Bryan Ford Shares His Number One Tip For New Bakers

When Joanna and Chip Gaines' Magnolia Network makes its debut on July 15, so too will "The Artisan's Kitchen," featuring the recipes of New Orleans-based Afro-Honduran baker and cookbook author, Bryan Ford, according to Deadline. Ford will, of course, be on hand, offering his unique perspective. As reported previously, Ford has been on a mission to introduce and raise appreciation for baking traditions that go far beyond what we see in French patisseries (which many of us have been conditioned to view as the bakery standard-bearer), starting with his first cookbook, "New World Sourdough," (via Food & Wine).

By way of example, in a recent Instagram post, Ford shared a photo of himself with what might appear at first glance to be an "ordinary" (albeit delicious-looking) croissant but clarified in the accompanying text that he had added an infusion of simple syrup pre-baking, and a splash of citrus syrup on top after baking. While that sort of innovation is anything but basic, Ford makes a point of making his techniques accessible even to beginning bakers. At a recent Magnolia Network presser, which Mashed was invited to, Bryan Ford has shared his number one tip for new bakers.

As we await the July 15 launch of Magnolia Network on Discovery+, the stars of the network's new shows have been making their rounds, ginning up excitement and anticipation for the programming that lies ahead. Among them is baker Bryan Ford, who stars in the network's upcoming "The Artisan's Kitchen."  During Magnolia Network's presser, which Mashed was present for, Bryan Ford shared, among other things, his words of wisdom for new bakers, which can be summarized in a single, calming word: relax.

"I would say the most important thing to keep in mind is just to just take it easy and enjoy what you're doing," Ford advised. "Don't look too much into your results." What Ford was referring to, in particular, is the way the finished product looks. "You might not get the aesthetic that you are looking for because maybe you're looking at a bread book or a baking book," he explained before revealing that "the pictures are curated and photographed and quite frankly, fake." 

"Unless you plan on hanging your baked goods on the wall like an art piece and you want it to look a certain way, I would say just don't worry too much about that. And practice, cultivate your craft, continue to kind of work at getting better at certain things and you will see your bakes get better and better over time," Ford added, comfortingly.