PJ Hamel grew up in New England, graduated from Brown University, and was an award-winning Maine journalist (favorite topics: sports and food) before joining King Arthur Flour in 1990. Hired to write the newly launched Baker’s Catalogue, PJ became the small but growing company’s sixth employee.
PJ was the catalogue’s chief copywriter for its first two decades, and with Brinna Sands created and then edited King Arthur’s Baking Sheet print newsletter for 13 years. She developed, tested, and wrote hundreds of recipes while recruiting and supporting many contributing writers.
When King Arthur began work on a new cookbook in 2002, PJ became the lead author. The King Arthur Flour Baker’s Companion was subsequently honored by the James Beard Foundation as its 2004 Cookbook of the Year. PJ played a major writing role in the company’s next two cookbooks, The King Arthur Flour Cookie Companion and Whole Grain Baking.
Since starting the King Arthur blog in 2007 as a user-friendly way to share tips and recipes with fellow bakers, PJ has posted upward of 1,000 (and counting) articles. Favorite topics include yeast (though she vows to never ever EVER make Danish pastry again), un-fancy cakes, and classic 1960s-era recipes: Like wine, they only get better with age. Most of all, she loves reaching out and helping people become the best bakers they can be. She also puts her heart and soul into supporting fellow cancer survivors.
Currently, PJ bakes, writes, enjoys life with her husband and three large dogs, and shares her baking with family, friends, and the community.
*Technically, King Arthur didn’t start to become an employee-owned company until 1996, but PJ was with us even before then!
