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...
10 days agoΒ β’Β 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 highβa 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...
about 1 month agoΒ β’Β 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...
about 1 month agoΒ β’Β 2 min read
One Dough, Two Breads This past week, I used half of my recent crispy sourdough bagel recipe to make bagels, of course, but then I skipped the kettle boil and used the other half to make bialys. What are bialys? Bialystok, Poland, early 1900s. A Jewish breakfast roll and what we eat now traveled west with bakers who'd already landed in the Lower East Side. (Mimi Sheraton wrote the rest of the book if you want itβand it's great). Since you're already making bagels, you already have a great...
about 2 months agoΒ β’Β 3 min read
Crispy Sourdough Bagels If you haven't made bagels at home, now's the time. If you have, you already know how good they can beβbut I promise this new recipe will make you appreciate them even more. I've been reworking my (more New York-style) sourdough bagel recipe for a while now. While those are amazing, I wanted something different: a bagel with a super-thin, crispy crust, a tender, slightly chewy interior, and a light, open crumb. This new bagel recipe reminds me of some of my best large...
about 2 months agoΒ β’Β 2 min read
Whole Wheat Sourdough Pita Last year, I co-taught a baking class at Chimacum Valley Grainery in Washington. On the menu: a whole-grain sourdough pita that I haven't stopped thinking about since. This week's recipe is my take on that pitaβ100% whole-wheat, same-day, naturally leavened, with a soft texture and a puff that delivers every time. It's an incredibly simple dough to make, and the flavor is a great reminder of why we bake. I think you're going to love it. Read on! In this week's...
about 2 months agoΒ β’Β 3 min read
Crusty loaves and fruit galettes I've been busy over the past few weeks testing (and retesting) a new 100% whole-wheat sourdough pita recipe. I have a recipe in my first cookbook which is fabulous (light, airy, super puffy!), but it's mostly white flour, and I wanted something quick yet nourishing with an outsized flavor profile. These really fit the bill (and then some). Stay tuned for the recipe next week! Until then, read on for some of my fav loaves to bake this time of year: crusty,...
2 months agoΒ β’Β 3 min read
An ode to ciambella (and a few other things) This past weekend, I made my sourdough discard Italian lemon cake: ciambella. It's a fiercely lemon-y cake that's beautifully golden, a little thick like pound cake, and, with the added sourdough starter, just a very (very!) subtle hint of sourness that really plays nicely with the lemon. Check out this incredibly not glitzy, fancy, or staged photo of the golden cake: And that's kind of the point with this one. It's a back-pocket recipe you can...
2 months agoΒ β’Β 2 min read
Adjusting sourness in your loaf I've been baking sourdough bread for a long while, and for most of that time, I was adjusting the sourness of my bread instinctively without fully understanding why certain things worked. Now I've put it all together in one guide. It covers the science (accessible, I promise), the practical levers you can pull at every stage, and the approach I use in my own kitchen to get exactly the flavor I'm after. If you've ever wished your bread were more or less sour,...
3 months agoΒ β’Β 2 min read