Episode 30: Jim Lahey
Who needs knead? We’re talking bread on this week’s episode of Chef’s Story as Dorothy Cann Hamilton is joined by the one and only Jim Lahey. Jim is the founder of Sullivan Street Bakery, New York’s premier bakery, where he has become renowned not just for his bread, but for his Roman-style pizza, rustic Italian pastries and cookies. Jim is also the author of two cookbooks, My Bread: The Revolutionary No-Work, No-Knead Method and My Pizza: The Easy No-Knead Way to Make Spectacular Pizza at Home. Hear Jim’s incredible story of bouncing around schools in Long Island, going to art school, living in Italy, dealing with health issues and eventually finding his way to Sullivan Street to pioneer bread in New York City. This program was sponsored by Route 11 Potato Chips.
“I think of bread as a living blob and a living colony that has its influences and factors.” [22:00]
“When it comes to using yeast, obviously the fresher and more viable the inoculate is, the better or more predictable your result will be.” [26:00]
“I can’t sell you the work of a lot of decisions, effort and knowledge if I don’t know how to reign it in and replicate it.” [29:00]
“In order for bread to have flourished and survived – it must have been easy to do.” [41:00]
–Jim Lahey of Sullivan Street Bakery on Chef’s Story