Freshly Milled Flour
How to freshly mill flour at home for baking
Learn to freshly mill flour at home for baking flavorful and aromatic bread.
February 17, 2022
Maurizio Leo
Maurizio Leo is the creator of The Perfect Loaf, the leading independent resource for baking sourdough bread and pizza at home, and the James Beard Award-winning, New York Times bestselling author of The Perfect Loaf and The Perfect Pizza. He lives in Albuquerque, NM, with his wife and two sons, and he's been labeled "Bob Ross but for bread." Read his full story →
Expertise
- Maurizio is the author of two cookbooks: The Perfect Loaf (2022), winner of the 2023 James Beard Foundation Book Award and the 2023 IACP Cookbook Award and a New York Times bestseller, and The Perfect Pizza (2026), his follow-up on sourdough pizza and focaccia.
- He has baked and written about naturally leavened bread daily since founding The Perfect Loaf in 2013—the site won Saveur Blog Awards in 2016 and 2018 and was a 2019 Webby nominee.
- His work and recipes have been featured by The New York Times, Food52, King Arthur Baking, WIRED, Food & Wine, and TASTE.
- Maurizio is primarily a self-taught baker, though he has since taken professional-level baking courses at École Internationale de Boulangerie in France, The San Francisco Baking Institute, and at the WSU Bread Lab with King Arthur in Washington State.
- He hosts small-group bread travel and workshops, most recently in western Sicily.
Background
Maurizio grew up in his family’s Italian restaurant, Mimmo’s Ristorante, in Albuquerque, where his father’s pizza dough was his first education in fermentation. He took the long way back: after obtaining a master’s degree in computer science and years as a software engineer, he founded The Perfect Loaf in 2013. While he loves the craft and creativitiy of making bread and pizza, his engineering side still shows through in every recipe on the site. Each recipe is thoroughly tested over many iterations in his home kitchen, with dough temperatures, fermentation times, and results logged before anything is published. He wrote his first cookbook, The Perfect Loaf, after nearly a decade of working with dough. The James Beard Foundation named it the best bread book of 2023 and it won an IACP award the same year. He lives in Albuquerque with his wife and two sons and bakes and writes for The Perfect Loaf.
Read the full story on the About page →
5 Quick Things About Maurizio
- The sourdough starter I use for baking is the very same one I created in 2012
- No, my sourdough starter doesn’t have a name (though it’s definitely a family member at this point)
- I’m unusually obsessed with temperature
- I love traveling and find myself in a different country at least a few times a year (usually in search of great bread)
- He’s been called the “Bob Ross of Bread”
Posts by Maurizio Leo
Specialty Ingredient
Dark Chocolate-Cherry Sourdough Bread
A sinfully delicious loaf with two types of chocolate and sweet-tart cherries.
January 20, 2022
Sourdough FAQs
How to Bake Sourdough Bread in Winter
My advice on baking in the winter: how to keep your starter vigorous, dough warm, and prevent underproofing.
January 16, 2022
Enriched Dough
Sourdough Shokupan (Japanese Milk Bread)
This delicate pan loaf takes soft bread to the next level.
December 16, 2021
Buns and Rolls
Sourdough Pumpkin Dinner Rolls
Exceedingly soft and buttery dinner rolls with added pumpkin puree.
November 12, 2021
Recipes
Jalapeño-Cheddar Sourdough Bread
Spicy peppers and sharp cheese come together for a deliciously savory bread.
October 8, 2021
Recipes
Green Olive and Herb Sourdough Bread
Richly flavored sourdough bread with buttery, salty olives and piquant herbs.
August 25, 2021
Sourdough FAQs
How to Bake Sourdough Bread in Summer
My advice on baking in the summer: how to keep your starter healthy, dough cool, and prevent over-proofing.
July 19, 2021
Buns and Rolls
Homemade Hot Dog Buns
These slightly buttery sourdough hot dog buns will be the highlight of your next barbeque.
June 25, 2021
Recipes
Sourdough Blueberry Muffins
Sourdough starter discard makes these tender & just sweet enough.
June 14, 2021
Freshly Milled Flour
Soft honey buckwheat sandwich bread
Incredibly soft and delicious, this “sneaky” healthy bread is as flavorful as it is nutritious.
May 28, 2021
Sourdough Guides
How Do I Feed My Sourdough Starter?
A look at how I currently feed (refresh) my sourdough starter for maximum strength and flavor.
May 27, 2021
Freshly Milled Flour
Sourdough with Freshly Milled Yecora Rojo
Deliciously wholesome with deep fermentation flavors and malty notes.
April 23, 2021
Sourdough Guides
The Best Way to Store Flour
Learn how the best way to store flour in your kitchen to keep it fresh for longer.
April 9, 2021
Recipes
Sourdough Pizza al Taglio
This hearty rectangular sourdough pizza is crispy-bottomed, tender, and a blank canvas for your imagination.
February 26, 2021
Best Baking Tools
How to Use the Brod and Taylor Dough Proofer to Make Sourdough Bread
Using a dedicated proofer for stronger fermentation.
February 4, 2021
Recipes
Sunflower and Sesame Sourdough Bread
A deliciously nutty, savory, and slightly sweet sourdough bread.
January 18, 2021
Specialty Ingredient
Walnut Cranberry Sourdough Bread
Earthy and tart—easily one of my favorite bread recipes.
December 31, 2020
Enriched Dough
Cardamom Rolls
Sticky, sweet, and totally delicious enriched rolls spiked with cardamom.
December 17, 2020
Buns and Rolls
Super Soft Sourdough Rolls
Buttery, slightly sweet sourdough rolls that redefine what dinner rolls can be.
November 5, 2020
Enriched Dough
Pumpkin Cinnamon Sourdough Bread
Pumpkin, cinnamon, and raisins make this seductive loaf perfect for fall—or anytime, really.
October 8, 2020
Sourdough FAQs
What is a Levain And How is it Different From a Starter?
What’s the difference between a sourdough starter and a levain? And when do I use a levain?
September 4, 2020
Sourdough Starter
Frequently Asked Sourdough Starter Questions
A roundup of the most-asked questions surrounding a sourdough starter.
August 31, 2020
Pan Bread
Tangzhong Sourdough Sandwich Bread
A tender sandwich bread without the use of butter, eggs, or sugar. Perfect for school (or adult) lunches!
August 17, 2020
Specialty Shape
Sourdough Bagel (New York Style)
Golden with a thin, crispy crust and chewy interior.
June 22, 2020
Enriched Dough
Soft Sourdough Potato Buns
Supremely soft sourdough buns perfect for dinner rolls or hamburgers.
May 14, 2020
Sourdough for Beginners
Sourdough Bread with All-Purpose Flour
A simple sourdough bread made in a single day with all-purpose flour.
May 1, 2020
Enriched Dough
Sourdough Babka
This sweet and sticky sourdough babka is sure to put a smile on anyone’s face.
March 30, 2020