An Ode to Sourdough Bagels For the past few weeks, I've been working on updates to my Sourdough Bagel recipe (both in my cookbook and on the website). They're pretty awesome as-is, but I've been adding a little whole-grain flour, a different same-day fermentation schedule, and a way for me to make these easier on the regular (we eat a lot of bagels here!). Here's what I've been playing with in this recipe: Using my pasta madre (panettone starter) for low acidity. A regular starter can be...
8 days ago • 2 min read
Focaccia, but with a surprising twist This week I made focaccia—but with a surprising little twist that totally transformed it. I used my simple sourdough focaccia but instead of topping it with savory herbs and spices, I used... White sesame seeds. Such a seemingly simple thing, but the seeds brought this incredible pop of umami that I just can't shake. I use sesame often in bread (this one being my all-time favorite), but I'm not sure why I haven't used it on focaccia before. My simple...
15 days ago • 2 min read
Scalded buckwheat and malt sourdough bread This spice-forward, hearty sourdough is exactly the kind of bread I needed to drag me through the cold that's clung to this month far longer than it had any right to. Ground aniseed (or caraway, if you'd like!), barley malt syrup, and a buckwheat flour scald—pouring boiling water over the flour—which amplifies the flavor and aroma. Kind of a tricky way to work in this grain without it compromising the crumb structure too much. If you're a fan of...
22 days ago • 1 min read
A Sourdough Baker's Valentine's There's something to be said for giving someone a gift that didn't exist until you made it, and even better when it began with just flour, water, and a jar of bubbling starter on your counter. Whether it's for someone you love or just for yourself (both equally valid), a handmade bread, a twisted knot, a tender roll, or a chewy cookie carries a weight that store-bought never will. It's unhurried. It's deliberate. And honestly, it's the kind of thing you simply...
29 days ago • 2 min read
New Dough Calculators Hey, baker! If you've ever stood at the counter doing mental math to hit a 78°F dough temperature, or scrambled to scale up or adjust levain ratios at the last minute, I built something for you. I revamped my calculators: drag sliders to adjust water temp, tweak your starter ratio, scale quantities, and see estimated fermentation times. Read on! In this week's newsletter: Tools & Guides: Starter calculator; water temp calculator; bread dough hydration guide Baking Tip:...
about 1 month ago • 2 min read
Hot pizza in the cold kitchen This weekend, a massive storm is heading through, and all I'm thinking about is how I can use my outdoor pizza oven one more time before it hits... If I'm honest, though, I almost prefer pizza made in the home oven at this point. With a good baking surface, you can make an incredible crust. Check out this beauty: (Don't judge my restrained use of basil, I only had a few leaves 😂) This recipe was based on my home oven sourdough pizza recipe below, with: stretched...
about 1 month ago • 2 min read
What is dough hydration, and how do I get it right? Hydration might be the single most impactful variable you can adjust in your baking—it affects everything from how your dough handles to your final crumb structure. In this week's guide, I break down what hydration actually means, how to calculate it, and most importantly, how to choose the right hydration for the bread you want to bake. Whether you're struggling with sticky doughs or wondering why your crumb is tighter than you'd like, this...
about 2 months ago • 2 min read
Celebrating a New Bread-Year Hey, everyone! Maurizio here from The Perfect Loaf. As I've done at the close of past years, I wanted to take a quick look back at everything we baked together over the past 12 months. This isn't a "look what I did" recap—it's more of a check-in: did I hit the mark this year in helping you bake incredible stuff at home? That's always been the goal. Most days, I'm here in my kitchen testing recipes over and over until they hit just right—and this isn't a complaint....
2 months ago • 3 min read
The real holiday breakfast I had planned to make sourdough cardamom buns, but I pivoted—fine, I was out of cardamom and didn't feel like making a store run—so I defaulted to my trusty sourdough cinnamon rolls yet again for this holiday. Pretty sure this marks the 5th Christmas in a row. At this point, it's less a choice and more a non-negotiable family ritual. The kids would probably riot if these didn't show up on Christmas morning. Turns out sometimes the best traditions are born from...
2 months ago • 3 min read