Author of the wonderful baking book, Local Breads, Dan Leader has been running Bread Alone since 1983. It’s one of New York City’s seminal places for amazing bread. As a chef who later devoted himself to baking, Dan has been a long-time inspiration to Stir the Pots co-founder Jeremy Shapiro.
Having followed him for years, Jeremy was very interested in interviewing Dan for Stir the Pots. Jeremy visited Dan at Bread Alone recently, where the master baker graciously agreed to sit down and share stories about bread, baking and life.
This is information regarding Dan’s work in South Africa check it out!
Another very cool interview, Jeremy. Daniel sounds like a nice person to chat with. It is great to have books like his, even if they might have benefitted from the supervision of a good editor. Maybe Leader’s fresh view on European breads will also improve European bread, who knows.
One of the most interesting baking country at the moment seems to be England, where baking professionals with charisma write passionately about bread and forgotten methods.
Nils
Thanks Nils,
Dan is a really interesting baker and I think I also have issues with editing in his book, but if you have some baking background or experience you ought to be able to overcome those problems, that or e-mail Bread Alone and ask for some help! I think that the bread industry and small bakers or bakeries are what makes the difference with good and awful bread, still it’s hard to make good bread either way!
Jeremy
Cool interview. Enjoyed the listen. I have baked a few loaves from his new book. They have been beautiful. Wrote him about a formula discrepancy for the buckwheat levain, and he promptly emailed back to see he was working on the correction and would send it soon. That was a great gesture. He is allright in my book.
Thanks for the listen. Nice work.
This podcast seems to have disappeared. Any chance that it can be re-posted?
David, thanks for telling us. We’ll look into it. Jonitin
Thanks!