good wine, and good company — the kind of experience you’ll remember for a lifetime.
If you want to be the first to hear when full details go live, tap below to join the early interest list — I’ll be sharing updates only with that group before anywhere else.
The Ultimate Sourdough Grilled Cheese (with Afrim Pristine) 🧀
Since I’ll be at Cheese Boutique this Saturday from 11 am – 2 pm, signing copies of Bread Etc., it feels only right to highlight a recipe that celebrates my love of bread and cheese.
This Sourdough Grilled Cheese is comfort food at its best, simple, golden, and absolutely loaded with flavour. I teamed up with Afrim Pristine, Canada’s leading cheese expert and owner of Cheese Boutique, to take this classic to the next level.
Afrim shared his pro tips for the perfect melt, from using room-temperature cheese to combining sliced and grated layers for that epic gooey pull. Together we also broke down:
- The best cheeses for flavour and melt (spoiler: aged cheddar + Gruyère = magic)
- The ideal bread-to-cheese ratio (yes, it matters!)
- And the most common mistakes people make (like cooking too hot or slicing too soon)
If you want to perfect your grilled cheese game — or just treat yourself this weekend this one’s for you.
This week in the micro bakery 🕺 - Off-Site Pizza Consulting
This week I was in Hamilton working with Chef Cam Bell (my old sous chef from Langdon Hall) and the team at Bardo an incredible group who already make great pizza and wanted to push things even further.
We spent three solid days testing different flours, fermentation times, and dough temperatures, running full bake comparisons to see how those variables changed everything from colour and crust structure to flavour and texture. Even small temperature shifts during fermentation made noticeable differences in oven spring and crumb.
It was a deep dive into the science of dough equal parts testing, tasting, and troubleshooting and by the end, we’d dialled in some key parameters that will take their consistency and quality up another level. Projects like this are a reminder of how much precision (and curiosity!) goes into great pizza.
And while I can’t share every detail, I can say this: a few thoughtful adjustments added huge value for their team, improving workflow, dough quality, and overall bake performance across their locations.
If you’re baking pizza at home, here are three lessons that came out of the testing that you can use right away:
- Mind your dough temperature — Room temp, fridge temp, and even your hands affect fermentation speed. A cooler dough develops more flavour; a warmer one ferments faster but can overproof quickly.
- Rest before serving — Let your pizza sit for 30–60 seconds on a cooling rack after baking. It keeps the bottom crisp and stops steam from softening the crust.
- Flour matters more than you think — A strong, high-quality flour gives you better colour, chew, and structure. Even mixing two flours (like a bread flour with an Italian 00) can balance strength and tenderness beautifully.
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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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