Introduction by Richard Whittington

Dan Lepard is at the forefront of a British bread revival, changing the way bakeries work and the way bakers see themselves. He is an artisan baker by training who prefers to use wild yeast starters and longer proving times to give his breads greater character and individuality. He cares passionately about the texture and appearance of the loaves he creates, but first and foremost, says that everything must be driven by taste.

Good bread comes from an understanding of its nature. As a good gardener understands that plants are living things he cannot control completely, so a good baker recognises that the doughs he makes are living things with individual identities, that they ultimately create themselves. The baker's skill is to encourage natural developments, and the bread that results from this understanding will always taste better than the products of an aggressive technical process. This is not to say that good bread cannot be baked on a large-scale, or that technology cannot be part of the modern baker's armoury. Tradition and respect of ingredients can work hand-in-hand with a high-tech environment."

Dan has refined his craft working with great bakers all over the world, and says that his primary influences are French and Italian. Last year presented with the British catering industries highest accolades, in recognition for his outstanding achievement, at the 2003 Carlton London Restaurant awards, Dan has continued to work closely with chefs who have benefited from his baking, including Alastair Little, and Giorgio Locatelli at both Zafferano, and recently at Locanda Locatelli. Together, we've written 'Baking with Passion' (Quadrille 1999) winner of the Guild of Food Writers 'Cookery Book of the Year 2000', and short-listed for the André Simon Award 1999. Late last year his first solo book was published, "The Handmade Loaf", was published (Mitchell Beazley 2004), nominated for Food Book of the Year at the Jacobs Creek World Food Media Awards 2005. This year's work includes the bread chapter for "The Cook's Book" (Dorling Kindersley 2005), an encyclopedic publication demonstrating cooking techniques by top chefs from around the world. He writes a weekly baking column for the Guardian Newspaper in the UK, published in the Saturday colour magazine.

"Craft and scale are not mutually exclusive. Good bread, great bread even, can be produced on something nearer to an industrial than a neighbourhood scale. I am an artisan baker who is not scared by the challenge of producing 1000 beautiful pieces of bread to an exacting standard, or even 10,000 loaves if I can have a say in the equipment required to produce it. As in all commercial food production, baking loaves on a large-scale is about consistency and technique. Working with wild yeast starters does not preclude consistency, but it does demand knowledge and dedication."

This web site is provided as an information resource for baker's large and small. Its aim is to encourage excellence in bread-making, and to provide a forum for expert debate.

London, 9th August 2005

'The bread supremo'
Fay Machler, The Evening Standard

'Lepard is one of London's most inspired and inspiring breed of new young bakers...
a British bread champion'
Michael Bateman, The Independent

'A passionate baker, dessert maker and talented pastry chef.'
Nick Lander, The Financial Times