Join 13,031+ bakers of all experience levels. In this newsletter, you will find recipes, guides, tips and tricks on how you can make bakery-quality bread and master those tricky doughs at home. I'm Matthew, a full-time baking professor and I'm excited to share all that I've learned in my 20 years as a professional chef.
Not a huge update from me this week—just rolling through the usual baking rhythm as the seasons shift. Spring is creeping in, the days are getting longer, and I’ve been working quietly on two pretty major behind-the-scenes updates. (More on that very soon 👀.)
If you’re celebrating, Happy Passover! I’ve made matzah from scratch in the past... but not this year. Let’s just say my current projects are a little more involved than rolling out unleavened crackers 😂
Easter is around the corner too, and I’d love to hear what you’re baking! If you’ve got a go-to Easter bread, send it my way—I’m always looking for inspiration. I’ve got a batch of mini egg cookies on deck, and I’ll send that recipe next week just in time for the holiday.
Let’s hop into it 🐰👇
In this week's newsletter you will find:
A Spring Surprise is Coming… 🌸🐣
Marble Rye Madness 🌀
How to Score a Batard for Maximum Oven Spring 🎥
Emmer Pancakes: Ancient Grain, Modern Breakfast Win 🥞
How to Make Sourdough English Muffins (Yes... Another Breakfast Recipe 😅) 🥞
Duck Confit – A Little Bit Fancy, A Whole Lot Delicious🦆
A Spring Surprise is Coming… 🌸🐣
Spring is one of my favourite times of the year. There’s something about the longer days, the fresh air, and that feeling of starting fresh that makes me want to pick up a new book, dive into a class, or develop a skill that’s been sitting on the back burner.
It also happens to be one of my favourite seasons for food—spring ingredients start trickling in, and everything feels a bit more alive in the kitchen.
Oh, and one more reason I love this time of year? My daughter’s 7th birthday falls on Easter Sunday this year 🥹🎂
To celebrate, I’m putting together something special: a limited-time offer on some of my best baking resources. It’ll run over Easter weekend only (Saturday, Sunday, and Monday), and trust me—you won’t want to miss it.
If you’ve had your eye on one of my courses or workbooks, this will be your chance.
This week’s micro bakery bake included a certified banger of a Marble Rye. As soon as I sliced it, I actually said “woah” out loud in the kitchen. Perfect crumb, gorgeous marbling—just one of those loaves that makes you stop for a second and admire it before you even grab the butter.
This recipe’s always in high demand, and it’s one of the micro bakery favourites. And I’ve got good news—it’s coming to the world this fall in my first cookbook, Bread Etc.
Bread Etc. – The Ultimate Guide to Baking Bread at Home Over 100 recipes, years of testing and teaching, and more flour-covered notes than I care to admit. It’s my most detailed work yet, and I promise it’ll help you level up your baking—whether you’re brand new or already selling loaves out of your home kitchen.
Now… let me tell you something wild about making this book.
We shot all the photos from August 2022 through January 2023. Because so many recipes involve multi-day doughs or long ferments, we had to shoot in sections—pizza, then discard, leftover sourdough, and finally, the big ones: yeasted and sourdough bread.
Most of these shoots happened outside my regular job hours. I’d bake-off bread in the early morning, throw them in the car, head to work, and drive downtown afterward. Or (and this was honestly more common), I’d bake after dinner, get the girls to bed, and then drive into the city around 10 pm. My photographer—who deserves a damn medal for patience—would meet me, and we’d shoot bread until well past midnight. Keep in mind he lives about 45 min away from me and logistically this was TOUGH.
I don’t think any bread book has ever been shot like this. Honestly, I don’t recommend it. But it’s also a big part of what makes Bread Etc. so special. Every photo, every crumb shot, every perfectly lit loaf—it all came out of real life, hustle, and a love for good bread shared at all hours of the night.
How to Score a Batard for Maximum Oven Spring 🎥
Scoring can feel a little intimidating—but it doesn’t have to be.
In this new video, I’ll show you exactly how to score a batard (that oval-shaped loaf we all love) to get that big, bold oven spring and beautiful ear. I break it down step-by-step so you can understand where to score, how deep to go, and the best angle to hold your blade.
Whether you’re baking your first sourdough or levelling up your shaping game, this video will give you the confidence to nail your next loaf.
🥞 Emmer Pancakes: Ancient Grain, Modern Breakfast Win
After all the love for the breakfast content from two weeks ago, I figured—why stop there?
This week, I made pancakes with Emmer flour from Almanac—a beautiful ancient grain that’s been grown for thousands of years. Emmer (aka Farro Vero or “true farro” in Italy) is one of the OG wheat varieties—predating even durum. It’s high in protein, lower in gluten, and makes for some seriously flavourful pancakes.
And who did I make them for? My kids, of course. We’ve been on a big breakfast kick lately, and this was a fun way to sneak in some extra nutrition without them even noticing. Emmer has a sweet, nutty depth that made the pancakes feel special—almost like a treat, but whole grain and nutrient-dense, which is a huge win in our house.
👉 Important note (from a very real, slightly impatient dad): let your batter rest for at least 30 minutes before cooking. If you try to flip too soon, you’ll end up with a shredded mess and sad pancakes. Trust me. Been there. Still picking bits off the spatula.
How to Make Sourdough English Muffins (Yes... Another Breakfast Recipe 😅) 🥞
Okay, I swear this newsletter isn’t becoming just about breakfast—but we’ve been on a serious roll lately. After all the love for pancakes, soft-boiled eggs, and toad-in-a-hole, I had to share another household staple: Sourdough English Muffins.
These are so good—light and airy inside, crisp and golden outside, and packed with that signature sourdough flavour. We made a big batch this week, froze half, and are ready for the weekend. We've been loving them for grab-and-go breakfasts: egg sandwiches, PB&J, and even English muffin pizzas for the kids’ dinner. (Bit of tomato sauce, cheese, broil… done. Honestly a hit.)
Also... my kids requested shredded duck confit on theirs for breakfast. I don’t know who they think they are, but I’m kind of here for it. 😅
🔪 The full recipe (with all the details you need to nail these at home) is on the blog. Try them. Freeze them. Use them. And if you make mini pizzas or fancy confit versions, definitely send pics—I need to see it!
If you love this recipe as much as we do, do me a favour and drop a 5⭐️ review and comment on the blog.
Duck Confit – A Little Bit Fancy, A Whole Lot Delicious🦆
Okay okay, I know this isn't technically bread—but it’s SO good with bread that I had to include it. Think: duck confit on sourdough toast. Duck confit on baguette. Duck confit pizza. Yes. All of it.
This recipe is a classic, and while it sounds a little fancy, it’s actually super low-maintenance. The hands-on time is minimal—most of the magic happens while you're off doing other things (or, let’s be honest, baking more bread).
Here’s how I make it:
📝 What You’ll Need:
6 Duck Legs
~2 cups Salt (for curing)
3L Duck Fat (you can reuse it over and over)
Garlic Cloves, crushed
Peppercorns
Herbs (optional but lovely—parsley, cilantro, rosemary, thyme, tarragon)
🔪 The Process:
Salt Cure (5–8 hrs): Blend the salt with herbs (if using) until it’s bright green. In a container, alternate layers of duck legs and herbed salt. Toss in some garlic and peppercorns. If it’s your first time using the duck fat, cure for 8 hours. If you’ve used it before, 5–6 is fine.
Rinse & Dry: Rinse the duck legs well. Pat them dry with paper towels. Preheat your oven to 325°F (163°C).
Confit Time (3.5–4 hrs): Melt the duck fat in a Dutch oven or deep, heavy pot. Carefully lower in the duck legs (seriously—this part can get messy!). Cover loosely with foil or a vented lid and bake for 3.5–4 hours until tender. The meat should separate easily with your fingers between the muscles.
Cool & Store: Let the legs cool slightly at room temp. Remove the little knuckle bone and trim the top bone with scissors or a clever if you want that Michelin-star look (no pressure, my kids demolish them either way). Transfer duck to a clean container and strain the fat overtop. Store in the fat for months in the fridge—or don’t, if you’re eating soon.
After 4 hours in a warm duck fat bath 🤤
🔥 To Serve: Crisp the duck leg skin-side down in a pan over medium heat until it’s golden and shattery. Flip and heat through. I always serve it with a bright, acidic salad to balance the richness.
Also… this makes next-level duck confit pizza. I’m doing a pizza drop this weekend, so I’ll share the results next week.
Let me know if you make this one. It's fancy without the fuss, and trust me—duck fat > everything.
👉 🔥 Don’t Miss the Easter Weekend Sale
In case you scrolled too fast… The Easter Weekend Sale kicks off Saturday! If you haven’t signed up for early access, this is your last chance to get a reminder when it goes live:
Some of my best resources will be featured—including panettone, sourdough, pizza, and a few surprises. Let’s make this spring your best baking season yet.
Happy Baking,
MJD
P.S. Want to learn more from me? Check out my online video resources 👇
Join 13,031+ bakers of all experience levels. In this newsletter, you will find recipes, guides, tips and tricks on how you can make bakery-quality bread and master those tricky doughs at home. I'm Matthew, a full-time baking professor and I'm excited to share all that I've learned in my 20 years as a professional chef.
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