Easy late summer sourdough discard bakes This past week I was still baking large, crusty loaves (and a pizza!) here in my kitchenโbut I get it if it's too hot for you to turn that oven on. In this week's newsletter, I present a few easy-lift bakes that might make you go back on that rule, though. If you haven't made the sourdough discard plum cake yet, that's where I'd start this Saturday! In this week's newsletter: Recipes: Discard plum cake, banana bread, and focaccia Baking Tip: Can I skip...
15 days agoย โขย 2 min read
Notes from the Grain Gathering; stone fruit bakes I'm back home and back to baking after a couple of weeks in the Pacific Northwestโmost of it, it feels like, spent five feet off the ground in the back of a solar-powered bread truck. In and out of talks, masterclasses, happenstance encounters with so many great folks in the baking space, and a few themes stuck out at me: who actually gets paid for a $10 loaf what wheat breeders optimize for (and why grocery flour tastes the way it does) what...
22 days agoย โขย 3 min read
For a limited time:Pre-order and get my bonus pack I've spent the past several years taking everything I know about sourdough and applying it directly to pizza in the home kitchen. If you're a sourdough baker, my new pizza book will show you how to use all you know (plus plenty I'll show you) to make the best pizza you've ever pulled from your home oven. If you're completely new to pizza, just like with my first book, I'll walk you through the entire process from scratch, with help all along...
26 days agoย โขย 1 min read
Sourdough discard recipes to beat the heat I just finished handmixing the dough for a large 2kg miche, and the readout on my thermometer kind of freaked me out a bit: 82ยฐF final dough temp. Oh, my. I realize many people take a break from baking in the summer, but I can't help myself (and I have some great recipes coming soon!). For those taking a short break in July, this roundup is a collection of my fav discard recipes that avoid super-hot, lengthy bakes in the home oven. (If you're...
about 2 months agoย โขย 3 min read
My July 4th baking list is here Kids' fireworks: check. Plans to watch as many World Cup games as possible: check. Baking agenda: check. For me the holiday comes down to two bakes. A focaccia, dimpled and swimming in good olive oil (see below), and a fruit galette for the group, whatever stone fruit looks best at the market (my peaches not quite ready yet!). Both are the kind of thing I can start today, finish tomorrow, and then set down and forget about while the oven does the work. Which is...
about 2 months agoย โขย 3 min read
I Went to France for the Carbs I'm back from a longer-than-usual three-week trip to France: Paris, the Loire Valley, and the Dordogne. A family trip focused on food (of course), art and monuments, and hiking, split between city and country. The last time I was in France, I attended a week-long panettone and pastry class in the south with travel tacked on the end. French folks really know how to do it, don't they? Late morning rise with pastry and coffee, an easy, casual lunch with rest after,...
2 months agoย โขย 5 min read
Crackers for the Game, Buns by Sunday I'm back! I just returned from a family trip to France for a couple of weeks. It was sometimes hot, sometimes rainy, and all the time wonderful. Stay tuned for next week's newsletter with photos and a rundown of all the bread (and pizza!) I dug into. Like I'd imagine many of you, my household has been steadfastly watching the World Cup, and as a former soccer player, it's been dredging up some memories. Watching the USA perform well (fingers crossed for...
2 months agoย โขย 2 min read
My weekend pancake routine Many of you already know I love these sourdough pancakes. But I have to say, this past weekend they really hit an all-time highโa great way to start the summer. I have these on rotation every weekend, and it's really easy: Mix the batter Saturday night before bed so it can ferment a bit overnight Sunday morning, get the pan hot, stir in any remaining ingredients (blueberries, chocolate chips, anything, really), and griddle Take a look at last weekend's: A little...
3 months agoย โขย 2 min read
These buns make the burger Memorial Day weekend is here, and for the first time this year, the grill earns its place (well, unless you're a winter griller, which I have been known to dabble in). Burgers, dogs, the whole production. But if we're honest, the bread is the part that decides if anyone remembers the meal a week later, right? A pillow-soft milk bread bun for a thick patty. A potato bun under a gooey cheeseburger that's sturdy enough to hold the drip, tender enough to give. And hot...
3 months agoย โขย 2 min read