Half the Flour, All of Flavor: Ken Forkish’s Saturday White Bread, Scaled Down

 By: The Food Hunter

There’s something comforting about having a bread recipe you can trust, one that delivers structure and taste without the burden of perfection. For me, that bread is Ken Forkish’s Saturday White Bread, a recipe that I has become my go-to and a favorite in my kitchen.

It isn’t the sort of bread that demands an overnight ferment or obscure flours. It’s straightforward and forgiving,with formula that produces a loaf of bakery-level character: a golden, crackling crust and a crumb that’s tender and deeply satisfying. It’s the kind of bread you tear into minutes after it comes out of the oven, swiping warm hunks through extra virgin olive oil.

What I love most about this recipe is how surprisingly easy it is to master. You don’t need a mixer. You don’t need a starter. And you certainly don’t need to be an expert. The dough is mixed by hand, allowed to ferment slowly, and baked in a Dutch oven.

It’s the kind of recipe that invites repetition, not because it’s challenging, but because it’s endlessly rewarding. It asks little and gives much — a crusty, crackling loaf that never fails to impress and always brings a quiet sense of accomplishment.

The original recipe makes two loaves, but I’ve included a halved version below for a more manageable single loaf.

Single Loaf - Saturday White Bread Recipe
(adapted from Ken Forkish) 

500 g all-purpose flour

360 g warm water (90°F to 95°F)

10.5 g fine sea salt

2 g instant dried yeast

Combine the flour with the water in a large round bowl. Mix by hand just until incorporated. Cover and let rest for 20 to 30 minutes.

Sprinkle the salt and the yeast evenly over the top of the dough. Mix by hand, wetting your working hand before mixing so the dough doesn’t stick to you. Reach underneath the dough and grab about one-quarter of it. Gently stretch this section of dough and fold it over the top to the other side of the dough. Repeat 3 more times with the remaining dough, until the salt and yeast are fully enclosed.

Use the pincer method to fully integrate the ingredients. Make five or six pincer cuts across the entire mass of dough. Then fold the dough over itself a few times. Repeat, alternately cutting and folding until all of the ingredients are fully integrated and the dough has some tension in it. Let the dough rest for a few minutes, then fold for another 30 seconds or until the dough tightens up. The whole process should take about 5 minutes. The target dough temperature at the end of the mix is 77°F to 78°F. If the final mix temperature is cooler, don’t worry, it will just take longer to fully rise. Cover the tub and let the dough rise. 

This dough needs two folds. It’s easiest to apply the folds during the first 1½ hours after mixing the dough. Apply the first fold about 10 minutes after mixing and the second fold during the next hour. If need be, it’s okay to fold later; just be sure to leave it alone for the last hour of rising.

To fold the dough, dip your hand in the container of warm water to wet it so the dough doesn’t stick to you. With your moistened hand, reach underneath the dough and pull about one-quarter of it out and up to stretch it until you feel resistance, then fold it over the top to the other side of the dough. Repeat four or five times, working around the dough until the dough has tightened into a ball. Grab the entire ball and invert it so the seam side, where all of the folds have come together, faces down. This helps the folds hold their position. The top should be smooth.

When the dough relaxes a bit and flattens repeat the process for the second fold. When the dough is triple its original volume, about 5 hours after mixing, it’s ready to be shaped.

With floured hands, pick up the dough and ease it back down onto the work surface in a somewhat even shape. Dust the area in the middle, where you’ll cut the dough, with a bit of flour. Dust a proofing basket with flour. Shape dough into a medium-tight ball. Place seam side down in a proofing basket or bowl.

Lightly flour the tops of the loaf. Set a side and cover with a kitchen towel. Plan on baking the loaf about 1¼ hours after shaped. 

At least 45 minutes prior to baking, put a rack in the middle of the oven and a Dutch oven on the rack with the lid on. Preheat the oven to 475°F (245°C).

For the next step, invert the proofed loaf onto crossed parchment sheets, (for easy transfer), keeping in mind that the top of the loaf will be the side that was facing down while it was rising—the seam side. Use oven mitts to remove the preheated Dutch oven from the oven. Remove the lid. Carefully place the loaf in the hot Dutch oven seam side up. Use mitts to replace the lid, then put the Dutch oven in the oven. Maintain the temperature at 475°F (245°C).

Bake for 30 minutes, then carefully remove the lid and bake for about 20 more minutes, until at least medium dark brown  all around the loaf. Check after 15 minutes of baking uncovered in case your oven runs hot.

Remove the Dutch oven and carefully tilt it to turn the loaf out. Let cool on a rack or set the loaf on its side so air can circulate around it. Let the loaf rest for at least 20 minutes.

Homemade Italian Panettone

By: The Food Hunter

Growing up in an Italian household in South Philadelphia there was always panettone on the kitchen table at Christmas time. The traditional Italian dome topped sweet bread came studded with candied citron, soaked raisins and even chocolate, depending on who made it. Part cake and part bread the panetonne is slightly sweet and buttery tasting and everything you could want on your table during the holiday season. 

Since moving to Phoenix we have resorted to the standard box version of panettone; which although good it is not how I remember it. Every year I have intentions of making my own, but somehow this seems to never pan out. This year I was determined; so I scoured the internet and put together a recipe from a few of the versions I found.

Though making panettone is time consuming, it's not hard. And you'll realize the effort is well worth it when you take your first bite.

Italian Panettone

Sponge:
1/3 cup warm water (110°F to 115°F)
1 (1/4-ounce) packet active dry yeast (2 1/4 teaspoons)
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
Directions

To make the sponge, in a medium bowl, dissolve the yeast in the warm water. Add the flour and stir with a spoon or your fingers to make a loose, almost liquid, dough. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let rise in a warm place for at least 6 hours, or overnight.

Bread:
1/3 cup golden raisins
1/3 cup regular raisins
1/4 brandy
5 tablespoons butter, well softened
2 large eggs
4 large egg yolks
3/4 cup sugar
¼ cup warm (110º to 115ºF) water
1 tablespoon vanilla
4 1/2 to 5 cups Unbleached, All-Purpose Flour
Grated zest of 1 medium orange
Grated zest of 1 medium lemon
1 paper panettone mold

In a small bowl, combine the raisins and brandy, and let marinate for at least 4 hours, or overnight.

In a large bowl, mix the butter, eggs, yolks, sugar, warm water and vanilla together until combined. Drain the marinated raisins in a small strainer set over a bowl and press on the raisins with a spoon to extract as much liquid as possible. Set the raisins aside and add the liquid to the egg mixture. Add the sponge and mix well with your hands. Add the flour a little at a time, mixing with your hands until a ball of dough forms. Turn the dough out onto a floured work surface and knead for 5 to 10 minutes, or until smooth and elastic, adding additional flour as needed.

Butter a large bowl, place the dough in the bowl, and turn to coat. Cover with a clean towel and let rise for 6 hours in a warm place.

Butter and flour a panettone mold at least 6½ inches tall and 7 to 8 inches wide.

Punch down the dough and turn it out onto a floured surface. Flatten the dough out with your hands and sprinkle on the zest. In a small bowl, mix the raisins with 1 tablespoon flour until coated, and sprinkle the mixture over the dough. Fold the dough in half, press the edges together, and knead to distribute the fruits. Continue to knead for 5 to 10 minutes or until the dough is smooth, adding additional flour if necessary. Place the dough in the mold, cover with a clean cloth, and let rise for 35 minutes in a warm place.

Preheat the oven to 400ºF. Cut an X in the top of the bread. Bake for 5 minutes, reduce the heat to 375ºF, and bake for 10 minutes. Reduce the heat to 350ºF, and bake for 30 to 35 minutes longer, rotating half way. If the top begins to brown too much, cover the bread loosely with a piece of foil.

Cool the bread on a rack for about 30 minutes before serving.

Homemade Zucchini Bread

By: Brandi O'Neil

These days all you have to do is google or visit your favorite food blog for a new recipe to try. However, there are weekend afternoons when I enjoy leafing through a cookbook much more than surfing the net. I recently obtained a copy of Southern Plate, a cookbook by Christy Jordan which focuses on classic comfort foods and southern foods that her family raised her on. I liked the fact that some of the recipes were easier to make and included shortcuts, for example, using ready-serve biscuit dough or chicken stock that I didn’t have to make first.

There were so many delicious options, I have already made the potato salad and the fried green tomatoes. The recipe I am sharing with you now is a popular one, even the experienced bakers (who have their own recipe) have asked for this one. This zucchini bread stays moist for days, tastes delicious and the fruit and veggies make it healthy!

Zucchini Bread
(courtesy of Christy Jordan)
3 eggs
¾ cups vegetable oil
2 cups sugar
2 tsps vanilla extract
2 cups shredded zucchini
One 8oz can of crushed pineapple, drained
3 cups flour
2 tsps baking soda
½ tsp baking powder
½ tsp salt
1 ½ tsp ground cinnamon
¾ tsp ground nutmeg (optional – I used it)
1 cup chopped nuts (I used walnuts)
1 cup raisins

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and generously grease two 4x8 inch loaf pans or 4 to 6 mini loaf pans.

In a large bowl, combine the eggs, oil, sugar, vanilla, zucchini, and pineapple. In a separate bowl, sift together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Add the nuts and raisins and mix all together.

Pour into the pans and bake for 1 hour for the full-size loaf pans or 30 minutes for the mini pans, or until the centers are no longer soft.

Throwback Thursday: Italian Easter Bread

"Throwback Thursday: Taking you back through the past 6 years by highlighting some of my favorite blog posts"

Our family breakfast tradition on Easter is Italian Easter Bread.  Growing up in Philadelphia it was sold in all the neighborhood bakeries and you could buy it with eggs or without.  Not the case here in Phoenix. Yes, you can find it here but it's not so readily available.  So what does one do when she calls herself "the food hunter" and doesn't want family traditions to stop just because of where she lives?  She makes her own of course.

 Happy Easter!

Italian Easter Bread 
1 cup milk

2 1/4 ounce packets active dry yeast

1tsp vanilla

1 tsp anise

4 eggs
1/2 cup sugar

4 1/2 cups flour

Zest of 1 lemon

1 tsp salt

1 stick butter cut into 1 inch pieces

Egg wash

1 egg

1 tbs water

In a small saucepan heat the milk over medium to 110 F. Add the yeast to a small bowl with the warm milk and whisk it  with 1 tablespoon of the sugar. Let sit until foamy (about 5 minutes).

Whisk in the eggs, anise and vanilla; set aside.

In a large bowl whisk together the rest of the sugar, flour, lemon zest, and salt.

Pour the flour mixture in the bowl of a mixer. With dough hook attached and mixer on medium speed, slowly add the milk .

Add the butter 1 tablespoon at a time and let it get gently incorporated into the dough. 

Be sure to mix well when all the butter is added (about 3-5 minutes). Adding more flour until your dough is stiff  not sticky. 

Put a little flour on the counter and scrape the dough out of mixer. Knead the dough a little and shape the dough into a ball.

Oil a large glass bowl and place the dough in there too rest. Rub a little oil on top of the dough and cover for about 1-1 1/2 hours.

Punch down the dough.

Divide the dough into 3 portions. Roll each portion into a strip about 15" long. Pinch the ends and start the braid...you can leave as a long braid or pinch ends together to form a wreath.

Cover with a kitchen towel and let rest 45 minutes. Preheat oven to 350.

When ready to bake brush dough with egg wash and add sprinkles. Place on a parchment lined baked pan and bake for 25-30 minutes or until golden in color.  Let cool on rack before slicing.

Almond Butter Banana Bread

By: The Food Hunter

The banana is America’s top-selling fruit. Contrary to common perception, the banana actually comes from the world’s largest herbaceous flowering plant—not from a tree. Bananas grow in bunches called hands; a group of hands make up a stem, which can weigh over 100 pounds.

Bananas are known to be rich in potassium. A medium banana can contain 400–600 milligrams of it. They are very low in calories and fat, and provide a multitude of vitamins and minerals. The health benefits of bananas are numerous and include lowering blood pressure, boosting brain power and energy levels and fighting depression...just to name a few.



Fresh bananas are available year-round. They ripen best off the plant. The more ripe they are, the sweeter they taste. Bananas should be firm, but not too hard, bright in appearance, and free from bruises or other injuries. Their stems and tips should be intact. The size of the banana does not affect its quality, so simply choose the size that best meets your needs.

In addition to being eaten raw, bananas are a wonderful addition to a variety of recipes from salads to baked goods. Bananas and most nut butters go great together; with that in mind I came up with this wonderful recipe for Almond Butter Banana bread. Made with whole wheat flour and packed with protein I like to enjoy this with my morning coffee.


Almond Butter Banana Bread
(printable recipe)

1/2 cup brown sugar
2/3 cup fresh ground almond butter
2 egg whites
1 1/2 cups mashed banana
1/3 cup non-fat yogurt
1 2/3 cup whole wheat flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup chopped pecans (optional)

Preheat oven 350° F. Grease and flour a loaf pan.

In a large bowl, beat sugar and almond butter until fluffy. Beat in eggs on low speed until blended then add bananas and yogurt. Beat for 30 seconds. Stir in remaining ingredients until just combined and pour into loaf pan. Sprinkle top with pecans, if using.

Bake 55 to 60 minutes until toothpick comes out clean when inserted into the center of the loaf.

Cool in pan for 5 minutes and remove to cooling rack.

Italian Easter Bread

By: The Food Hunter

Our family breakfast tradition on Easter is Italian Easter Bread.  Growing up in Philadelphia it was sold in all the neighborhood bakeries and you could buy it with eggs or without.  Not the case here in Phoenix. Yes, you can find it here but it's not so readily available.  So what does one do when she calls herself "the food hunter" and doesn't want family traditions to stop just because of where she lives?  She makes her own of course.

 Happy Easter!

Getting ready to go into the oven

Italian Easter Bread
1 cup milk

2 1/4 ounce packets active dry yeast

1tsp vanilla

1 tsp anise

1/2 cup sugar

4 1/2 cups flour

Zest of 1 lemon

1 tsp salt

1 stick butter cut into 1 inch pieces

Just out of the oven

Egg wash

1 egg

1 tbs water

In a small saucepan heat the milk over medium to 110 F. Add the yeast to a small bowl with the warm milk and whisk it  with 1 tablespoon of the sugar. Let sit until foamy (about 5 minutes).

Whisk in the eggs, anise and vanilla; set aside.

In a large bowl whisk together the rest of the sugar, flour, lemon zest, and salt.

Pour the flour mixture in the bowl of a mixer. With dough hook attached and mixer on medium speed, slowly add the milk .

Add the butter 1 tablespoon at a time and let it get gently incorporated into the dough. 

Be sure to mix well when all the butter is added (about 3-5 minutes). Adding more flour until your dough is stiff  not sticky. 

Put a little flour on the counter and scrape the dough out of mixer. Knead the dough a little and shape the dough into a ball.

Oil a large glass bowl and place the dough in there too rest. Rub a little oil on top of the dough and cover for about 1-1 1/2 hours.

Punch down the dough.

Divide the dough into 3 portions. Roll each portion into a strip about 15" long. Pinch the ends and start the braid...you can leave as a long braid or pinch ends together to form a wreath.

Cover with a kitchen towel and let rest 45 minutes. Preheat oven to 350.

When ready to bake brush dough with egg wash and add sprinkles. Place on a parchment lined baked pan and bake for 25-30 minutes or until golden in color.  Let cool on rack before slicing.

A Bread-Time Story: My Experience Baking Basic White Bread

By Jennifer Giralo


The world of baking bread has always been an intimidating, unknown territory to me. Scary as it was, I dove into the basic recipes of  How to be a Breadhead: A Beginner’s Guide to Baking by Fr. Dominic Garramone, OSB. With his encouraging text, descriptive steps, and basic recipes, I was able to face my fears and learn so much in the process.



Not one recipe is mentioned until page 34, as the science and process to baking breads is too important to skip. Fr. Dominic begins with the benefits to baking bread. For example, bread can be a source of stress therapy, as the process includes vigorous physical activities and creates a tangible, enjoyable product that can be shared or admired. Bread can also help with a sense of connection to your community. “The very word ‘companion’ comes from the Latin cum pane: ‘with bread’,” the author explains (pg. 6).

Here comes the science-y part.

He describes the benefits and advantages in using all-purpose flour, bread flour, or whole wheat flour more protein is in bread flour). He even shares the differences in bleached and unbleached flour. The book provides a diagram depicting flour’s composition.

From a beginner’s standpoint, yeast was an intimidating beast to tackle. By understanding the chemical interaction of your ingredients, the fear of the unknown disappears. Fr. Dominic helps beginners understand how yeast consumes the sugars in flour and produces alcohol and carbon dioxide. The smell of the dough shocked me, to be honest. However, the carbon dioxide gas results in the bread dough’s lift. You know the author did a great job at explaining this concept if a beginner can explain it in their own words in a blog.

Throughout the book, his attitude reflected his uplifting recipes. His creativeness and energy made for an interesting read, oven on or off.

For my first Breadhead experience (a Breadhead is a person who is passionate about baking), I started with basic white dough, typically used for free form, standard loaves, garlic bread, dinner rolls, pizza, or pretzels (best if all are not eaten in the same night, trust me). The author likes this recipe because it sets a good foundation for hundreds of recipes, and it is easy to remember (it contains lots of 2’s).

I had the most fun applying my readings about the chemical mixtures of yeast and the processes for kneading. It felt as if each new smell or movement in the bread was a check-point as if I were on the right track.

“It smells like alcohol! Just like the book said!” I yelled to my partner, who is the designated taster.

“Good?” He said, confused on my happiness over the smell of alcohol.

I strayed from the recipe, as I used my Le Creuset Pate Terrine to bake the loaf. Cast iron usually bakes at 25° less than the recommended setting, as the material retains the heat drastically.

After several punches and stretches (the recipe calls for such), my struggles produced a couple of basic loaves of white bread. Our group dipped the bread in balsamic vinegar and garlic oil. This bread recipe can be enjoyed in a variety of ways.

My next quest as a newly inducted Breadhead? (I inducted myself.) I’m going to try Fr. Dominic’s Raisin Walnut Bread. It contains our Basic White Dough recipe with the addition of dark raisins and walnuts for a more wholesome texture and taste.


Basic White Dough

2 cups warm water (100°F to 110°F)
2 pkg. active dry yeast (1 pkg. is equal to 2 ¼ tsp.)
2 Tbs. granulated sugar
2 tsp. salt
2 Tbs. vegetable oil
5 ½ to 6 cups all-purpose or bread flour


Dissolve yeast in warm water in a large mixing bowl. Add sugar, oil, and salt, and mix well. Add 5 cups of flour, one cup at a time, mixing well after each cup. Knead for 5 to 8 minutes, adding more flour as needed to make a smooth and elastic dough that is only slightly sticky. Lightly oil the surface of the dough and place in a clean, dry bowl. Cover with a dry cloth and let rise about an hour or until doubled. Punch the dough down, and knead it lightly, in order to expel large air bubbles.

Divide the dough into two equal portions. Lightly dust your hands with flour. Grasp the portion of dough on opposite sides and pull gently to stretch the top. Tuck the ends under and pinch them gently. Give the dough a quarter turn and repeat, again stretching the top into a smooth surface; tuck the ends under and punch. Repeat as necessary to form a smooth round of dough with some tension on the top. This tight surface will hold the gases better and make for a higher, lighter loaf. Repeat with the other portion of dough. You may also roll the dough gently on the countertop under your palm to form an oval shape.

Place the loaves on a lightly greased baking sheet, evenly spaced. Cover with a clean, dry cloth and let rise for 30 minutes or until almost doubled. Bake in a preheated 375°F oven on the middle rack for 20-25 minutes, or until loaves are lightly browned and sound hollow when tapped. The interior temperature of the loaf should be about 195°F. Cool on a wire rack.

For more information about Fr. Garramone and his wonderful recipes, visit his blog.

There are a variety of ways to knead bread. Check out videos online for different techniques. I found this one to be helpful.

Pumpernickel Rosemary Grissini & A Baker's Dream Give Away

According to Wikipedia: Pumpernickel is a very heavy, slightly sweet, rye. It originates from Germany where it was derived using a combination of rye flour and whole rye berries.  Traditionally made with a sour dough starter it got its dark color from the long baking period. Now a days the North American version is darkened by adding molasses, coffee or often cocoa powder.

Why am I telling you this?  Well first because I find it very interesting and secondly because today's recipe features pumpernickel four. Remember I told you early in the week that my Virtual Potluck group was teaming up with King Arthur Flour and Red Star Yeast to bring you some awesome recipes and a give away...this is another one of those recipes.

One of the ingredients I was given to work with was pumpernickel flour. And one of the first things I thought to make was bread sticks. Why bread sticks. Well I'll be honest. I needed something to bring to a dinner party.  I was in charge of the appetizer...the theme was Italian. Hence Pumpernickel Rosemary Grissini were born.

Pumpernickel Rosemary Grissini

6.75 ounces bread flour
3.375 ounces pumpernickel
3/4 teaspoons salt
 3/4 teaspoons instant yeast
1.5 tablespoons fresh rosemary, chopped
1.5 tablespoons olive oil
3/4 cup water
sea salt

Preheat your oven to 325.
Mix all of your dry ingredients together in the bowl of a food processor.  Mix your water and oil together. With the processor running slowly add your liquids and continue to mix until a ball forms.  Turn out onto a floured surface and gently kneed by hand.

Place dough in a nonreactive bowl and cover.  Let rise about 90 mins. Dough should double in size. When ready cut dough into two equal pieces. Working with one at a time roll dough out into a rectangle. Using a pizza cutter slice dough into 1/4 inch thick strips.

Roll each strip between your fingers to create a rope effect.  Lay ropes in a pan lined with parchment.  Brush each rope with olive oil and sprinkle with course sea salt.

Bake for 30 mins. rotating mid way so that the grissini cook evenly.


***Don't forget there's a give away going on. You can win the Baker's Dream Give Away. Check my previous post for details.*** 

Tea Biscuits & A Baker's Dream Giveaway

Let me take you back in time for a few minutes….

The year is somewhere between 1980-1984. The place is South Philadelphia. The scene is my mom and I; early on Sunday mornings walking the 7 blocks from our row home to the Termini Brother’s Bakery (a Philadelphia institution). Waiting in line for the tea biscuits that would come fresh out of the oven. I remember this as if it were yesterday…Sunday morning tea biscuits were a special treat. We would eat these flakey raisin studded scones toasted and spread with butter.

Fast forward:

It’s 2012. I’m living in Phoenix Arizona. My mom who now lives just a few miles away is seated with me at my kitchen table. In front of us is a plate of tea biscuits. Not Termini’s but ones I recreated during a recent Virtual Potluck event with King Arthur Flour and Red Star Yeast.

All of the VP bloggers were given products from both Red Star Yeast and King Arthur’s Flour…two quality companies for obtaining all of your baking needs. The task was to come up with a recipe using these products. Sounds easy, right? Well one of the items I was given was a sourdough starter. And I've never worked with a starter before so this was a challenge for me.

There’s a lot of responsibility that comes with a sourdough starter…or so it seemed at first. Care and feeding of dough; is not something I was used to.  But I quickly realized that there really isn’t much too it and the possibilities are endless of what you can make with it. (there are over 2,000 recipes available online)

Anyway, back to the tea biscuits. I went with a pretty basic sourdough scone recipe; added some golden raisins and did an egg wash on top to get the brown color I remembered. The result was delicious....not quite the flakey texture of Termini's but still really good. I will definitely make these again. 

Tea Biscuits

2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup sugar
1 cup golden raisins
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp cream of tarter
1/3 cup cold unsalted butter, cut into slices
1 1/4 cups sourdough starter
egg wash

Preheat an oven to 400 degrees. Sprinkle two baking sheets lightly with flour.

Whisk together the flour, salt, cream of tartar, baking soda, sugar, and golden raisins. Cut in the slices of butter with a knife or pastry blender until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Add the sourdough starter and mix by hand to form a soft dough.

Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured work surface. Using a floured rolling pin, roll dough into a 1/2-inch thick round. Use a biscuit cutter to cut into circles and place the scones on the prepared baking sheet about 1 inch apart. Re-roll dough if needed.

Lightly brush the tops of each scone with the egg wash. Bake until the scones just start to turn golden ~15 minutes. Remove from baking sheets and cool.

Enter to win A Baker's Dream Giveaway!

One lucky winner will receive from King Arthur Flour one (1) dough whisk, one (1) coupon for a bag of flour in the supermarket, one (1) sourdough starter, and one (1) bag of Pumpernickel Flour. But that's not all! Red Star Yeast is adding three (3) strips of yeast, one (1) bread loaf pan, one (1) apron, and one (1) bread knife to this baking package!

There are several ways to enter:

1. Leave a comment on this post; tell me what you would make if you win.
2. Follow King Arthur Flour on Facebook or Twitter and let me know you did
3. Follow Red Star Yeast on Facebook or Twitter and let me know here
4. Comment on one of the other VP posts and don't forget to let me know
5. Tweet about the contest and let me know

Contest ends midnight EST on 6/10/2012. 

My Secret Obsession with Bread Making

The past few months I've been secretly obsessed with the book: Artisan Bread in 5 Minutes A Day, written by Jeff Hertzberg and Zoe Francois. This book is awesome. It's bread making made easy.

Prior to getting the Artisan Bread book I had never tried making my own bread...honestly I'd never made anything using yeast. Just the thought of baking with yeast scared me. It seemed way too involved and complicated.

Artisan Bread in 5 Minutes A Day has definitely changed my way of thinking about bread making. Now I know it couldn't be easier and I'm totally addicted. The book demonstrates how with a few basic recipes you can create all kinds of wonderful breads.

So far I've made:

Italian semolina bread with sesame seeds; dense with a nice crunch.


100% whole wheat sandwich loaf; both good and good for you.


Boule (the master recipe)

Focaccia with olive oil and garlic and roasted red pepper fougasse


And last but not least sticky pecan caramel rolls


I think I'll go make a batch of these now...