Back by popular demand, Macrina’s founder, author, and artisan baking artiste, Leslie Mackie will be sharing her flatbread knowledge and skills February 23rd and 24th at South Seattle Community College. The Bread Bakers Guild of America is reprising its greatest hits to honor 20 years of supporting the artisan baking community, and Leslie’s class is the first gig on the nationwide tour.In this two-day master class, Flatbreads for Sandwiches, students will learn to make Schiacciatta, Piadina, Francese, and Olivetta breads with a seed dough starter using professional equipment available at the college through the Culinary Arts Program.
The class goes beyond making loaves of bread. Students will create sandwiches for their enjoyment: a BLT with the herbed Schiaciatta; a grilled Piadina with mortadella, mozzarella, and pepperoncini; a Banh Mi Vietnamese sandwich with the Francese bread; and a roasted pears, turkey, caper aioli, and Cambozola sandwich on Olivetta. Leslie will also share her tips of the trade with professionals. “Creating sandwiches is a way to showcase the breads…and create customer loyalty by offering more than just loaves,” Leslie explains.The class is a fundraiser for the Guild, which is dedicated to advancing the artisan baking profession through support and education, and is open to professionals and enthusiastic home bakers. Cost for the two-day, 11-hour master class is $340 for Guild members, $425 for non-members (fee includes 12-month Guild membership). Registration deadline is February 7th. Please visit the Guild website for more details and the registration form.This is one stop on the tour that you do not want to miss! And she might even sing for you.
Our Giuseppe bread is an interpretation of the classic Italian loaf. Years ago, while Leslie was having dinner at a pizzeria in Rome, she noticed the bread being served at a nearby table. Intrigued, she asked to try some and was amazed at how good it was. In fact, it was the best bread that she had ever tasted. After learning the name of the baker, she and her traveling companion spent the next morning searching for Panficio Arnese. By the time they finally found the bakery, the owner and head baker, Giuseppe, had finished baking for the day, but welcomed them into his bakery. They spent a few hours talking about his bread, which he made with little equipment, no refrigeration and an oven that was fueled by hazelnut shells. After Giuseppe offered her some of his freshly baked bread, Leslie was literally speechless. He seemed to be surprised by her admiration, insisting that it was “only bread!”When Macrina co-owner Matt Galvin met Leslie in 2006, one of the first things that she talked about was Giuseppe and his bread. Matt decided that he had to taste the bread that had influenced Leslie so strongly. On a recent trip to Rome, he sought out Giuseppe’s bakery, which was not an easy feat. Between the winding streets and the rather interesting way that the buildings in Rome are numbered, (residential and business addresses are numbered differently), Matt had to guess where the bakery was. When he saw that the street in front of one of the storefronts was covered in flour, Matt knew that he had found the right place. More than 20 years after Leslie had visited the bakery, Giuseppe was still there making the breads and pizzas that have made him a local favorite. When Matt related the story of Leslie’s Giuseppe bread to him, he had quite a chuckle over it. After Matt enjoyed some of Giuseppe’s delicious bread, he understood why it had such a profound impact on Leslie.The Giuseppe loaf is a staple at our cafes, and is usually available. Of course, you can always guarantee that there will be one waiting by calling ahead!
We consider ourselves lucky to work with a variety of locally-based businesses that are committed to offering patrons quality eats. For the most part, this includes food establishments, but in this post our focus is on Overlake Hospital in Bellevue.Let’s be honest, hospitals are typically not known for offering a stellar selection of fresh food. Hospitals, however, are designed to heal and provide optimal health—we believe this includes fresh and delectable food—and we are proud to say we have a wonderful partnership with Overlake in their pursuit to provide patients and medical staff with fresh baked goods. 
Overlake Hospital has three well-trafficked onsite cafes, two espresso stands, and provides 18,000 patient meals a month! They were the first hospital in the area to offer local cage-free eggs, which they use exclusively. It’s also worth noting that the majority of their vegetables are organic and locally sourced. When it comes to baked goods, Macrina Bakery (as you may have guessed) provides the hospital with most of its bread and baked goods. Our artisan breads and rolls are featured as French Toast and the building block for fresh, tasty well-stacked sandwiches. Each of their cafes offers our melt-in-your-mouth cookies, hearty scones and delectable muffins.
We’ve been overwhelmed by the positive feedback we continue to receive from patients, medical staff and customers alike in their ability to choose high-quality, fresh foods. We are proud to work directly with Overlake Hospital as they truly believe in offering patrons quality food and consider Macrina Bakery’s fresh baked goods a key element in staying true to that promise.
Since Seattle’s Top Pot Doughnuts opened their first location in Capitol Hill, they’ve been a hugely popular destination for those seeking the perfect doughnut served with an outstanding cup of coffee. We’ve been a proud partner of theirs from the very beginning, with our baked goods served at all of their cafes as a perfect complement to their incredible creations.At Macrina, we’re proud of the partnerships we’ve developed with local businesses, especially when it’s with partners like Top Pot, who love baking as much as we do, and who have put Seattle on the map when it comes to creating locally produced, incredible baked treats.This Saturday at 10am, we’re taking that partnership a step further as Top Pot hosts Leslie Mackie at their Bellevue location at 10600 NE 9th Place for a book signing and baking demo. This is Leslie’s only Eastside appearance, and we’re grateful to Top Pot for inviting us into their cafe. Leslie will be signing copies of her book, sharing recipes, and demonstrating some great holiday ideas for entertaining.Come join us on Saturday at 10am. You’ll be able to meet Leslie, learn some tips for holiday baking, and grab one of Top Pot’s incredible doughnuts (or a dozen) and a signed copy of More from Macrina as the perfect gift for aspiring bakers on your list!
Jane Cho, Macrina’s talented head pastry chef, has been with Macrina since 2005. One would think Jane began as the show-stopping pastry chef she is, however, just like anyone, Jane began with limited experience. One of the things that set her apart was her extraordinary enthusiasm. With great determination and vast amounts of natural talent, Jane has essentially become the master. After building a great deal of confidence in her craft, she has humbly taken on the role as a teacher and mentor to many of our bakers and employees.We are extremely fortunate to have Jane as a part of the Macrina family. A natural problem solver with a critical eye for detail, she is every bakery’s dream pastry technician. And because of her work ethic, creativity, and ability to empower those around her, Jane was recently promoted to oversee all of Macrina’s bakery operations.If you are looking to either begin or perfect your cake assembly skills, you will find a special section in More from Macrina where Jane lays out a step-by-step guide for assembling beautiful homemade cakes. With professional tips like these, you will be ready to serve a fabulous cake this holiday season.Of course we don’t expect all of your cakes to turn out like Jane’s, but give them a try! No matter how your cake looks, it will be easy to see joy in the faces of those who receive your creation.
Sales Manager Rebecca Early remembers that downtown Bellevue’s restaurant scene was just starting to heat up when she met Bradley Dickinson and Mikel Rogers at their new restaurant Pearl in 2008. It was one of her first calls as the new Sales Manager for Macrina Bakery, and she was a bit nervous. She knew that Bradley and Mikel had been in the restaurant business for a long time and wanted to make sure that she gave them a good impression of our bakery.
She needn’t have worried.In addition to finding a sleek, urbane space that, while polished, had a cheerful, upbeat vibe, Rebecca found a big fan of our bread in Executive Chef Bradley Dickinson. “The quality of the bread made it an easy choice,” says Bradley. He was familiar with our product from a previous job and was also impressed with the attitude and friendliness of the Macrina community.Bradley says that while Pearl’s menu changes with the seasons, bread pudding is always available. This fall, they are using our brioche in their pumpkin bread pudding with cinnamon rum sauce. Pearl slices our baguettes to toast as their crostini, and our potato rolls are the perfect base for their pulled pork sliders. Our potato rolls are their house bread as well!We’re proud to say that Bradley and Mikel also use our bread at their newest restaurant, Koral, which opened this year. The versatility of our potato bread is showcased in their very popular garlic bread and as the foundation for their take on the classic meatloaf sandwich. Koral’s housemade meatloaf, BBQ mayo, lettuce and sweet onions are layered between slices of our grilled potato bread.We’re thankful that Bradley and Mikel think highly enough of us to feature our bread at both of their restaurants.
The holidays are a popular time for pies. Whether you are a pie making pro or novice, there are always useful tips to pick up here and there. Similar to breads, pies require only a few ingredients – but how you put them together makes all the difference between a remarkable pie and average one.One thing to keep in mind is that practice does pay off. So do patience, preparation and passion. After many years, we have learned to be particular about a few details. Here are three important tips:1. Choose ripe seasonal fruit2. Take time to cut the fruit to an appropriate size3. Drain off any excess juices
Our collection of pie recipes in Leslie’s cookbook More from Macrina, starts with her master recipe for Flaky Pie Dough. Tasty and versatile, the Flaky Pie Dough can be used for many pie and tartlet recipes. In an effort to “modernize” the recipe, Leslie tweaked a few things. The main change was to eliminate the solid vegetable shortening in favor of palm shortening (which has no trans fats). A few years ago she also recalibrated the ratio of shortening to butter.One tip Leslie picked up from her mom – take the scraps and brush them with melted butter, sprinkle with cinnamon-sugar, twist, and then bake at 350 F for 10 minutes, or until the pieces are golden brown. They make a great treat.
If you do have quite a bit of pie dough left over from the first day, wrap it well in plastic wrap and store in the refrigerator for up to three days. Freezing the dough is also an option: the dough will keep, wellwrapped, for up to one month.Lattice-top pies are the prettiest of all. If you’re looking for a challenge or something different, try making a lacelike pie top!
One thing you will notice in all of our breads is the care and inspiration baked into each item. A favorite of these inspired bread stories is the Hightower Cellars Bread Starter, a sourdough bread starter made with skins from Sauvignon grapes and developed with our dear friends Tim and Kelly Hightower.In the mid 1990s, while keeping their day jobs, Tim and Kelly Hightower pursued their passion of winemaking. In Woodinville, WA, the couple’s research and determination proved successful with their inaugural release of 1997 Cabernet Sauvignon. Soon after, they moved to Benton City in Eastern Washington where they purchased acres of prime vineyard land.
Macrina’s friendship with Hightower Cellars began years ago when Leslie visited their beautiful winery perched within the Red Mountain appellation hills near the Yakima Valley, three hours east of Seattle.In 2010, these passionate, gifted winemakers proposed to Leslie a pretty quirky idea, offering cabernet sauvignon wine grapes to be used as a sour bread starter. Sourdough starters can be developed from the natural yeast found on grape skins, adding leavening and delicious flavor.A few dashes here and there of this and that, and soon we pulled our Pane Francese from the oven. This is an Italian version of a crusty baguette: batonlike, with a light, porous crumb and a crisp, caramel-brown crust. Our Pane Francese is a beautiful, tasty creation with a story rooted in a genuine, heartfelt bond between artisan industries.
From a simple meeting sprang the creation of a bread that the Hightowers could use for tasting and Macrina could offer in our cafes. We think you, and your guests, would love the pairing of these two artisanal favorites this holiday season. Now that you know the story behind the bread, and the wine, we hope you will enjoy both at your table.
During the holidays, we love to get out and showcase some of our products that capture the spirit of the season. Whether it is answering questions on how to make our delicious stuffing at home, or just letting people taste some of our festive breads and pastries, there is a feeling in the air around the holidays that is unmistakable and we're happy to be a part of it! We'd love for you to join us at one of our demos. We'll have samples of our delicious Buttermilk Dinner Rolls, our Winter Pear Crown and our Holiday Porcini Stuffing Mix. Catch us throughout the area over the next 6 weeks. You'll find us at:
Friday, November 16th
Bainbridge Town and Country Holiday Porcini Stuffing 3-6pm
Westlake Whole Foods Buttermilk Dinner Rolls 3-6pm
Proctor Metropolitan Market Holiday Porcini Stuffing 3-7pm
Saturday November 17th
Sand Point Metropolitan Market Holiday Porcini Stuffing 3-6pm
Shoreline Central Market Winter Pear Crown 3-6pm
Sunday November 18th
Interbay Whole Foods Buttermilk Dinner Rolls 11-4pm
Bainbridge Town and Country Winter Pear Crown 3-6pm
Uptown Metropolitan Market Holiday Porcini Stuffing 3-6pm
Monday November 19th
DeLaurenti Food and Wine Buttermilk Rolls & Porcini Stuffing 3-6pm
Lynnwood Whole Foods Buttermilk Dinner Rolls 3-6pm
Tuesday November 27th
Proctor Metropolitan Market Winter Pear Crown 3-7pm
Wednesday November 28th
Admiral Metropolitan Market Winter Pear Crown 3-7pm
Thursday November 29th
Sand Point Metropolitan Market Winter Pear Crown 3-7pm
Friday November 30th
Mill Creek Central Market 3-6pm
Kirkland Metropolitan Market Winter Pear Crown 3-7pm
Sunday December 1st.
Magnolia Metropolitan Market Winter Pear Crown 3-6pm
If you have picked up Leslie Mackie’s latest book More from Macrina, you may have spent some time gazing at the photos…and salivating for what you see. We don’t blame you! Jim Henkens is one of the Northwest’s finest fashion, food and travel photographers, and he captures our artisan loaves,chocolate ganache and coconut cream tartlets among others with delicate and natural elegance. Throughout the book, the photos exhibit a beautiful attention to detail that conveys exactly how Leslie intended each of her creations to be. You will notice the character of Macrina: a true, effortless determination to create beautiful culinary masterpieces from scratch.Eighteen years ago, Jim began his career in photography shooting fashion in Milan. Inspired by his passions for travel, cooking, wine and gardening, Jim’s repertoire has expanded to include all of these areas with a perfectionist’s subtle tone. Throughout all of his work, Jim’s attention to detail and ability to exhibit the simplicity of a loaf of bread with depth and tastefulness is stunning.
We are thrilled and proud to display Jim’s photography as it is a perfect and precise portrayal of Macrina’s offerings, as well as the kitchen itself— not much different from your kitchen— simple, refined and with traces of flour sprinkled throughout.During the month of November, you’ll find some of Jim’s photography from the cookbook on the walls of our Belltown café. We hope you enjoy them just as much as we do.
After a year of writing, editing and recipe testing, More from Macrina is now available for you to experience our humble bakery in your home kitchen. To celebrate the book’s release, Leslie will be at several book-signing events during the upcoming months.Pick up your copy of the cookbook and catch her at:The Book Larder November 5 from 6:30-8pmBallard Town and Country Market November 8 from 3-6pmShoreline Central Market November 9 from 3-6pmVashon Book Shop November 10 from 5-7pmPoulsbo Central Market November 14 from 3-6pmCity Kitchens November 15 from 11:30-1:30pmBainbridge Town and Country Market November 16 from 3-6pmElliott Bay Book Company November 18 from 2-3pmUniversity Book Store November 28 from 7pmMill Creek Central Market November 30 from 3-6pmMrs. Cook's University Village December 1 from 11:30-1:30pmMetropolitan Market Kirkland December 6 from 4-6pmMetropolitan Market Sand Point December 7 from 4-6pmTop Pot Bellevue December 8 from 11:30-1:30pm
Last night we held a celebration for the launch of Leslie’s new cookbook, More from Macrina. It was an opportunity to gather with friends and family while honoring the Macrina community. Leslie signed cookbooks while sampling some of the delicious recipes. Favorites included the Gluten-Free Chocolate-Chocolate Melts, the Best BLT Ever and our Pane Francese with Mission Fig and Kalamata Tapenade.Kelly and Tim Hightower from Hightower Cellars provided glasses of their Estate Blend, which is made from the same grapes that we use in the starter for our Pane Francese.It was a great night! Leslie will be signing her new cookbook at various locations around town, beginning with our own cafes this weekend. Catch her at our Belltown Café on Saturday and our McGraw Café on Sunday. Both events start at 10am. Leslie will be signing books until 1pm. We’ll also be sampling recipes, decorating cupcakes and making cookies until 4pm. Be sure to check our blog again for more book signing updates!
Every day four of our bakers spend several hours forming, shaping and baking hundreds of our crusty, fragrant Giuseppe rolls for delivery to one of Seattle’s favorite eateries, Paseo.Lorenzo Lorenzo (his real name - Paseo’s owner and chef) has worked for years to perfect the Cuban Roast, a sandwich made with succulent pulled pork marinated in his secret combination of spices and served with seasoned aioli, cilantro, incredibly delectable, grilled onions, and crispy romaine.Our Giuseppe roll is the perfect roll for a robust sandwich like the Cuban Roast. The secret to a great sandwich, we think, is the bread that holds it all together, and we’re very proud that our Giuseppe roll serves as the perfect foundation for Lorenzo’s creation. Not so soft that it collapses under the weight and juices of the sandwich ingredients and not so firm that the sandwich’s ingredients spill out into your lap when you take a bite.
Our Giuseppe roll not only holds together Lorenzo’s creation, but perfectly complements the beautiful flavors in a way that helps Paseo sell an amazing 1,500 to 1,800 Cuban Roasts every day.We’re proud to be a part of what makes Paseo a Seattle landmark and a must-have for food lovers across the city. We hope when you visit Paseo (and we know you will) you’ll think of Macrina with every bite of that Cuban Roast sandwich that you’re already picturing yourself eating.
We’ve loved Toulouse Petit ever since owner Brian Hutmacher opened his New Orleans inspired restaurant in late 2009. Voted in 2010 as one of the Ten Best Happy Hours in the Nation, the warm, airy space is the perfect setting to enjoy their Big Easy inspired menus created by Executive Chef Eric Donnelly.Eric appreciates that Toulouse Petit is not just one of Macrina’s customers. He’s happy when he sees Leslie and Rebecca Early, our Sales Manager, in to entertain friends or to simply have a bite to eat. “It’s good to maintain those relationships,” he says. “We’ve always been a fan of the product and the people there. They’ve taken care of us.”
We’re proud to say that our breads are a delicious part of some of their signature items. They use our potato buns during Happy Hours on their sliders and our brioche is the foundation of their beloved French Toast and their decadent White Chocolate Bread pudding. Our Potato Rolls serve as the foundation for three of their most popular sandwiches. That most New Orleanian of sandwiches, the muffaletta, comes piled with hot coppa, mortadella, soppresatta, provolone, spicy olive-pepper relish and fresh herb mayonnaise. Their hamburger is a blend of prime rib eye, Painted Hills natural short ribs and skirt steak ground in house and topped with Delice de Bourgogne Triple Cream Brie and fresh herb mayonnaise. Eric is especially proud of their lamb burger. Lamb sirloin from Anderson Ranch in the Willamette Valley is ground with shallots, clove, cumin, cardamom and other spices for a delicious, juicy burger that they top with chevre. With an a accompanying salad of hot pepper jelly, arugula, Mama Lil’s peppers, cornichons and parsley, it may be one of the best kept burger secrets in the city!
In 2003, I published my first cookbook, Macrina Bakery & Café, with Sasquatch Books. I felt truly blessed when it became a local best seller, as many aspiring bakers and fans of Macrina took to their kitchens to recreate some of their favorite treats from our cafes.It’s nearly 10 years later, and Macrina has grown quite a bit. I’ve since worked with my incredible colleagues within the Macrina community to come up with so many new recipes that embrace the bakery’s roots, using locally sourced ingredients and baking and cooking with love and attention to detail. So I’m very excited to announce that on October 30, we’ll be presenting More from Macrina (once again with Sasquatch Books) – a new cookbook featuring several of my favorite recipes for artisanal breads, cakes, scones, pies, muffins and brunch specials from the Macrina kitchen.In addition to over 70 recipes, More features baking tips and suggestions from our kitchen on “must have” and “nice to have” kitchen supplies, as well as stories about the people and partnerships that have created the Macrina community, all illustrated through beautiful photography by Jim Henkens.I’m really excited to share this book with our friends and fans, and we’ll be launching a series of events (including book signings and demos at some of our cafes, area bookstores, retailers and some of our partner’s cafes – like Top Pot Doughnuts) where I’ll be sharing a few tips to help you recreate our recipes at home, and where you’ll be able to pick up a signed copy of the book while enjoying some of my favorite Macrina treats.
While More is a cookbook, it’s also the story of Macrina’s history and community with reflections about the people and partnerships that make Macrina such a unique and wonderful place. The book is a great resource for bakers and chefs of all skill levels, and is a ”thank you” to everyone who has supported us over the years. As we approach the publication date at the end of October, we’ll will be posting more stories about our people, our partners and events we have planned to celebrate More from Macrina. I expect you’ll find the book to be a great addition to your home, and I hope it will inspire you to do what we do every day at Macrina – create delicious food that will encourage you to gather with friends and family, share stories and feed your body and soul.
Are you a fan of our fabulous weekend brunch menus and our Bialy Egg Sandwiches? This June our cafes made the switch to using cage-free eggs from Stiebrs Farms in Yelm. With their amazing golden yolks, their fresh eggs look great and taste delicious. We’re very proud to be using them for all of our brunch and café pastry offerings.Leslie first became familiar with Stiebrs Farms eggs at the grocery store. She was delighted to learn that the eggs that she bought for home use were from Yelm. It was natural to want to use them at our cafes. As eggs age, they lose both flavor and nutritional value. Stiebrs’ proximity to Seattle helps ensure that the eggs we use are as fresh as can be.Stiebrs Farms was one of Washington’s first cage-free and organic egg producers. Jan and Zelma Stiebrs immigrated to the United States from Latvia with their two children, Anita and Jon in 1949. They made a home for themselves in Yelm and decided to start a farm with just a dozen chickens. By 1953, their hard work had paid off and the farm had enough hens to start selling their eggs door-to-door and later to businesses in Tacoma.In 1978 Jan and Zelma retired, passing the farm to their son Jon and his wife Dianna. Along with their children, they now employ about 70 people across 800 acres of farmland. The hens all perch in community houses and are outside all day, except when the temperature is too cold. The Stiebrs own a feed mill and produce all of their feed for the chickens on the farm, using a blend of corn, wheat, soybean meal and oyster shells which help to create a stronger eggshell. They also employ a nutritionist to make sure that each chicken’s diet is complete. Jon is quick to point out that their source of eggs is self-sustaining; they raise all of their replacement hens. John is very proud of the quality of his eggs and we are pleased to be using them.
Fire. Cargo net obstacles. Barricades. Rusted out vehicles. Lots and lots of mud. A scene out of some post-apocalyptic nightmare or a pleasantly diverting way to spend a Sunday afternoon? Our staff would say the latter.During a meeting few months ago, someone (no one can remember who) thought that it would be fun to go on a team-building outing. The Warrior Dash came up, and a week or so later, Scott France was asking who wanted to join in the muddy fun. So a couple of weeks ago, Head Pastry Chef Jane Cho, Wholesale Manager Fanny Alvarado, Wholesale Sales Manager Rebecca Early, Wholesale and Wedding Cake Coordinator Anna Moomaw, Benefits Administrator Christina Gimenez, Scott and Renee France and Matt Galvin ran in this year’s Warrior Dash. The “Macrina Maniacs” as they called themselves steeled themselves for what was sure to be a tough day. The Dash calls itself “as much a mental challenge as a physical one” and the Maniacs agree. Wielding loaves of Macrina baguettes, they ran, crawled, climbed, jumped and scrambled their way over a 3.5-mile course filled with a variety of body-bruising obstacles.Two obstacles in particular were notable for their difficulty. The Deadman’s Drop was a wall that had small ledges in it for footing about 20 feet high that bowed out slightly at the top. Rebecca said this one was particularly challenging, as you had to throw your leg over the top part of the wall to make it over. The Muddy Mayhem was just gross. Imagine wading chest deep in a chocolate milkshake, except smellier. And muddier.Both Rebecca and Anna said that it was an extremely challenging course but agreed that they were both exhilarated after the race and were “absolutely” going to run in it next year. Scott saw it was a good chance to get together outside of work and have some fun…even if only one baguette survived the Dash!
Anyone who has ever visited a predominantly Catholic country has likely experienced store closures due to a feast day of the town’s patron saint. Looking at the calendar of Catholic Feast days, one may quickly be impressed by the sheer number of them. February 1st alone has 67. When one considers that there are more saints than days of the year and that there is a ranking system to assign how Feast days are celebrated, it can get confusing. Many Feast days involve processions through the streets, feasts and festivals to remember the saint of honor. Depending on the importance of the saint, businesses in the whole town may close for the day. Lesser-known saints may simply have their name mentioned during Mass.
There are only a few days you’ll find our bakery and café closed for a feast, Saint Macrina’s Feast Day is one of them. Though technically her feast day is July 19th, we will be closing at noon on Tuesday, July 17th, for our own company feast to celebrate our great staff, their families and our community here at Macrina. We will resume our normal business hours on July 18th. Learn a little more about how our company was named on our history page.
We’re very proud that our founder, Leslie Mackie, has been elected as a board member of The Bread Bakers Guild of America! The Bread Bakers Guild is the nation’s premier organization that is devoted to the art and the science of bread. More than 1,300 members from across the United States and around the world make up the Guild community. Leslie joined the Guild 19 years ago. She was eager to meet and connect with the other bakers, millers, farmers and suppliers that make up the membership of the Guild. She says that it was and continues to be a great support system and resource. Thanks to the Guild, Leslie has met bakers who have become friends from all over the country.
This appointment reflects the respect that the professional baking community has for Leslie and her dedication to making artisanal breads accessible to everyone. Keeping in mind that there is always something new to learn, the Guild is committed to providing continuing education and educational resources to artisanal bakers, supporting them and celebrating their craft and passion. Leslie’s enthusiasm and love of baking will serve her well as a member of the Membership and National Events committees. She is very excited to serve on the Board, noting that it will be “interesting and fun” to be closer to the visionaries of the Guild and will give her the chance to meet more bakers from around the country.Congratulations Leslie!