In the mid noughties Dan Lepard had a huge influence on home bread baking in the UK and beyond. The forum on his website was a lively collection of learning bakers sharing ideas, and his 2005 book, The Handmade Loaf, could fairly be described as “the book that started a baking revolution” as it is now trailed.
Although I had a disagreement with him years ago I have always held him in high esteem as a baker. So I was quite depressed to see this promotion of supermarket sourdough on his Facebook page yesterday. Click to view.
I’ve got nothing to say about the quality of the bread (although I don’t believe supermarkets can produce good sourdough) but promoting supermarket bread comes at the expense of dedicated and talented small scale producers at a time when many are struggling to compete.
Text of Facebook entry: “Am I always ready to taste great sourdough? You bet! So though I’m not often happy to be blindfolded (oi!) I jumped at the chance to taste-test Asda’s Extra Special White Sourdough Boule – made using a starter with a six-year heritage, in a dough fermented for 15 hours – against their luxury competitor. I’ve long known that Asda’s products are incredible quality and rival their competitors on taste, there’s a top team of food specialists and bakers working behind the scenes year after year to constantly improve their food range. So for this 2023 summer and onward Asda have an amazing range of “Extra Special” products perfect for anyone that wants high quality food that don’t compromise on flavour, but does deliver on price. I wasn’t sure they’d nail this one but, YES, Asda’s bakers did. Their sourdough really is an amazing product with a great story behind it at a fraction of the price you’d find anywhere else.”
Very sad …
The PArtisan Baker 
Does he say ‘beat Harrods’s’ at the end of the clip? So probably wins the battle of fake sourdough. Still, the money must have been good.
Can’t comment on possible financial arrangements
How very, very depressing
Well, for some time now he’s been recommending pricey bits of kit from Bakery Bits that are quite unnecessary without any mention of what his relationship (if any) is with the company.
Mick – I was equally sad to see this post on Dan’s Instagram page. I know a man’s got to earn a crust(!) but honestly this was excruciating.
The Handmade Loaf came along when I had just started to play around with sourdough after making a formula from The Greystone Bakery Book(?). Dan’s formulas seemed so wet in those days but they have moved on 10-15% since then.
That book was so influential but it was the forum on his website that was the most valuable. That’s where I ‘met’ you and countless others and learnt so much as we were all on this journey together. Of course you were the star of the forum with your no nonsense encouragement – cutting through all the crap. Real shame when you fell out with Dan and it all collapsed.
I’ve come across him a few times since with his Guardian column and more recently on Aussie Bake Off and Bakery Bits. The Asda post came as a real surprise and an unpleasant one.
Keep posting Mick – I’m reading it if no one else is!
All the best to you both.
Barry
Hi Barry
Yes I feel more sorrow than anger – not sure why because Dan’s post is a real betrayal of dedicated small producers. Where’s the self proclaimed Real Bread Campaign – yet to see them rushing to the defense of the bakers they claim to promote. Too busy with Sourdough September (again) I suppose.