Where to Start with Martin Johansson
Martin Johansson is a Swedish home baker who became one of Scandinavia’s most beloved baking authors through his blog Pain de Martin. He is not a professional baker by training. He taught himself to bake sourdough bread at home and documented the journey so clearly and engagingly that his blog became a go-to resource for Swedish home bakers. His first book, “Surdegsbröd” (2009), sold over 45,000 copies in Sweden, an extraordinary number for a baking book in a country of ten million people. He writes as a home baker speaking to other home bakers, with warmth, humor, and hard-won practical knowledge.
Start here
Baka bröd
Martin Johansson · 108 pages · 2023 · Easy
Themes: bread baking, beginner recipes, Swedish baking, home baking
A compact, accessible introduction to bread baking from one of Sweden’s most trusted baking voices. “Baka bröd” (Bake Bread) contains 25 recipes for breads that anyone can make at home, from scones and honey loaves to overnight baguettes and cardamom buns.
Why Start Here
Johansson writes with the clarity that comes from teaching yourself something and remembering every stumbling block. At 108 pages, this is not an exhaustive reference. It is a confidence builder. Each recipe is designed to work on the first try, with tips on flour selection, dough handling, and the small adjustments that make the difference between good bread and great bread.
The book is written in Swedish and has not been translated into English. For Swedish-speaking bakers, it is the most approachable starting point available. For English-speaking readers interested in Johansson’s approach, his earlier book “Surdegsbröd” covers sourdough specifically.
What to Expect
A slim, beautifully photographed book with 25 varied recipes. Johansson covers both yeasted and long-fermented breads, sweet and savory, simple and slightly more ambitious. The tone is encouraging throughout, and the instructions assume no prior baking experience.