Saving Bread

Send us a question or voice memo! A little something different this week! I'm sitting down for an unedited Q&A, answering questions submitted by Saving Bread listeners from around the world. We're talking about blending flours for better sourdough, shaping dough based on how it behaves, knowing when to stop adding bassinage water, choosing quality grains without breaking the bank, and finding loyal customers for your cottage bakery. And we end with a more personal question: What has bread...

Send us a question or voice memo! What do sourdough bread, music, pottery, and a colorful silicone scrubber have in common? Joshua Grange. Joshua is a lifelong professional musician who has toured and recorded with artists including kd lang, Beck, and Sheryl Crow. He's also a passionate sourdough baker, the creator of DOAP, and the musician behind the Saving Bread theme song. In this episode, Allison sits down with her good friend Joshua for a funny, thoughtful, and wonderfully unpredictable ...

Send us a question or voice memo! What does it take to build a stronger, more connected baking community, and how do we make sure the people preserving the craft of bread baking have the resources they need to succeed? This week on Saving Bread, I'm joined by Karen Bornarth, Executive Director of the Bread Bakers Guild of America, and Wai Chu, the Guild's Education and Events Manager, for a conversation about education, community, the business of baking, and the future of our industry. Founde...

Send us a question or voice memo! This week on Saving Bread, I'm joined by Cat Cox, the baker and owner of Country Bird Bakery in Tulsa, Oklahoma, and the 2025 James Beard Award winner for Outstanding Pastry Chef or Baker. Cat's journey into baking began in restaurant kitchens, where her curiosity about sourdough and locally sourced ingredients eventually grew into a much bigger vision. In 2022, she opened Country Bird Bakery with a commitment to celebrating the grains, farmers, millers, and ...

Send us a question or voice memo! My dear friend, mentor, and fellow baker Josh Fairbanks returns to Saving Bread for an honest, completely unedited conversation about scalds, dough development, and the art of becoming a more intuitive baker. We begin by answering listener-submitted questions about scalds: what they are, how they differ from porridges, and why they can be such a valuable tool for incorporating flavorful grains like rye, einkorn, and buckwheat into bread. We discuss hydratio...