bake - November 2018 - 21

RICHARD

MISCOVICH

Richard Miscovich teaches artisan bread baking to

Miscovich began baking European hearth breads

culinary students at Johnson & Wales University in

in 1996 after graduating in the ﬁrst class taught

Providence, Rhode Island, and to home and profes-

at the San Francisco Baking Institute. During that

sional bakers at classes and conferences around the

same trip, he visited Alan Scott and was introduced

country. He served on the board of directors of The

to the Scott brick oven design, just as interest in

Bread Bakers Guild of America from 2006 to 2011. In

artisan baking and wood-ﬁred ovens dramatically

2014 he received the Johnson & Wales Distinguished

increased. He immediately began construction of

Scholarship Award, and was also inducted into the

a wood-ﬁred oven in coastal North Carolina, and

International Les Amis d-Escoffier Society.

opened an organic micro-bakery, One Acre Garden
and Bakery, specializing in organic artisan hearth

"I love to see the light bulb of understanding get

breads. Miscovich is assistant professor at Johnson &

turned on in the home baker, culinary students or

Wales. In addition to teaching culinary students, he is

seasoned professionals," Miscovich says. "The feeling

a popular instructor for home bakers and brick oven

isn't just based on the excitement of the moment, but

hobbyists, and is a regular guest at venues around the

also the transfer of knowledge regarding the tradi-

country where he teaches artisan techniques.

tional craft of bread baking. It is amazing to observe
bakers absorb and internalize the proper process of

In "From the Wood-Fired Oven," Miscovich offered

making such a fundamental food."

a new take on traditional techniques for professional bakers, but presents his ideas simply enough

As for the future, Miscovich sees a renewed interest in

to inspire nonprofessional baking enthusiasts as well.

local grain systems, which he views as a positive.

Most people know that some items can be baked
in a masonry oven with the wood ﬁre burning. But

"Trends over the course of the millennia of bread

many may not know that other foods can be baked

baking are hard to come by," he says. "However, we

after the ashes of that ﬁre have been brushed out,

are presently fortunate to have the local grain system

using the immense store of heat that remains in the

become entrenched in residential and professional

masonry mass of the oven dome and the oven ﬂoor.

JOHN UNREIN

baking circles. What better way to celebrate the staff
of life than with locally grown and processed waves

Most baking books focus simply on how to bake

of grain?"

bread or pizza in a wood-ﬁred oven, but "From the
Wood-Fired Oven" is unlike other baking books. From

Miscovich is the esteemed author of "From The

recipes on how to get maximum use out of a single

Wood-Fired Oven," published by Chelsea Green

oven ﬁring to the ﬁrst live-ﬁre roasting or drying

Publishing, and instructs the online Craftsy course

wood for the next ﬁre, this book encompasses a wide

Handmade Sourdough: From Starter to Baked Loaf.

range of useful topics for home and artisan bakers.

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bake - November 2018

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