'The Dorset Baker' by Paul Merry was published at the end of June, 2025, by Riversmeet Press, Exton, Exeter £25.
Paul is one of the founders of the artisan baking revival in the UK. Arriving in the UK in the 1970s as a young Australian traveller he took to bread baking and went on to become part of the movement which over the next forty years transformed the bread we eat. From 1990 he has lived permanently in Britain.
Beautifully illustrated with sumptuous photographs by local photographer Mark Cornwell and illustrations by Sean Slater, this informative book distils Paul’s experience as a baker and teacher of the craft.
Paul’s relationship with Cann Mills: In collaboration with Michael Stoate of Cann Mills, Paul created a bakery where he has been baking and teaching for over twenty years. Cann Mills is near Shaftesbury, an area where flour has been milled since before the Doomsday book of 1086. Paul’s Panary courses for dough enthusiasts cover a wide range of topics and themes: basic bread making, sourdough, French baking, Italian baking, using a wood fired oven – which of course includes pizza. 'The Dorset Baker' evolved partly in response to endless student requests that he should write a book, and partly from his own love of his craft. He wants to inspire the next generation with this book, an aim he had previously served by teaching and training apprentices.
While this book contains many clearly written recipes, its exceptional feature is the abundant advice given on the technical aspects of understanding flour (wheat, rye, and spelt) and making bread by many different methods. The reader is in the hands of a master craftsman keen to explain the magic of fermentation. Not only does the author have passion for the craft and baking skills, this manual on bread making also looks at the history of bread and the origins of wheat growing. These history passages allow the reader to feel how bakers themselves are shaped by their relationship with the social and geographical environment in which they ply their craft.
To buy the book, please click here
To contact Paul Merry:
01747 851102 07764 568397
www.panary.co.uk