About Emilie
Emilie Raffa is a cook, baker, and author of IACP finalist and bestselling book: Artisan Sourdough Made Simple.
Classically trained at the ICC, Emilie’s enthusiasm and no-nonsense approach to cooking and crafting sourdough bread has inspired people all over the world. Her recipes have been featured in Oprah, The Washington Post, Saveur, Food & Wine and more.
Emilie’s passion for the culinary world extends to Sfoglia restaurant, which she owns and operates with her husband in NYC.
When she’s not talking (or thinking) about food, you can find her gardening, parenting, and planning her next trip around the world.
About the Blog
The Clever Carrot features simple, seasonal, artisan-style recipes for the practical home baker.
Don’t be fooled the mystique and confusing terminology that’s often associated with sourdough. Baking bread at home- for both beginners and seasoned bakers alike- is accessible to anyone.
What You’ll Learn
- How to Make a Sourdough Starter
- How to Bake a Simple Beginner Loaf
- How to Bake Sourdough Cinnamon Rolls, Focaccia, Bagels, and more!
- What to Do With Leftover Sourdough Discard
To get started, check out Sourdough Bread: a Beginner’s Guide.
Emilie’s Story
In 2006, I walked out of my miserable corporate job and into the magical world of cooking.
I graduated from the International Culinary Center with my Classic Culinary Arts Degree and went on to work in a variety of creative fields: private chef, line cook, recipe developer, food stylist and behind the scenes on cooking shows. For the first time in a long time, I finally felt like I was with “my people.”
Curious about writing and photography, I started The Clever Carrot in 2012. My blog focused on healthy comfort food and balanced living. However, my world changed overnight when a packet of dried sourdough starter showed up on my doorstep… all the way from Sydney, Australia!
A Bread Baker Is Born
Celia and I “met” through our blogs and became instant, virtual friends (kindred spirits, really).
She graciously dried out a portion of her starter, named Priscilla, and popped it into the mail. Little did I know that this unassuming packet of white flakes would magically jumpstart my sourdough journey.
Now, I had dabbled in bread baking before. But sourdough was completely different.
I became utterly obsessed with baking the natural way (no rapid rise yeast) and was fulfilled on a level that was deeply connected to something way bigger than me. Through Priscilla, which Celia has graciously shared with hundreds, if not thousands of people all over the world, I became part of an international family tree of bakers!
PS: the picture above is Celia and I meeting for the first time in 2018. We were standing on the steps of the Sydney Opera House.
Sourdough For Beginners
In 2014, I went on to write Sourdough Bread: A Beginner’s Guide and posted it to my blog.
I felt compelled to share everything I knew from a beginner’s perspective because at the time, a comprehensive online guide did not exist.
IT WENT VIRAL.
I accidentally tapped into a market of beginner bakers, who just like me, needed someone to explain the sourdough process in plain English.
To this day, my beginner’s guide is THE MOST popular post on my blog.
It also paved the way for my book, Artisan Sourdough Made Simple.
Here’s a short video trailer of the cookbook you might like (don’t mind my weird face here…)!
Come for the Bread. Stay for the Food…
As my passion for sourdough grew, so did my audience.
Today, millions of people visit this site in search of baking simple, yet delicious sourdough bread.
In addition to sourdough bread, I create simple, seasonal recipes including, sweet treats, muffins, tarts, soups, salads, lite bites, dinner ideas, and more!
There’s a little something for everyone, so come hungry OK?
Press & Cookbooks
My work has been featured in Oprah Magazine, Redbook Magazine, Clean Eating, Women’s Health Magazine, The Huffington Post, Food 52, Saveur, Food & Wine, Today Food, and in the pages of Artful Blogging Magazine.
I was a finalist for ‘Best Food Photography’ in the Saveur Blog Awards and contribute to the digital cooking publication, feedfeed.
I’m also very fortunate to be a published author. My first book is called The Clever Cookbook, and my latest title is Artisan Sourdough Made Simple, which was nominated for an IACP award in 2018.
