Tomorrow November 17 is Homemade Bread Day! No month-long frenzy of home baking would be complete without a recipe for Country Baguettes. In fact, the bread we make at home most often is this one, a long fermented dough mixed in the food processor using Charlie’s patented dough mixing method. The dough mixes in a snap, 45 seconds in fact, using a food processor fitted with the metal blade. Then it ferments for a good
Sunday, November 13
Golden Raisin Walnut Crown Loaf
Time equals taste. Fermentation equals flavor. That’s what bakers know and that’s one of many reason why naturally-leaved bread made with sourdough starter is so appealing. But most people don’t have the time or inclination to keep a yeast dough starter alive. In this recipe for Golden Raisin Walnut Crown Loaf, a sponge dough made with a touch of rye flour is the magic trick that boosts the flavor in one of our favorite loaves.
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Monday, November 07
Country Wheat and Rye Boule
The miracle of bread making is how a wet mess of a dough bakes into a billowy loaf of bread. If you’ve been baking along with me, you are ready to tackle Country Wheat and Rye Boule. This is the monster loaf we all crave, one with a dark, caramelized crust, big holes and a chewy crumb. When I teach people to make bread, most are looking for something rustic, perhaps with some whole grains and
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Saturday, October 29
Pumpkin Rosemary Dinner Rolls
Boo! Imagine the bright color and taste of pumpkin in a tender dinner roll. Just in time for Halloween and Thanksgiving, this recipe for Pumpkin Rosemary Dinner Rolls would also make an excellent loaf of bread for slicing. Although there is a fair amount of sugar in the dough, the rolls aren’t too sweet. The sugar feeds the yeast and makes the dough springy and alive. As with any dough that is soft and moist,
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Sunday, October 23
Butter Topped Toasting White Sandwich Bread
Our recipe for Butter Topped Toasting White Sandwich Bread bakes into a billowy loaf with a hint of sweetness and flecks of wheat germ. We use it to make BLT’s, tea sandwiches, toast, grilled cheese and Melba toast. This is Bread Makes the Meal Project Week Two. My project is about encouraging you to bake bread at home so that you can share it at any meal. Many of us grew up eating sliced white bread
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Bread Making Kneading By Hand
There is no better place to start bread making than by kneading your dough by hand. It gives you a real feel for the transformation that takes place when wheat flour and water are combined. Even if you use a stand mixer or food processor to mix your bread dough or even if you try the no-knead method, you will learn a great deal about bread making from kneading by hand at least once. Here
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Measuring Flour by Volume
Weigh your ingredients. That’s what baker’s do. Weighing is the only way to get consistent results. An electronic scale is easy to use, relatively cheap and durable. But if you must use measuring cups, here are a few essentials when measuring flour by volume. Use dry measuring cups for dry ingredients like flour and sugar. Reserve the clear glass or plastic measuring cups for liquids. A one-cup household measuring cup holds from 3 ½ to
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Sunday, October 16
Irish Wheaten Bread
Irish Wheaten Bread is the simplest bread you can make. It is addicting and absolutely delicious, a fact made obvious when I baked the loaf pictured here. (We can’t stop eating it.) The flavor of the whole wheat flour gives it an unexpected sweetness. Although the texture is somewhat crumbly, the loaf slices neatly. This is Bread Makes the Meal Project Week One so I am going to spend a little time explaining the steps in
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Friday, October 14
Working with Wheat Flour – Flour Absorption
Different brands and types of flour absorb different amounts of water. If you use bread flour in place of all-purpose flour, or if you add stone ground whole wheat to your dough, you have to be prepared to adjust the amount of water you use when making bread. When you are working with wheat flour, you’d be wise to become familiar with the concept of flour absorption. The absorbency of flour varies from grain to
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Bread Makes the Meal Recipe Contest
The Bread Makes the Meal recipe contest has ended but not my commitment to helping you bake delicious, satisfying breads at home. Visit the Bread Baking page of my site for links or find bread recipes here. Here is the text from the original Bread Makes the Meal celebration: This fall baking season, I’m launching a month long celebration of baking bread at home—Bread Makes the Meal. Each week, for the next five weeks, I
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"Let no man fancy he knows how to dine Till he has learnt how taste and taste combine."
-Horace, Satires, 2.4They're here!
