Artisan Bread Baking Class & Book Signing with Daniel Leader

We are honored to host the legendary Daniel Leader at the Artisan Baking Center as the only location he visits in the Bay Area on book tour for his new cookbook, LIVING BREAD: Tradition and Innovation in Artisan Bread Making. We are also one of the sole venues where Daniel will teach a class! This daylong course will be partly demo and partly hands-on.

Book Signing will be open to the public from 4pm – 5pm. One copy of the book is included with course registration. Additional copies will be available for purchase ($40) in our retail store.

Further reading on Daniel and his new book:

First inspired by his time in Paris as a young man, Daniel Leader has been in pursuit of quality bread, ever since. One of the first champions of artisanal bread baking in the United States, and a true devotee of the art and science behind it, Leader went on to create Bread Alone. This iconic Woodstock, New York bakery quickly became known for its signature techniques and was soon one of the country’s most beloved artisan bread companies. Now, in his new cookbook, LIVING BREAD: Tradition and Innovation in Artisan Bread Making, Leader offers accomplished profiles of some of the most knowledgeable, skilled, and innovative craftspeople working in bread today, with more than 60 recipes that contain expert advice — the simple secrets that the best professional bakers know — for achieving professional results at home.

Considered by many to be a master bread baker, Leader’s curiosity to understand bread and improve upon it, is boundless. His extensive research for LIVING BREAD took him to farms, mills, laboratories, and bakeries in France, Italy, and Germany, where he met with experts, discussed current practices (wheat farming, advances in milling, sourdough starters, mechanics of mixing dough), and baked alongside them. The result is a cookbook filled with the latest and most relevant information when it comes to making today’s best artisan bread.

A modern guide that pays tribute to traditional ways, LIVING BREAD provides a fascinating look into the way artisan bread baking has evolved and continues to change. The unique recipes and stories that are shared here will no doubt be of interest to novices and seasoned bakers alike.

Breads learned in class:

• Pichou Chocolat

• Baguette au Charbon Vegetal

• Quinoa Twist with seeds

• Laminated Honey Rye

• Pain a la farine de Khorasan

Included in this course:

• One copy of Daniel’s new book: Living Bread

• Book Signing from 4pm – 5pm (outside visitors welcome for the book signing portion)

• Breakfast and Lunch

Instructor Bio

Daniel Leader studied philosophy at the University of Wisconsin and went on to graduate from the Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park, New York. After working in some of New York City’s top kitchens, he left the restaurant world to learn the art of baking bread. A pioneer in the wilderness, Leader opened his Bread Alone bakery in 1983 in Woodstock, New York. In 1993 he published the groundbreaking Bread Alone, an IACP winner. His 2011 book, Local Breads: Sourdough and Whole-Grain Recipes from Europe’s Best Artisan Bakers, again brought home an IACP Award.

Categories: Baking Class, No Experience Necessary