From his humble beginnings in Tocumwal, to owning and operating Australia's most famous bakery, Tom O'Toole has spent half a lifetime making bread. And it's not just any bread. Since 1984, when Tom bought the Beechworth Bakery for the second time, he has created arguably Australia's best independent bakery and has just opened another regional bake-house in Echuca.

Known for his innovative recipes and taste sensations, Tom hasn't always been this successful. Leaving school at 14 years of age, without having learnt the alphabet, he became "just a baker". It wasn't until one sunny day when he looked in the mirror and saw more than "just a" baker.... And when Tom started seeing a baker instead of a "just a", he was alright.

Now Tom's proud to be a baker, so proud that he's sharing his best recipes with the reader.