Hello my friends,
Welcome back to the podcast!! I’m so excited to kick off Season 7, and today’s episode is one I’ve been eagerly waiting to share with you. I sat down with my friend—cookbook author, photographer, and gluten-free baking pioneer Aran Goyoaga (a Season 4 alum!)—to talk about her book The Art of Gluten-Free Bread, a work of devotion, creativity, and deep craft.
If you’ve been feeling the pull toward bread making (or maybe a block around it), this conversation is an inspiring invitation to begin. And the episode is empowering whether you can eat gluten or not—many of the insights apply to bread baking in general. Aran explains sourdough starters in the simplest way, and breaks down fermentation, structure, and ingredients. But what moved me most was her description of bread making as a meditative, grounding practice—a way to bring anxious, busy energy back into the body through the hands.
In a world that’s increasingly digital and AI-generated, there’s something profoundly human about creating bread with your own two hands—listening, smelling, feeling, watching. It’s an act of care for yourself and the people you feed.
In the second half of our conversation, Aran and I talk honestly about the intersection of art and commerce—how creative work becomes a livelihood, how social media shapes expectations, and how much invisible labor goes into the recipes, books, newsletters, and content creators share. We also talk about rest, inspiration, and the need to occasionally step away.
Make This the Year of Bread
I walked away from this conversation feeling empowered—and I think you will too. Whether you’re gluten-free or not, there is so much wisdom in the way Aran approaches bread. And there is something undeniably life-giving about committing to a practice that requires presence, patience, and trust.
Listen + watch
You can listen to (or watch) today’s episode right here, or, better yet, subscribe to the podcast in Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Pandora, or You Tube.
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With love,
Nicki
Recipe Index | Website | Instagram | More Recipes | Cookbooks
Links and resources:
Listen to my first episode with Aran, where you can learn more about her background, here
Order Aran’s latest book, The Art of Gluten-Free Bread
Find Aran on Instagram
Aran’s website
