Author(s): Mike Russell

Food & Wine

Baker Bleu The Book is a cookbook of sorts. At least, it has 70 plus  delicious, inventive recipes for anyone who wants to emulate the best bread and Roman-style sourdough pizza bases in Melbourne.

And those who are sandwich fiends (like Neil Perry), or who aspire to resourcefulness with leftover bread, or use croissant dough to make simple filled pastries at home (and prudently leave the whole croissant palaver to the experts). Or just crave the bakery's now cultish vegan challah (born of the fact its first low-grade food licence did not allow them to work with eggs).

But there is more to it too. It's also a story of what's possible when you wake up one day and decide surely - surely? - there's more to life than a soulless job in advertising.