A few months back, a Vancouver Island baker reached out after reading my blog post about Cranberry Pecan Bread (June 5, 2025), which featured a purple-tinged crumb, dried cranberries and toasted, chopped pecans.
“Now, try CAP Bread!” he said. “Cranberry, apple, pecan! It was my best seller!”
The baker was Kees Docter, the former head baker and owner of the Utopia Bakery Cafe in Chemainus, B.C.,… Continue reading
The old Transilvania Bakery in Vancouver had an almost cartoonish exterior. Its stained cedar planking stood out on the block of stores along its West Broadway location. Transilvania Peasant Bread was spelled out in roughly sawn wood letters nailed above its front window.… Continue reading
One of my true heroes in the bread world is a retired baker named Jeffrey Hamelman. He was a professional baker for nearly 50 years and a competitor in international baking competitions. His book Bread: A Baker’s Book of Techniques and Recipes (initially published in 2004) has won awards and become the standard text on North American bread and baking.… Continue reading
A recent New York Times article described an impressive get-together of nine Europe-based bakers — a kind of summit of baking innovators gathering in a picturesque location, the Loire Valley in France.
They were celebrating the publication of a new book, New European Baking, by Berlin-based American baker Laurel Kratochvila and the conclusion of her promotional tour.… Continue reading
Ah, Saturday mornings!
A sleep-deprived baker who’s worked through a Thursday and well into Friday afternoon needs a Saturday morning! A luxurious lie-in, a delicious pour-over coffee and a slice of Happy Monk rye bread for breakfast!
It’s also a time to get caught up, a time for inspiration for the next week.
This Saturday morning, I got around to reading a New York Times article sent to me by an observant customer.… Continue reading