
In the early morning hours, sweeping out the oven, bringing dough baskets down from the fridges … even before the birdsong starts, I listen to bread podcasts to keep my sleepy brain focused.
One, in particular, has become a bit of an obsession for me, The Rise Up Podcast. It’s a celebration of bakers and their bakeries and the communities they serve.
Its affable host, Mark Dyck, interviews bakers and baking teachers from around the world and coaxes fascinating stories and perspectives about their passions for bread and baking.
What was the spark that led these people into the baking world? What inspires and sustains them? Who were their teachers, who influenced them? What were their struggles and triumphs?
Why bakers?
“Bakers are people who play a hugely positive role in their communities,” Dyck says on the Rise Up website. “One that goes way beyond basic nourishment.
“They have incredibly interesting stories to tell and to share, but unless they’ve published a cookbook … you’ll never hear their stories.
Their stories deserve to be heard.”
Dyck knows his subject. For five years, he and his partner/wife, Cindy, owned and operated the Orange Boot Bakery in Regina, Saskatchewan. Dyck was an active member of the Bread Baker’s Guild of America and an avid baking conference attendee for years. He walks the walk, talks the talk.
Tell me about your pastry cream!

But his interviews are casual, not probing. They can be geeky: “So how many decks did your oven have?” “Do you mix by hand?” “Tell me about your pastry cream?”
But they also capture the appeal of the baking profession, the romanticism of opening a bakery, and the grinding work schedules. They speak to why we’re attracted to these places, where we meet, have coffee, carry away bags of warm bread, croissants, pastries, pies.
There’s a seat-of-the-pants quality to the interviews, in a good way. He’s charming with his guests, a real fan, but he’s also eager to share his own experience. The interviews have the quality of two people talking over coffee in their favourite bakery, maybe after polishing off a couple of pastries or sharing a recipe or two.
The Rise Up Podcast has been going for just over two years. Number 97 was released just last week, an interview with the inventor of the Challenger Bread Pan, Jim Challenger.
From luminaries to apprentices
But we’ve also heard from baking luminaries, like Jeffrey Hamelman, author of the definitive text, Bread: A Baker’s Book of Techniques and Recipes. Blair Marvin and Andrew Heyn, a husband and wife team who run two companies: Elmore Mountain Bread and New American Stone Mills, which make leading-edge flour mills. Or the owner of RedBeard Historic Bakery in Trentham, Australia, just outside Melbourne. It features a massive Scotch Oven that operated continuously for almost 100 years until recent renovations.
Mark has interviewed authors Peter Reinhart, Daniel Leader, and Martin Philip. But he also reaches out to baking apprentices, such as a young Scottish woman, Rosie Gray, who was in the middle of a cycling trip from Scotland through Belgium working stints at different bakeries. For no other reason than to learn the craft and to “soak it all up.”
We’ve heard about several British Columbia bakeries, most recently, Yonni’s Doughnuts of Victoria. I was inspired to hear about Slow Rise Bakery of Gabriola Island, which installed an Italian-made stainless steel wood-fired. Owner Paul MacEwan made a great observation that he doesn’t “earn a living, he earns a lifestyle,” running his bakery in the Gulf Islands.
These are great conversations, not just information, technique and perspective. The passion for baking and bakeries comes through in every episode of the podcast. They are enjoyable as well as informative.
Salve to the soul
Listening to these podcast is, for me, as a salve to the soul. Baking is hard physical work and isolating, often going into the late hours. Hearing bakers talk of their struggles to get a load of bread into the oven on schedule, or what might have been wrong with the sourdough starter, bring a smile to my face. I’ve experienced many of these things. I join the laughter, knowing precisely what they’re talking about. I’ve found a community!

But the interviews also touch on current topics in bread baking, such as the movement towards sustainable grains and permaculture, community-based grain culture, and the business challenges of bakeries in the age of the Coronavirus.
For a neophyte baker such as myself, the discussions are illuminating and confidence-boosting. But it’s not unusual to hear well-established bakers praise Dyck’s work. The Rise Up Podcast has their ear, as well as mine.
On to other adventures?
After closing his bakery, Dyck turned to his backyard brick oven to bake for a small group of neighbours and friends. Last Fall, he and Cindy moved from Regina to take up residence in Victoria. He continues with his podcast and has created an online forum for bakers, mostly in North America, to compare notes and discuss all things baking.
Mark Dyck is moving on to other things, it appears, but I, for one, hope he keeps up his valuable service to the baking community through the Rise Up Podcast and his other endeavours to keep bakers together and to have their stories heard!
Thanks, Mark!
Milling a little corn to mix in with some marinated olives before they go into a tapenade infused dough. Big olive flavour … plus a rare shot of Mildrith, the wood-fired oven!
Nov 19

Milling a little corn to mix in with some marinated olives before they go into a tapenade infused dough. Big olive flavour … plus a rare shot of Mildrith, the wood-fired oven!
Happy Monk Tidings - November 15, 2023 BAKER`S CHOICE this week: Olive Sourdough Loaf; AND: An Emotional Weather Report [ See LinkTree in Profile ] 🍞
Nov 15
![Happy Monk Tidings - November 15, 2023 BAKER'S CHOICE this week: Olive Sourdough Loaf; AND: An Emotional Weather Report [ See LinkTree in Profile ] 🍞](https://i0.wp.com/happymonkbaking.com/wp-content/plugins/instagram-feed-pro/img/placeholder.png?w=980&ssl=1)
Happy Monk Tidings - November 15, 2023 BAKER`S CHOICE this week: Olive Sourdough Loaf; AND: An Emotional Weather Report [ See LinkTree in Profile ] 🍞
Happy Monk Tidings - November 1, 2023 🍞 - BAKER`S CHOICE: Sourdough Sandwich Loaf; BLOG: Don`t Let That Wonder Lawyer Tell You It`s Not Real Bread! [ See LinkTree in Profile ]
Nov 1
![Happy Monk Tidings - November 1, 2023 🍞 - BAKER'S CHOICE: Sourdough Sandwich Loaf; BLOG: Don't Let That Wonder Lawyer Tell You It's Not Real Bread! [ See LinkTree in Profile ]](https://i0.wp.com/happymonkbaking.com/wp-content/plugins/instagram-feed-pro/img/placeholder.png?w=980&ssl=1)
Happy Monk Tidings - November 1, 2023 🍞 - BAKER`S CHOICE: Sourdough Sandwich Loaf; BLOG: Don`t Let That Wonder Lawyer Tell You It`s Not Real Bread! [ See LinkTree in Profile ]
Dylan Thomas, one of my muses, would have been 109 years old this Friday, Oct. 27. One of a small-handful of poets whose words are cherished and summoned often for their music and wisdom. They soothe, they sing, they evoke. I`ll be thinking of him this bread day, under "the mustardseed sun"….. and the "switchback sea"…. as he "celebrates and spurns his driftwood thirty fifth wind turned age."
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#dylanthomas #poetsofinstagram #poetrylovers #poetryisnotdead #poetryofinstagram #poets #poetryislife #poetrylove #poetrydaily #poetryworld #poetryinstagram #bakerpoets #poetryforbakers #southpenderisland #penderisland
Happy Monk Tidings - October 25, 2023 🍞 - BAKER`S CHOICE - Sprouted Emmer Sourdough; BLOG: Happy Birthday, Dylan Thomas! [See LinkTree in Profile ]
Oct 25
![Dylan Thomas, one of my muses, would have been 109 years old this Friday, Oct. 27. One of a small-handful of poets whose words are cherished and summoned often for their music and wisdom. They soothe, they sing, they evoke. I'll be thinking of him this bread day, under "the mustardseed sun"….. and the "switchback sea"…. as he "celebrates and spurns his driftwood thirty fifth wind turned age."
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#dylanthomas #poetsofinstagram #poetrylovers #poetryisnotdead #poetryofinstagram #poets #poetryislife #poetrylove #poetrydaily #poetryworld #poetryinstagram #bakerpoets #poetryforbakers #southpenderisland #penderisland
Happy Monk Tidings - October 25, 2023 🍞 - BAKER'S CHOICE - Sprouted Emmer Sourdough; BLOG: Happy Birthday, Dylan Thomas! [See LinkTree in Profile ]](https://i0.wp.com/happymonkbaking.com/wp-content/plugins/instagram-feed-pro/img/placeholder.png?w=980&ssl=1)
Dylan Thomas, one of my muses, would have been 109 years old this Friday, Oct. 27. One of a small-handful of poets whose words are cherished and summoned often for their music and wisdom. They soothe, they sing, they evoke. I`ll be thinking of him this bread day, under "the mustardseed sun"….. and the "switchback sea"…. as he "celebrates and spurns his driftwood thirty fifth wind turned age."
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#dylanthomas #poetsofinstagram #poetrylovers #poetryisnotdead #poetryofinstagram #poets #poetryislife #poetrylove #poetrydaily #poetryworld #poetryinstagram #bakerpoets #poetryforbakers #southpenderisland #penderisland
Happy Monk Tidings - October 25, 2023 🍞 - BAKER`S CHOICE - Sprouted Emmer Sourdough; BLOG: Happy Birthday, Dylan Thomas! [See LinkTree in Profile ]
Happy Monk Tidings - BLOG: Abundance: Season of Apples; Baker`s Choice: Pender Island Apple Bread with Pender Apples and Twin Island Cider - October 4, 2023 🍞 [ See LinkTree in Profile ]
Oct 4
![Happy Monk Tidings - BLOG: Abundance: Season of Apples; Baker's Choice: Pender Island Apple Bread with Pender Apples and Twin Island Cider - October 4, 2023 🍞 [ See LinkTree in Profile ]](https://i0.wp.com/happymonkbaking.com/wp-content/plugins/instagram-feed-pro/img/placeholder.png?w=980&ssl=1)
Happy Monk Tidings - BLOG: Abundance: Season of Apples; Baker`s Choice: Pender Island Apple Bread with Pender Apples and Twin Island Cider - October 4, 2023 🍞 [ See LinkTree in Profile ]
Happy Monk Tidings - September 27, 2023 🍞 - BAKER`S CHOICE THIS WEEK: Harvest Bread; BLOG: Positively Fourth Avenue - [ See LinkTree in Profile ]
Sep 27
![Happy Monk Tidings - September 27, 2023 🍞 - BAKER'S CHOICE THIS WEEK: Harvest Bread; BLOG: Positively Fourth Avenue - [ See LinkTree in Profile ]](https://i0.wp.com/happymonkbaking.com/wp-content/plugins/instagram-feed-pro/img/placeholder.png?w=980&ssl=1)
Happy Monk Tidings - September 27, 2023 🍞 - BAKER`S CHOICE THIS WEEK: Harvest Bread; BLOG: Positively Fourth Avenue - [ See LinkTree in Profile ]
Happy Monk Tidings - September 20, 2023 🍞 - BAKER`S CHOICE: Garlic Levain Bread; BLOG: Harumph! Author Says Leave the Baking to the Professionals! [ See LinkTree in Profile ]
Sep 20
![Happy Monk Tidings - September 20, 2023 🍞 - BAKER'S CHOICE: Garlic Levain Bread; BLOG: Harumph! Author Says Leave the Baking to the Professionals! [ See LinkTree in Profile ]](https://i0.wp.com/happymonkbaking.com/wp-content/plugins/instagram-feed-pro/img/placeholder.png?w=980&ssl=1)
Happy Monk Tidings - September 20, 2023 🍞 - BAKER`S CHOICE: Garlic Levain Bread; BLOG: Harumph! Author Says Leave the Baking to the Professionals! [ See LinkTree in Profile ]
A hefty Country Miche, formula from Breadlines published by Bread Bakers Guild of America. Hefty in size, hefty in flavour. Four flours (Sifted Metchosin Wheat, Rye, Buckwheat, Spelt), a super-active levain and an intense crust colour. I think I’m addicted! It’s kind of finicky, though, and trying to work out a reasonable schedule to produce 40 loaves for Happy Monk customers.
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. #bread #realbread #naturallyleavened #baker #bakery #bbga #artisanbread #breadhead #sourdough #sourdoughbread #penderisland #southpenderislands #happymonkbaking #happymonkbakingcompany #wholegrainbread #breadhead #michebread #realbread #rusticbread #southerngulfislands #southerngulfislandsbakers #southerngulfislandsbakeries
Sep 14

A hefty Country Miche, formula from Breadlines published by Bread Bakers Guild of America. Hefty in size, hefty in flavour. Four flours (Sifted Metchosin Wheat, Rye, Buckwheat, Spelt), a super-active levain and an intense crust colour. I think I’m addicted! It’s kind of finicky, though, and trying to work out a reasonable schedule to produce 40 loaves for Happy Monk customers.
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. #bread #realbread #naturallyleavened #baker #bakery #bbga #artisanbread #breadhead #sourdough #sourdoughbread #penderisland #southpenderislands #happymonkbaking #happymonkbakingcompany #wholegrainbread #breadhead #michebread #realbread #rusticbread #southerngulfislands #southerngulfislandsbakers #southerngulfislandsbakeries
REMINDER: Happy Monk is on Summer Break! We`re off on our annual late summer respite. Next bread day is Sept. 22. See you then! (photo by Davy Joel Rippner)
Sep 6

REMINDER: Happy Monk is on Summer Break! We`re off on our annual late summer respite. Next bread day is Sept. 22. See you then! (photo by Davy Joel Rippner)
Happy Monk Tidings - August 30, 2023 🍞 - BAKER`S CHOICE: Mountain Rye Bread; BLOG: Making Bread and Art With A Message; NOTE: Happy Monk is on Holiday for the Next Two Weeks - https://mailchi.mp/ae234548bd1a/happy_monk_tidings_aug30
Aug 30

Happy Monk Tidings - August 30, 2023 🍞 - BAKER`S CHOICE: Mountain Rye Bread; BLOG: Making Bread and Art With A Message; NOTE: Happy Monk is on Holiday for the Next Two Weeks - https://mailchi.mp/ae234548bd1a/happy_monk_tidings_aug30
Happy Monk Tidings - August 23, 2023 🍞 - BAKER`S CHOICE: Bold Beer Bread; BLOG: Cheese Karma; More Happy Monk holidays coming soon! https://mailchi.mp/783a72739071/happy_monk_tidings_aug23
Aug 23

Happy Monk Tidings - August 23, 2023 🍞 - BAKER`S CHOICE: Bold Beer Bread; BLOG: Cheese Karma; More Happy Monk holidays coming soon! https://mailchi.mp/783a72739071/happy_monk_tidings_aug23
TASTE TEST! I’ve admired @eds_bred of Whistler for some time, though never been there or tasted their bread. But a generous customer brought me a loaf yesterday, a beautiful-looking Sesame-Poppyseed loaf. Coincidentally, I’d made a Sesame Sourdough loaf as my Baker’s Choice this week. How did the two loaves stack up? The Ed’s Bred’s loaf was gorgeous with a dark, sesame-poppyseed crust, lovely colour, subtle flavour. The wood-fired Happy Monk entry had a little less colour, but packed a powerful sesame whoomph. Great flavour for sesame fans! What can we learn from this?
(Looking forward to Ed’s book, Bred, coming in November!)
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#sesame #sesamebread #breadhead #breadlove #wildyeast #naturallyleavened #baker #bakery #bread #sourdough #sourdoughbaking #sourdoughbread #bakersofinstagram #artisanbread #realbread #rusticbread #woodfired #woodfiredbread #woodfiredovenbread #whistler #whistlerbread #sesamepoppyseed #penderisland #southpenderisland #happymonkbaking #happymonkbakingcompany
Aug 12

TASTE TEST! I’ve admired @eds_bred of Whistler for some time, though never been there or tasted their bread. But a generous customer brought me a loaf yesterday, a beautiful-looking Sesame-Poppyseed loaf. Coincidentally, I’d made a Sesame Sourdough loaf as my Baker’s Choice this week. How did the two loaves stack up? The Ed’s Bred’s loaf was gorgeous with a dark, sesame-poppyseed crust, lovely colour, subtle flavour. The wood-fired Happy Monk entry had a little less colour, but packed a powerful sesame whoomph. Great flavour for sesame fans! What can we learn from this?
(Looking forward to Ed’s book, Bred, coming in November!)
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#sesame #sesamebread #breadhead #breadlove #wildyeast #naturallyleavened #baker #bakery #bread #sourdough #sourdoughbaking #sourdoughbread #bakersofinstagram #artisanbread #realbread #rusticbread #woodfired #woodfiredbread #woodfiredovenbread #whistler #whistlerbread #sesamepoppyseed #penderisland #southpenderisland #happymonkbaking #happymonkbakingcompany
Happy Monk Tidings - August 9, 2023 🍞 - BAKER`S CHOICE: Sesame Sourdough; BLOG: Say A Prayer For The Perfect Loaf; ANNOUNCEMENT: Happy Monk Summer Holiday Schedule https://mailchi.mp/99197a16b166/happy_monk_tidings_aug9
Aug 9

Happy Monk Tidings - August 9, 2023 🍞 - BAKER`S CHOICE: Sesame Sourdough; BLOG: Say A Prayer For The Perfect Loaf; ANNOUNCEMENT: Happy Monk Summer Holiday Schedule https://mailchi.mp/99197a16b166/happy_monk_tidings_aug9
Happy Monk Blog - July 26, 2023 🍞 - Swimming the Neighbourhoods; how John Cheever`s short story, The Swimmer, made more sense to kids in the summertime. [See LinkTree in Profile ]
Jul 26
![Happy Monk Blog - July 26, 2023 🍞 - Swimming the Neighbourhoods; how John Cheever's short story, The Swimmer, made more sense to kids in the summertime. [See LinkTree in Profile ]](https://i0.wp.com/happymonkbaking.com/wp-content/plugins/instagram-feed-pro/img/placeholder.png?w=980&ssl=1)
Happy Monk Blog - July 26, 2023 🍞 - Swimming the Neighbourhoods; how John Cheever`s short story, The Swimmer, made more sense to kids in the summertime. [See LinkTree in Profile ]
Lay your head on this pillow soft Potato-Rosemary Loaf, breathe in the aromatic rosemary leaves plucked straight from the garden. And when you wake, a glorious wood-fired loaf awaits … you might spread a little butter, drizzle some honey and your dreams may come true!
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#potatobread #sourdough #sourdoughbread #woodfired #woodfiredoven #coboven #woodfiredovenbread #woodfiredbread #coboven #bread #sourdough #sourdoughbread #realbread #naturallyleavened #baker #bakery #bbga #breadhead #breadlove #baker #happymonkbaker #happymonkbaking #artisanbread #rusticbread #penderisland #southpenderisland
Jul 16

Lay your head on this pillow soft Potato-Rosemary Loaf, breathe in the aromatic rosemary leaves plucked straight from the garden. And when you wake, a glorious wood-fired loaf awaits … you might spread a little butter, drizzle some honey and your dreams may come true!
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#potatobread #sourdough #sourdoughbread #woodfired #woodfiredoven #coboven #woodfiredovenbread #woodfiredbread #coboven #bread #sourdough #sourdoughbread #realbread #naturallyleavened #baker #bakery #bbga #breadhead #breadlove #baker #happymonkbaker #happymonkbaking #artisanbread #rusticbread #penderisland #southpenderisland
Happy Monk Blog - July 12, 2023 🍞 - "Nothing I Cared in the Lamb White Days" - Climate change and watching the moon rise over the Salish Sea. [ See LinkTree in Profile ]
Jul 12
![Happy Monk Blog - July 12, 2023 🍞 - "Nothing I Cared in the Lamb White Days" - Climate change and watching the moon rise over the Salish Sea. [ See LinkTree in Profile ]](https://i0.wp.com/happymonkbaking.com/wp-content/plugins/instagram-feed-pro/img/placeholder.png?w=980&ssl=1)
Happy Monk Blog - July 12, 2023 🍞 - "Nothing I Cared in the Lamb White Days" - Climate change and watching the moon rise over the Salish Sea. [ See LinkTree in Profile ]
Happy Monk Tidings - July 5, 2023 🍞 - BAKER`S CHOICE: Olive Sourdough; ReBLOG: Salvador Dalí and the Art of Bread [ Click LinkTree in Profile ]
Jul 5
![Happy Monk Tidings - July 5, 2023 🍞 - BAKER'S CHOICE: Olive Sourdough; ReBLOG: Salvador Dalí and the Art of Bread [ Click LinkTree in Profile ]](https://i0.wp.com/happymonkbaking.com/wp-content/plugins/instagram-feed-pro/img/placeholder.png?w=980&ssl=1)
Happy Monk Tidings - July 5, 2023 🍞 - BAKER`S CHOICE: Olive Sourdough; ReBLOG: Salvador Dalí and the Art of Bread [ Click LinkTree in Profile ]
Happy Monk Tidings - June 28, 2023 🍞 - BAKER`S CHOICE: Spelt and Honey Sourdough; BLOG: Black Robe and Rise of the Machine [ See LinkTree in Profile ]
Jun 28
![Happy Monk Tidings - June 28, 2023 🍞 - BAKER'S CHOICE: Spelt and Honey Sourdough; BLOG: Black Robe and Rise of the Machine [ See LinkTree in Profile ]](https://i0.wp.com/happymonkbaking.com/wp-content/plugins/instagram-feed-pro/img/placeholder.png?w=980&ssl=1)
Happy Monk Tidings - June 28, 2023 🍞 - BAKER`S CHOICE: Spelt and Honey Sourdough; BLOG: Black Robe and Rise of the Machine [ See LinkTree in Profile ]
Long bake bake Friday … one problem after another. But all turned out well, including the proud and mighty Seed Feast loaves. Thanks as always to @leathersmithe for assistance and encouragement!
Jun 24

Long bake bake Friday … one problem after another. But all turned out well, including the proud and mighty Seed Feast loaves. Thanks as always to @leathersmithe for assistance and encouragement!
Thank you David! I’m so glad the podcast resonates with you. It’s so exciting to see who it’s reaching. It’s been great to get to know you a little and I can’t wait to visit.
PS. I may not be selling bread these days, but I won’t stray too far from an oven and some flour. 🙂
And thanks for all you do to bring bakers together, Mark!
I love seeing the Beatles among your breadworld photos every week.