Sous Chef Series: Adam Leonti’s Italian Country Loaf

“I did a coin toss,” says Adam Leonti, “to decide whether to attend boat-building school or culinary school.” Culinary school won, and now Leonti, who grew up in Portland, Maine, is the chef de cuisine at Vetri in Philadelphia.

The two professions might seem radically different, but, explains Leonti, “A woodworking studio is a lot like a kitchen–there are different stations in each, but everyone is working to achieve the same goal.” His love of craftsmanship is evident in the recipe for simple homemade bread he shared with the latest edition of the Sous Chef Series, using a recipe that has its roots in Emilia-Romagna, where Leonti has spent time. In Italy, as in Leonti’s home, it’s typically served alongside charcuterie, but it’s also good with nothing more than a dish of olive oil for dipping.

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