Jim Franks is a baker and poet whose interests include hedonism and sustainability. Jim has worked as a consultant and ran his own bakery for three years where he produced a myriad of whole grain and slavishly local baked goods to much acclaim. He lives in Chicago, Illinois where he is still trying to save the world one loaf at a time.
Jim Franks is not a professional baker, because there are no such things as professional bakers. He is also not your father and never will be, nor is this a cookbook full of stories and recipes.
Jim Franks is a baker and a poet who’s written a love story about bread, which is to say he’s written a life story about listening, learning, trying, failing, adapting, and above all, caring.
Through humor, history, relentless curiosity, and refreshingly unsentimental poetry, Existential Bread teaches there are many ways to bake a loaf just as there are many ways to live a life.
"Existential Bread is an immeasurable joy. Occupying a space between prose and poetry, it lays out a helpful set of directions, while still casting out beautiful elegiac koans like 'imagine how the bread feels.’ It is an ode to finally letting go. To letting the simplest elements transform themselves into the rich, deep, almost-religious experience of baking."
“I didn't want to like this book. The casual and loose profanity had me clutching my pearls. And it's a cookbook written like one long poem. Yet, somehow against these odds I was charmed the further I got into it. There's a shitload of fucking excellent information about bread in this book.”
"In a world of samey-samey, this book is different. Jim Franks doesn't want you to make his bread (by providing glossy photos and detailed recipes); he wants you to make your bread (by sharing his practice and what he has learned). In a world of "shoulds" and "bottom lines", Existential Bread creates space while providing structure for you to fall in love with the ancient act of making bread. Plus, it's a very fun read."
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Jim Franks has traveled the world studying whole grain sourdough bread and local food infrastructure centered around ethical and regenerative ingredients. Jim is available for consultation, bread making, teaching, and speaking engagements. He hopes to open another bakery soon, and he loves you very much.
Please inquire via email.
