Bake This Book Daniel Leader - A Slow Rise: Favorite Recipes from Four Decades of Baking with Heart
Oct 28, 2025
Join Daniel Leader, founder of Bread Alone Bakery and award-winning sourdough expert, as he dives into four decades of baking wisdom. He shares how artisan bread-making has evolved and emphasizes the importance of mindful baking. Discover the transformation of his techniques, from the tactile signals of fermentation to the use of modern tools like pH meters. Daniel discusses the impact of whole grains and diverse local mills on flavor. He offers invaluable advice for aspiring bakers and reveals the stories behind beloved recipes in his latest book.
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Prioritize Consistency Over Creativity
- Use a digital scale and metric measurements to ensure repeatable, consistent bakes.
- Stick to one reliable flour brand to reduce variables before experimenting.
Add Technical Tools Gradually
- Monitor pH or temperature as you progress to gain quantitative control over fermentation.
- Add technical layers only after you can make a respectable loaf by sensory cues.
Baking Demands Mindful Attention
- Bread baking requires slow, mindful attention to sensory cues like dough feel and timing.
- This gentle focus makes sourdough baking a mental health tonic in a fast-paced world.
