Leelanau baking star Sorge debuts cookbook
From staff reports
Martin Sorge didn’t use to like cherry pie. Then the northern Indiana native spent a summer during college building sets at Interlochen Arts Academy’s theater department. He tasted the Grand Traverse region’s culinary pride and has been hooked ever since. “I get it now,” Sorge said.
Sorge, who won the Great American Baking Show in 2023 and splits his time between Chicago and Leelanau County, debuts his first cookbook, Great Bakes: Modern Classic Recipes from the Midwest, at a National Writers Series event on Friday, Aug. 21, at 4 pm at Artemis Books & Goods in Traverse City’s warehouse district. The event is part of the Traverse City Food and Wine Festival, which runs Aug. 19-23. Visit NationalWritersSeries.org for tickets and information.
In Great Bakes, Sorge shares more than 100 recipes for sweet and savory bakes that celebrate the bounty of the Midwest, from modern classics to innovative show-stoppers. These breads, cookies, crisps, cakes, pies, pastries, and—yes—biscuits sneak surprising ingredients into the classics: Super-Soft Malted Cinnamon Rolls that elevate the childhood staple, Glazed Lemon Verbena Shortbread that gets a bit of zing from the window-box herb, and Sweet Corn Milk Bread that highlights the perfection of an ear of summer sweet corn. From the Midwestern flavors of Chicago Dog Focaccia and Michigan Forest Cake to traditional Christmas Stollen and Swabian Soft Pretzels rooted in Sorge’s German heritage, Great Bakes welcomes bakers of every level with recipes they’ll reach for again and again.
“It’s a book, not just a collection of recipes,” Sorge told the Sun. “It’s full of stories that explain how I approach baking. I hope someone can curl up with the book and read it cover to cover.”
Sorge has nearly 30 events lined up throughout the Midwest and on both U.S. coasts for Great Bakes, which published on Aug. 4. The book was named among the best new cookbooks of summer 2026 by Bon Appétit and Forbes.
Matthew Rodbard, founding editor of Taste, will join Sorge in conversation at the National Writers Series event.
“Matt is a great conversationalist, he asks great questions,” said Sorge. “I’m excited to be part of the TC Food and Wine Festival and to hear from local who are celebrating our community and our region.”
Sorge, who lives with his husband near Shady Lane, revels in the beautiful scenery and four seasons of Leelanau.
“The food scene is so great—with great bakeries, farms, and restaurants. I’ll hit up an orchard or roadside stand once or twice a day just to get a snack or something for dinner.
“I also love being here in the winter. That’s when the creativity and fun stuff happens.”
Asked what excited him about this summer in Leelanau, Sorge raved about Farm Club’s new bakery, from which he has bought wholegrain flour to bake with at home. And he delights in “perfect” fresh strawberries from Bardenhagen berries.
At the Food and Wine Festival, Sorge will demonstrate baking with whole and strong-ground grains on Thursday, Aug. 20, and join a panel of other local cookbook writers, including Abra Berens, on the morning of Aug. 21 at the Traverse City Open Space.
