Friday, June 26

Sourdough Parchment Crackers

Sourdough Parchment Cracker

For anyone that loves crunchy foods, these Sourdough Parchment Crackers are for you. Sturdy yet paper thin, they deliver the kind of snap I cannot resist.  I call them parchment because you can see right through them. Delicate yet crisp, I defy you to eat just one. Jump to Recipe With everyone exploring sourdough bread making, there is a good deal of starter to discard. (For the uninitiated, when you make starter to leaven your

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Thursday, June 04

Sourdough Crackers

Sourdough Crackers

Anyone who gives life to sourdough starter knows that it is a hungry pet. You feed the flour and water mixture with more flour and water twice a day, just like the family dog. You end up with a bubbling vat of starter capable of making a billowy loaf of bread.  And a lifetime commitment to keep the thing alive. Sourdough Crackers help use up some of the excess starter.  And they are addictingly good. 

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Wednesday, May 13

One Step Brioche

One Step Brioche

As close to cake as any yeast bread, brioche relies on butter, eggs and an overnight fermentation to develop its delectable flavor. This One Step Brioche recipe does not skimp on the butter, but it is made more quickly that its French cousin. Rich dough like this one for brioche requires a thorough kneading. For this reason, I always mix such doughs in a stand mixer or food processor. In this recipe, I use my

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Friday, May 08

Experimental No Knead Bread

Experimental No Knead Bread

No Knead Bread launched more fine baking careers that I can count.  And it brought the craft of home made yeast bread back to kitchens around the world. Many professional bakers were introduced to no-knead bread when Canadian chef and baker James MacGuire wrote about it as a thought experiment in The Art of Eating newsletter. He wanted to come up with a way to capture the texture and crust of a French baguette at

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Wednesday, April 29

Lemon Glazed Cinnamon Raisin Buns

Lemon Glazed Cinnamon Buns

Weekend bakers look for projects that make them shine.  And taste delicious. These Lemon Glazed Cinnamon Raisin Buns fit the bill. So much so that Charlie ate two of them in one day, a record for someone who finds an English muffin a little sweet. Inspiration for this recipe came a friend, a novice baker looking to make cinnamon rolls.  Searching for a reliable dough for her to make, I realized that the one I

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Tuesday, January 21

Potato Black Pepper Herb Rolls

We crave comfort in winter, not to mention a release from routine. So, if you’re looking for something to go with this weekend’s stew, consider these Potato Black Pepper Herb Rolls.  You form the dough for these tender dinner rolls flavored with black pepper, fresh chives and parsley into an impressive crown shape. The dough mixes easily by hand or in a stand mixer. Using a combination of potato and wheat flours plus sugar and

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Monday, February 25

Best Baguette New York 2019

Charlie judgin sample 11 at Best baguette New York 2019

Sunday February 24, 2019, Charlie and I got to attend and judge the second, Best Baguette New York 2019 contest sponsored by French Morning, a French online news magazine. The quality of the bread available in New York has radically improved.  There were nearly 20 bakeries represented among them: Almondine, Epicerie Boulud, Breads Bakery, Choc -O-Pain, La Boulangerie, Le District, Le French Dad Boulangerie, Maison Kayser, Orwashers, Pain d’Avignon, Récolte, Silver Moon Bakery and Vaucluse. 

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Friday, March 23

Cinnamon Swirl Raisin Bread

Cinnamon Swirl Raisin Bread

A buoyant loaf of Cinnamon Swirl Raisin Bread seems like a festive bread for the Easter season. It has the flavors of hot cross buns – raisins and cinnamon – with 30% stone-ground whole wheat for flavor and fiber. The dough comes together quickly then minds its own business rising for a few hours. I’ve been eating it toasted for breakfast every day. But it would be fun as the base for a ham or

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Thursday, March 15

Tips for Using and Emile Henry Bread Loaf Baker

Emile Henry Bread Loaf Baker

There’s a very quick learning curve when baking with the Emile Henry Bread Loaf Baker. Recently I received an email asking me for some instructions on getting the best results. Here are some of my tips for using and Emile Henry Bread Loaf Baker. The loaf mold holds about 1 ½ to 2 pounds of dough. But this depends on how high a particular type of dough rises.  A classic white sandwich bread that has sugar

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Tuesday, August 08

Potato Bread for Rustic Sandwiches

Potato Bread baked in Emile Henry Potato Baker

This Potato Bread for Rustic Sandwiches is designed for slices of home cooked roast beef. It is both chewy and light with a subtle flavor from rye flour. The slices of potatoes on the outside give the bread, and any sandwich made on it, a built-in side dish. I’ve been trying to recapture the flavors of a mythic roast beef sandwich for many years* and finally found the bread on which to make it. When my

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"Let no man fancy he knows how to dine
Till he has learnt how taste and taste combine."

-Horace, Satires, 2.4

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