Why I love pumpkin (in bread) Pumpkin bread isn't about flavor; at least, that's not its main point. It's about what the puree does to the dough: it hydrates like water but tenderizes it like butter, leaving a soft, golden crumb. And I always opt for canned pumpkin puree for baking for a few reasons: It's easy It's consistent It's widely available The color alone is worth it, I think, that saffron-orange you can see on the outside, and certainly when you're pulling rolls apart with a cotton...

How I make the softest sourdough pretzels The calendar says it's fall, and finally, the Southwest seems to agree. This week it's rained just about every day, and I'm reveling in that cool breeze and petrichor (what a lovely word, isn't it?) on the wind. Usually, we wait until October for this. Naturally, I've been baking fall things, starting with my sourdough pretzel, a fav of mine for this time of year. (In fact, watch me make these pretzels in my latest Reel.) I love these pretzels for...

The butter went slack in minutes I opened the back door for some air. It's been 96°F all week, and the oven's side of the kitchen hasn't been much better. The pats of butter on the counter usually take an hour to soften; this week they went slack in minutes. Which, as it happens, is what a bun dough wants. For the cookout, I'm working with buns. A lot of buns. But also a few of my crowd favs: a jalapeño-cheddar loaf, a pizza with all the sliced pepperoni, and an uncommon pairing folded into a...