Bread Recipes & Ideas
Page 14
Basic Techniques: How to Shape a Loaf of Bread
Now that it’s finally cool enough to turn on our ovens again, we’re getting back into the habit of baking bread at home. Last weekend, we made a few loaves of sandwich bread to eat during the week. Here’s how we shaped the loaves: 1. The Finished Loaf – Here’s what we’re aiming for! 2. Shape the Dough into a Round – Start by shaping your risen dough into a round. Let it rest for a few minutes after you do this to give the gluten a chance to relax.
May 2, 2019
Word of Mouth: Pumpernickel
Pumpernickel, noun – An incredibly dense and strongly flavored dark bread made with a blend of coarse and fine rye flour originating in Germany.We love the heartiness and deep, almost bitter flavor of pumpernickel bread, especially with a little sharp cheese melted over the top! Making an authentic loaf of pumpernickel is one of our winter goals, plus we think it would look lovely on our Thanksgiving table!Do you like pumpernickel bread? Ever made it yourself?
May 2, 2019
Recipe: Cinnamon-Raisin Whole Wheat Bagels
Healthy Bread in Five Minutes a DayTwo things that a transplanted New York bagel-snob like me doesn’t like to admit are: 1) New York bagels aren’t quite what they used to be, and 2) I like cinnamon-raisin bagels, even though they’re newfangled.
May 2, 2019
Pan co’Santi: Walnut Bread from Jim Lahey Cookbook Recipe
This simple no-knead bread is studded with walnuts and raisins, and has just a hint of cinnamon. We could have this for breakfast or we could just as easily serve it alongside a hearty meal. It’s also a perfect example of the kind of simple, elegant recipes we found in Jim Lahey’s new book, My Bread When I was in Tuscany and my love affair with baking was growing, one of the most enjoyable yet simplest brads I learned about was a version of this raisin walnut bread.
May 2, 2019
Recipe: No-Knead Multigrain Bread
Whole-wheat breads are an acquired taste, in my opinion. Some people love them, some people learn to love them, and some people (like me) never quite warm up to their bitter, earthy flavors. Enter this new no-knead bread recipe. If you’ve never really liked whole-grain breads but wish you did, you’ve got to give this recipe a try. It’s definitely changed the way I feel about whole-wheat loaves! My dad is actually the mastermind behind this recipe.
May 2, 2019
How To Shape a Round Loaf of Bread Dough: The Video
Yesterday we talked about how to how to make bread dough and how to knead it, too! Today we’re looking at how to shape a nice, round, artisan-style loaf of bread. It’s easy — here’s how we do it. Ingredients1 batch of bread dough, after its first riseFlour EquipmentBench scraper 1. Scrape the bread dough out of its bowl and gather it into one large lump in your hand. Fold it over itself and keep pulling it taut, like an upside-down bowl.2.
May 2, 2019
How To Shape a Baguette Loaf
Crusty on the outside, chewy and soft in the middle – what’s not to love about baguettes?! It’s hard to get a truly authentic French baguette in our home ovens, but we can get mighty close. Try this method for shaping baguette loaves with any favorite bread dough recipe – even the no-knead bread dough works quite well!
May 2, 2019
Why Not? Let’s Make Homemade Doughnuts!
Whether or not you agree that doughnuts might be the new cupcake, you have to admit that these delicious doughnut recipes cropping up all over the place are mighty tempting! So tempting, in fact, that this might be what finally gets us to try deep frying at home. Just take a look at these recipes!1. Glazed Doughnuts from the Pioneer Woman – Simple glazed donuts are always a favorite, and this is a good basic recipe to start with.2.
May 2, 2019
Early Spring Recipe: Lemon and Sea Salt Focaccia
The new Winter/Spring Canal House Cooking is out and like the previous editions, it’s a winner! Read on for a quick review and the recipe for their utterly delicious Lemon and Sea Salt Focaccia, pictured above.We’ve been very happy with the previous two editions of Canal House Cooking, the exciting cookbook project from Christopher Hirsheimer and Melissa Hamilton. They’ve just released the Volume III for Winter/Spring and we’re still very happy!
May 2, 2019
Recipe: Double Chocolate Butterscotch Breakfast Muffins
Although eating chocolate everyday for breakfast is a bit over the top, it does make for a great pick-me-up at the end of a week, or a rich addition to a breakfast or brunch spread. These double chocolate muffins have a hint of butterscotch and rich undertones of dark brown sugar. They’re good any time of the day and a snap to whip up without any butter creaming or need for a mixer!
May 2, 2019
Recipe: Whole Wheat Sandwich Loaf with Oats and Pecans
biga starter Whole Wheat Sandwich Bread with Oats and Pecans Made with Biga Starter Makes two 9 x 5-inch loaves Equipment: two 9 x 5-inch loaf pans, oiled Mildly sweet and slightly crunchy, our version of whole wheat–oatmeal bread is great for tuna sandwiches. Cut in thick slices, it’s perfect for French toast. Shape it into rolls for a dinner party or a family picnic.
May 2, 2019
The Easiest Raspberry Tarts You’ll Ever Make
This recipe started out on a splattered, stained note card in my grandmother’s kitchen, and it has made its way into a lovely cookbook that’s very personal to me (more on that below). The filling could not be easier to make. You can use it several different ways, but I think these two-bite tartlets would be perfect for Mother’s Day or a little girl’s baby shower.So, here’s the story on the cookbook.
May 2, 2019
Help! Why Does My Bread Fall Apart in the Middle?
A friend of ours has been experiencing something strange with her loaves of bread recently. She follows the recipe and everything seems fine, but when she slices into the loaf, the middle always tears and falls apart. It’s cooked through, but the crumb is just very very loose in the center. Any thoughts?Our friend said she’s been following the basic white bread recipe from the KitchenAid cookbook.
May 2, 2019
Brioche: A Bread For Breakfast, Lunch, or Dinner
It wasn’t cake that Marie Antoinette wanted to feed to the masses. Her instructions were actually, “Let them eat brioche.” Brioche is certainly as rich and buttery as cake, but that’s where the similarities end.Brioche is definitely more of a bread than it is a cake. For one thing, it’s yeast-risen and has a chewy, bread-like interior. It’s also far less sweet.
May 2, 2019
The Ultimate: Giant Cheese Popovers
We’ve written about popovers before. But have you ever had cheesy popovers? So easy, we promise. And even more impressive.Popover batter is essentially the same as crepe batter. But while the crepe is by nature totally flat, a popover is anything but.The pop-ability of a popover relies on high heat and a tall, narrow cooking vessel. A popover pan encourages steam, as does the wet batter.
May 2, 2019
Pretty Preserves: Cover Jar Tops with Muffin Liners
Dana had a lovely tip last week on covering your freshly-filled jars of sauces and preserves with fabric and yarnThis is a nice tip for an extra muffin liners hanging about in the back of the cupboard — too few for a whole batch of cupcakes. (I have so many mismatched liners hanging out in my baking cupboard!) Use them to frill up a jar or two of homemade jam instead. Tie them to the jar top with twine, or with a rubber band.
May 2, 2019
Recipe: Quick and Homey Oatmeal Raisin Muffins
The weekend is coming, and boy, I’m ready for it. I am spending time with family over the long weekend, and I’ve been putting together some make-ahead breakfast and dinners. Here’s one favorite breakfast goodie: a warm, tender, simple oatmeal raisin muffin. This recipe is adapted from the classic cookbook, More-With-Less I did adjust them a bit; I like using olive oil in the batter, and a little extra cinnamon.
May 2, 2019
What’s the Deal with Tuscan Bread?
The first time you try Tuscan bread, it feels like someone must be playing a joke. This bland-tasting, pale-crusted, thoroughly un-appetizing bread surely can’t be right. But Tuscan bread it is! In fact, the bread is (quite deliberately) missing one key ingredient.Tuscan bread is intentionally made without salt. If you need any proof of salt’s flavor-enhancing properties, just try a slice of Tuscan next to a slice of something like ciabatta.
May 2, 2019
Recipe: Real Irish Scones
I once took a work trip to do nothing but learn about Irish milk, cheese, and butter. Lucky for me, the first thing I ate when I arrived, jet-lagged and haggard, was a scone. I still remember this particular scone because it was fluffier and richer than any scone I’d ever had. After spending a few minutes under the spell of this little morsel, I pulled myself together and asked the chef if it wasn’t in fact a biscuit.
May 2, 2019
Tartine Bread: Basic Country Bread Recipe Reviews
If you need another reason to check out this new book from Tartine Bakery, just take a look at this loaf. Hellooo, good lookin’!Like Jim Lahey’s famous no-knead bread and the master recipe from Artisan Bread in 5 Minutes, this country loaf from Tartine is a hands-off, very wet, slow-rising bread. But there are some very significant differences:1. This loaf uses a sourdough starter – Now, don’t get intimidated!
May 2, 2019
No-Knead Bread Hack: How to Shape a Baguette
From the very beginning, one of the things that we’ve loved about the no-knead bread is how versatile it is. We can make it into a gorgeous and crusty round-loaf, a sandwich loaf, and yes, even a baguette. Here’s how we do it.Since the no-knead bread is so loose and sticky, we find that it’s much easier to work with it if we can refrigerate the dough for at least an hour beforehand. We often make the dough one day, refrigerate it overnight, and then make our loaves the next.
May 2, 2019
Pan De Muerto: Sweet Bread Of the Dead
Earlier today we wrote about Creating a Día de los Muertos Altar. One of the most important offerings is a sweet egg bread called pan de muerto, or “bread of the dead.” Flavored with orange or anise, the bread is often shaped into skulls, bones, or people. Check out these inspiring examples of homemade pan de muerto!TOP ROW• 1 We love how Hungry Sofia describes the process of making this bread: “For dead bread, it was very much alive.
May 2, 2019
Recipe: Slow Cooker Vegetarian Split Pea Soup with Grilled Cheese Croutons
I grew up eating my grandmother’s split pea soup, and it’s one of the first things I learned to cook when I moved away from home. For this version, I omitted one harder-to-find ingredient so I can make it without a trip to a specialty store! To me, split pea soup tastes like home. However, when I tried to replicate our family recipe on my own, I always had trouble finding a ham bone. My local grocery store just wouldn’t sell me ham hocks or a ham bone.
May 2, 2019
A Visual Guide: How to Shape Dinner Rolls
A homemade dinner roll with a puffed golden dome and a soft chewy middle is a thing to be proud of. We’ve learned that a big part of this has to do not so much with the recipe, but with how the rolls are shaped before baking. Here’s our favorite method.
May 2, 2019
How To Make Chocolate Filled Mini Turkey Tarts
There’s something magical about desserts that look like they took an eternity to make, but really don’t. This recipe can be whipped up in less than 15 minutes and perfect for kids to lend a hand with — plus it puts to use specialty cookie cutters (like this turkey) that only see the light of day a few times a year!Ingredients1 recipe pie dough (we won’t tell if you use store bought, it works fine)1 bag chocolate chips (peanut butter and butterscotch are great too!
May 2, 2019
Gluten-Free Breakfast Recipe: Apple-Cinnamon Toastie
Erin McKenna, the founder, released a cookbook in 2009 with many of her signature recipes, and she has a new book coming out this spring. So we thought we’d take a look at the original, and give you a yummy breakfast recipe.The original Babycakes book has a tight, edited selection of favorites from the bakery, including a handful each of muffins, scones, biscuits, teacakes, cookies, cupcakes, and pies. Most, but not all, are gluten-free.
May 2, 2019
How To Soften Hard Bread
What can you do with a rock-hard loaf of bread? Besides using it as a doorstop, there are countless recipes that take advantage of stale bread — or you can use one of these simple techniques to soften it quickly…In the oven: Preheat oven to 200° or Warm setting. Wrap the bread in a damp (not soaking) towel, place on a baking sheet, and pop it in the oven for 5-10 minutes.
May 2, 2019
Breakfast Recipe: Cranberry Muffins with 7-Minute Marmalade
Send your valentine off with a sweet start to the day with these cranberry-orange muffins.One of my favorite ways to show love, whether to friends, family or a special someone is through the kitchen. Whether it’s a special dinner in, a favorite cookie – still warm out of the oven – or these muffins surreptitiously tucked into a work bag, ensuring a sweet surprise in the morning, it’s the edible gifts that wins hearts – and stomachs.
May 2, 2019
Recipe Review: Homemade Croissants from Tartine Bread
The recipe for croissants in the Tartine Bread cookbook by Chad Robertson is a whopping nine pages, six of them full of step-by-step illustrations. If anything, this made me even more determined to make them.It has been years since I last attempted croissants. These are labor-intensive little rolls, to be sure. First you prepare a basic yeasted dough and then you laminate it with butter in a long series of folds.
May 2, 2019
Recipe: Rye Toasting Bread with Dried Cherries & Pumpkin Seeds
Winter has me baking a lot — bread, especially — so this week when it got unbearably frigid outside I came up with a bread for breakfast and snack-time that pulls inspiration from three very different recipes: my grandmother’s English muffin toasting bread, a thin dark 100% rye I used to be able to find in health food stores but alas no longer, and the fruity, nutty, seediness of my “truly everything bagels” recipe.
May 2, 2019
Hold the Gluten: The 6 Best Gluten-Free Sandwich Breads
The latest issue of Saveur is devoted entirely to sandwiches, but they haven’t forgotten about those who can’t normally eat bread. A gluten-intolerant member of their staff tried 30 different gluten-free sandwich breads, tossing aside many sub-par slices before settling on the six best loaves on the shelves.
May 2, 2019
20 Brilliant Breads To Bake Up For Dinner
Adding a bread to your dinner table is an inexpensive way to beef up a meal. Plus, just the thought of warm, homemade bread straight from the oven is enough to make even those who are carb-averse go weak at the knees. Forget storebought; baking bread is far easier than you think and here are 20 ways to do it!
May 2, 2019
Strawberry Rhubarb Muffins from Vegan Desserts: Sumptuous Sweets for Every Season by Hannah Kaminsky
After a lot of internal debate on which recipe I should try first from Hannah Kaminsky’s Vegan Desserts: Sumptuous Sweets for Every Season, I’m very pleased to have settled on these Springtime muffins. Chunks of strawberry and flecks of rhubarb turn one of my favorite pie fruit-pairings into a delightful treat for the morning. Read on for more about the recipe and new cookbook.
May 2, 2019
Beyond Pizza! Five Other Ways to Use Pizza Dough
Who would have thought that a little ball of dough could be used for so many things?Whether you make it yourself or buy it at the store, pizza dough can be used for all sorts of things. Check out these ideas:1. Calzones – Calzones are essentially double-crusted individual pizzas after all! A 1-pound ball will make 3-4 calzones.2. Pitas and Flat Breads – The recipe for pita bread is remarkably closed to the one for pizza.
May 2, 2019
Kitchen Staple: Trader Joe’s Middle Eastern Flatbread
I’m seldom without a package or two of Trader Joe’s Middle Eastern Flatbread in my freezer. These chewy, tasty little breads resemble a thick tortilla, come in white or whole wheat and have dozens of uses. Read on for a few ideas and my favorite way to toast them up that makes them even tastier!I usually store my flatbreads in the freezer to keep them fresh; it’s easy to just pry off an individual bread as needed.
May 2, 2019
How to Make Cinnamon-Raisin Swirl Bread
Don’t you want a slice of this? Right now? Toasted and buttered? Ladies and gentlemen, let’s bake some bread. Cinnamon swirl bread always feels like a special treat. It did when I was five and it still does now. I like to toast it and peel the layers away one at a time. Nothing compares to that last buttery bite from the very middle. I’m a big fan of raisins, so I always throw a healthy handful into my cinnamon swirl bread.
May 2, 2019
Oven-Baked Doughnuts at Home: Doughnut Pans
No one needs a doughnut pan the same way that no one needs doughnuts in the first place. But do I want one? After seeing those Apple Cider Doughnuts that Leela baked up earlier this month, you bet I do!The advantages of a doughnut pan are clear. Baking them in a pan is infinitely easier and less messy than deep-frying. Baking instead of deep-frying is also healthier, though the amount of butter and sugar that still goes into these recipes hardly qualifies them as a healthy food (sadly!).
May 2, 2019
A Cheese-Worthy Recipe: Date and Cherry Nut Bread
My very, very favorite kind of bread to pair with cheese is one that’s studded with dried fruit and nuts. There’s something about the sweet-savory combination of elements in a loaf of this variety that’s versatile enough to match any type of cheese. And match it well, to boot.But so often, a good fruit and nut bread is either hard to find, or just not that great.So I figured it was about time to start making my own.
May 2, 2019
Jennifer Reese’s Corn Bread Recipe Cookbook Review & Recipe from Make the Bread, Buy the Butter by Jennifer Reese
Here is a lady after my own heart. And, I’m thinking, yours. Jennifer Reese set out confidently and ambitiously, with grand intentions of crafting her own cheese and making pasta with eggs from her own chickens. She wanted to answer once and for all the question, “Where is that sweet spot between making and buying?” What she found, among other things, is that raising chickens isn’t all it’s cracked up to be.
May 2, 2019
Nathalie’s Sally Lunn Bread Cookbook Review & Recipe from Basic to Brilliant, Y’all by Virginia Willis
Let’s face it, Southern cooking isn’t often considered refined, and in the past few decades it has even been villainized for its liberal use of butter. Special thanks must be given on my part to the new crop of chefs and cookbook authors working hard to change its reputation for the better. Take Virginia Willis, a classically trained French chef with firm roots in the state of Georgia.
May 2, 2019
M.F.K. Fisher’s Christmas Gibassier
Every holiday season we ask a few friends to join us here at The Kitchn for a series of guest posts. The topics range from favorite holiday recipes to family memories and traditions. Today’s guest: Anne Zimmerman of Poetic Appetite, and author of An Extravagant Hunger: The Passionate Years of M.F.K. Fisher. We also toured Anne’s kitchen this past year. Have you ever spent Christmas away from home? M.F.K. Fisher did in 1929.
May 2, 2019
Winter Morning Recipe: Honeyed Grapefruit Oat Scones
I am biased because I love scones. And I can’t seem to get enough grapefruit or citrus lately so these are a win/win as far as I’m concerned. But I think even non-scone folks will appreciate the oat-strewn dough, subtle citrus bite, and warm notes of ginger and honey you’ll find in this recipe. Moistened with a heap of Greek yogurt, this is your new winter go-to scone.There are many different types of scones out there.
May 2, 2019
How To Make Basic White Sandwich Bread
What does a loaf of white sandwich bread make you think of? For me, these pillowy, slightly sweet loaves conjure PB&J sandwiches in wax paper, French toast on Saturday mornings, and picnics in the park. If you’ve been thinking of trying your hand at homemade sandwich bread, here’s a great recipe to make first. White sandwich bread should be sturdy enough to support a generous spread of mayo and few layers of deli meat, but still soft enough to chew easily.
May 2, 2019
How To Make Whole Wheat Sandwich Bread
A loaf of whole wheat bread is a wonderful thing. Slices have a chewy texture with a deep nutty flavor, perfect for a tuna fish sandwich or an afternoon snack spread with peanut butter. Here is my favorite recipe to make at home. Whole wheat breads have a reputation for difficulty, some of which is well-deserved. Whole wheat flour contains very little gluten, so recipes with a lot of whole wheat tend be dense and crumbly.
May 2, 2019
Make Your Own Sandwich Bread: 5 Recipes for Beginners
As you’ve likely already noticed, we’re focusing on lunch recipes this week on The Kitchn and to do so fully, you’ve got to get down to basics. And what’s more basic than the true building blocks of a great sandwich? Ah, sandwich bread. We all have our preferences: white and squishy, hearty whole grain, or crusty baguette. And once you get into the groove and have a bit of practice, it’s quite simple to make.
May 2, 2019
The Original Convenience Food: Pita Bread
Pita pockets really are the original convenience food. Think about it: pitas are their own edible travel containers and you can eat them with one hand. Not to mention the fact that pita rounds can go on to become anything from crispy chips to an instant pizza. Brilliant! What do you make with pitas?Pita is a Middle Eastern flatbread made primarily with wheat flour, water, and yeast. Small rounds of dough are rolled flat and then quickly baked either in a hot oven or on a griddle.
May 2, 2019
Recipe: Coconut Mango Oat Muffins
Mornings are meant for muffins. They’re portable, easy to throw together, and can incorporate the season’s fruit beautifully. Such is the case with these vanilla-flecked, oat and coconut-strewn, mango-laden beauties. I love these muffins for many reasons. First, you can mix them by hand and there will be very few dishes (always a good thing). Second, they rely on my most favorite fat for cooking and baking: coconut oil.
May 2, 2019
Four Reasons Why Potato Buns Rule
Ah, potato rolls. Those old-fashioned, reliable, slightly squishy American treasures are making a slow comeback, satisfying bread cravings beyond crusty baguettes or sourdough slices. I’ve long known about using potato in baked goods because my mom made us a chocolate cake for each and every birthday that was made with grated potatoes. She called it her “secret ingredient” and we soon realized not to reveal it to friends because it sounded pretty odd.
May 2, 2019
Healthy Breakfast Recipe: Whole Grain Morning Glory Muffins
I tend to go into hibernation mode at the first hint of fall. The looming cold weather inspires me to welcome people over and hole up for the night. Whether it’s sitting around a fire pit into the late hours of the evening or to lingering over a hearty breakfast on a chilly weekend morning, I just can’t think of a better way to spend time with my closest friends. I especially love when these visits turn into overnight stays.
May 2, 2019
Flour Water Salt Yeast by Ken Forkish
There’s nothing like seeing a picture of a perfectly crusty, gorgeously browned, flour-speckled artisan loaf to make you crave the real thing. In Flour Water Salt Yeast, Portland baker Ken Forkish takes the by-now-familiar template of no-knead breads baked in a Dutch oven and runs away with it. He delves into sourdoughs, encourages whole grains, and then has us end a long day of baking with a quick pizza or three. Need any more encouragement to roll up your sleeves and pull out the yeast?
May 2, 2019
Fall Breakfast Recipe: Pumpkin Muffins with Eggnog Cream Cheese Swirl
It’s fall, and time to indulge my love of all things pumpkin. Pumpkin pasta, pumpkin gratin, pumpkin pie, that ever-popular pumpkin spice latte and — perhaps most of all — pumpkin muffins. I love having a warm, tender muffin in the morning for breakfast. These fit the the bill, spiced and moist. But fall will be over so quickly, and winter will be here, so I decided to make sure these would carry through properly to the holidays!
May 2, 2019
Side Dish Recipe: Easy Skillet Cornbread with Creamed Corn
As a Southerner, I am very picky about my cornbread, although not in the way one might think. Going against my region’s tradition, I happen to like mine just a little bit sweet. (I know, the horror!) But more than that, I want my cornbread to be soft, tender, and above all moist, moist, moist. Dry cornbread is a total disgrace. I’ve been tweaking one recipe for the past few years, switching up milk for buttermilk, sugar for syrup, and varying the other ingredients as well.
May 2, 2019
Plum Cakes, Tarts, and Pies: 10 Late Fall Dessert Recipes
End of Summer Prune Plum PiePlums seem to be the one reminder of late summer in the grocery store these days. That and tomatoes, I suppose. And even more: the plums this year have been incredible. While they’re great as a snack, folding them into simple fall desserts and is an obvious choice. They add a soft sweetness to everything from cakes to tarts to pies, and variations and inspiration abounds!
May 2, 2019
Make It Double! Tips for Making Double Batches of Muffins, Cookies & Breads
This is not the time of year for holding back. If I’m making a batch of cookies, I’m going to double it so I have enough to send to Mom, take to a weekend potluck, and still have some leftover for my own cookie cravings. If you’re of the same mind, check out these handy tips for doubling our favorite recipes.• Cakes, Muffins, and Other Quick Breads: These baked goods are the main offenders when it comes to unsuccessful doubling.
May 2, 2019
Home Baked by Hanne Risgaard
A lot of cookbooks pass through my kitchen, each with their own specialness and things that make them lovable. But every so often, there is one cookbook that stops me in my tracks. That’s what Home Baked did to me. This book of Nordic breads is something completely different and totally intriguing.
May 2, 2019
Make Your Own Emergency Hangry Kit
With all the holiday hustle and bustle, hangry outbreaks are not uncommon this time of year, much to the chagrin of our significant others. Hangry happens suddenly, unexpectedly, and it won’t go away until you do something about it. Fortunately, you can stave off the worst symptoms by making your own personal hangry kit to stash in your purse, messenger bag, or car.A perfect hangry kit should have a mix of essential flavors (salty, bitter, and sweet) so you can go to it for any craving.
May 2, 2019
Morning, Noon or Night: 10 Tasty Ways to Top Toast
Bread has a bad reputation these days, but that doesn’t mean we should overlook one of its most irresistible forms: toast! Whole wheat or brioche, sourdough or seeded, a slice of toasted bread is a base for all kinds of toppings that make a light yet satisfying meal any time of the day.
May 2, 2019
How To Make Easy Rosemary Focaccia
I’ll be honest with you: I don’t care for focaccia that’s topped with a lot of stuff. I like my focaccia to be a simple, herby bread with the emphasis on salt and olive oil. I may allow for one or two additions besides the sea salt, olive oil and herbs. But that’s it. You may feel differently, and of course, that’s just fine. You can use this recipe as a base for all your favorite focaccia toppings.
May 2, 2019
Making Cupcakes or Muffins with Mason Jar Rings: Does It Really Work?
The Internet is rife with ideas for using Mason jars, but I rarely encounter new ways to repurpose the metal rings or bands. So I was instantly intrigued by a photo that has been making the rounds on Facebook and Pinterest, involving the use of Mason jar rings to make muffins or cupcakes. Would this really work? First I traced the photo back to the blog Lessons Line Upon Line, where this trick was used to make banana muffins — and then I had to try it for myself.
May 2, 2019
Breakfast Recipe: Blueberry Bran Muffins
Bran muffins can get a bad rap. They’re so often dry and overly-sweet, which always feels like a shame because bran has such a nice flavor in and of itself. Plus, there are so many ways to add a punch of flavor without a lot of extra sugar. How about a mound of blueberries, fresh lemon zest, and coconut oil folded into a delicate whole-grain batter? Truthfully I rarely bake muffins at home (I’m much more of a scone gal) because I usually find them to be not all that satisfying.
May 2, 2019
Summer Recipe: Baked Berry Breakfast Pastries with Whipped Crème Fraîche
Since we are talking all about baking with fruit this week, I wanted to come up with a fun breakfast recipe that involved ripe summer fruit. Everyone loves a combo of buttery pastry and jammy filling, so I decided to create an easy baked breakfast pastry that can almost qualify as dessert for breakfast.
May 2, 2019
Le Pain Quotidien Cookbook by Alain Coumont and Jean-Pierre Gabriel
When this book landed on my doorstep, I was dubious. Le Pain Quotidien, a.k.a. The Daily Bread?! But I’m gluten intolerant! Yet several weeks later I haven’t been able to stop referring to it. The bread and tartine recipes look incredible, yes, but there are tons other gems here, from inspired breakfasts to wholesome lunches, dinners, and desserts. Nothing is complicated, yet everything feels special, punctuated by color, texture, and freshness.
May 2, 2019
Baking By Hand by Andy & Jackie King
The subtitle of this book needs to be noted, for it offers a clue into why this book is special: Make the Best Artisan Breads and Pastries Better Without a Mixer. That’s right, you can leave your fancy stand mixer in its appliance garage or stop fretting that you don’t own one!
May 2, 2019
Fall Baking Recipe: Rustic White Bread from a Bread Cloche
If you’ve ever made bread from scratch, found a technique and a recipe you like, and then practiced it a lot, you probably can make a pretty great loaf of bread. But people who make bread at home often complain that it just doesn’t quite approximate the bread they have from a French bakery, which is somehow lighter inside and crispier outside. You’ve worked so hard, you want a deep brown crust that shatters when you hit it, right?
May 2, 2019
Fall Breakfast Recipe: Streusel-Topped Apple Pie Muffins
Every fall I seem to go on an all-out apple bender, putting them in everything and anything I can think of. I usually make it a good month or two until my excitement finally sputters out, and then I’m satisfied for another season. This batch of apple streusel muffins marks this year’s kickoff using my favorite fall fruit, and what a delicious start it turned out to be.
May 2, 2019
Gluten-Free Bread by Ellen Brown
From sandwich loaves to pizza dough, naan, and scones, Ellen Brown’s Gluten-Free Bread has a recipe for just about any form of bread you could ever crave.
May 2, 2019
The Soup & Bread Cookbook by Beatrice Ojakangas
Soup and bread go together like fork and spoon. BFFs 4EVR. How brilliant to have them together in one cookbook! In The Soup & Bread Cookbook from much-loved cookbook author Beatrice Ojakangas, we get a huge variety of cozy soups side by side with their perfect baked bread companion. It provides ample excuses to turn on the oven and warm up the kitchen, and as the days get crisper and darker, I will be hugging this book close.
May 2, 2019
Handmade Bread by Dan Lepard
There are times when I think I missed my calling as a baker, and never more so than when I’m looking through a cookbook like this. Dan Lepard’s latest book brings us not only a collection of bread recipes that goes way beyond the sandwich loaf, but also glimpses into the lives of bakers from around the world. It’s a book that makes me want to simultaneously dive into the kitchen and jump on an airplane.
May 2, 2019
From the Wood-Fired Oven by Richard Miscovich
If you love bread — real, fresh, from the hearth-style bread — and if you love to make bread at home, then I’ll bet at some point you’ve fantasized about baking bread in your own backyard wood-fired oven. Right? You probably threw a few pizzas in there while you were at it, and then went on to tuck in a beef roast so it could slowly braise while the oven cooled. I mean, who wouldn’t?
May 2, 2019
Recipe: Brown Butter Apple Loaf
Somewhere deep in my imagination, visions of a dreamy spiced apple cake have long swirled in my head. This yet-to-be loaf would be perfectly at home on a crisp Sunday morning, enjoyed with a hot cup of tea and a good book in hand. And yet it would be made for giving, the ultimate thank you for a kind gesture shown by a dear friend. It would be a recipe worth saving, and a recipe worth sharing. And after much testing and tasting, I can confirm: yes, this loaf is all that and more.
May 2, 2019
I Spent My Vacation Baking from Tartine No. 3 & Here’s How It Went
Item: Tartine Book No. 3 Price: $25 Overall Impression: Not a good one for beginners, but a fantastic resource for anyone who likes to get nerdy with bread. Living in the Bay Area and being an avid bread baker, to say that my anticipation and my expectations for Tartine No. 3 were high is a laughable understatement. I was at my local bookstore the day that the book came out. I spent that entire afternoon dog-earing recipes and then went out that night to stock up on flours and grains.
May 2, 2019
A No-Fuss Method for Tender & Flaky Biscuits Every Time
Keep the butter cold and handle the dough as little as possible is my mantra when making biscuits. And bonus points if I don’t have to haul out the food processor. So imagine my interest when I came across a simple tip that accomplishes all three goals — and produces a perfectly tender and flaky biscuit. The secret is grating the butter! You simply freeze a stick of butter solid before starting your biscuits.
May 2, 2019