bread
After years of trying different bagel recipies, Stella Parks’ bagels from Serious Eats proved to be the best of the bunch. It produced reliably flavorful bagels with a crisp crust and chewy texture. I modified the recipe by simplifying the yukone step, switching to high-gluten flour, and adding a sourdough
bread
Having had a steady stream of good outcomes with plain white sourdough bread, I wondered about a sweeter version that might be a breakfast treat or dessert. Strangely, there aren't a lot of these recipes out there. Many recipes adapt traditional sweets (e.g. cakes, quick breads, muffins,
bread
In the mad dash to hoard flour (and, to be honest, to stuff my virtual shopping cart sufficiently to earn free shipping), I ended up with a two pound bag of buckwheat flour courtesy of King Arthur Flour. I had been curious about the nutty taste so fondly described by
vegetables
Learning to use new ingredients can be daunting, especially vegetables where the preparation and cooking techniques are unfamiliar and the guidance available is minimal. Fortunately, kabocha is fairly forgiving. I've settled on a reliable technique that works well and requires no additional ingredients like oil or seasonings. My
bread
I've kept my sourdough starter in suspended animation for years, with periodic feedings. A couple attempts at using it for leavening largely failed, so it was relegated to the role of a flavor enhancer in my yeast-based breads. Given the surge in sourdough popularity associated with the COVID-19
bread
I have kept a sourdough starter in my fridge for at least five years or so. I knew very little when I started, but followed a range of web-based instructions for how to get started. I quickly tired of the twice-daily "feedings" of flour and water (not to
vegetables
Most instructions on the web suggest roasting kabocha at about 400° F. My usual protocol involves baking the whole squash for about 20 minutes at 400 °F, scooping out the seeds, cutting into 24-32 wedges (depending on size), then roasting for 40 more minutes. At this time of year, I’
dessert
While pre-packaged baked goods now dominate many childhoods, when I was growing up, most desserts came fro the neighborhood bakery. I have no idea how much time has enhanced my memories of these treats, but the most tangible losses are those that cannot be replaced in today's markets.
bread
Unlike my youngest child, who frequently requests the crust of even the softest breads removed before she will touch it, my search for intensely crusty bread seems boundless. The crustier, the better, even if it leaves my mouth ravaged by a trauma only rivaled by several bowls of Cap’n
dessert
In the midst of the COVID-19 lockdown, my family has been inhaling desserts at an alarming rate. I have a simple, scalable cookie dough that has been the basis for many forms of cookies: * 112 g (one stick) unsalted butter, slightly cooler than room temperature * 100 g light brown sugar
vegetables
Squash season is in full swing. The shelves usually limited to bland butternut and unispiring acorn varieties are now bursting with a varied and colorful bounty. I typically ignored these generally unattractive gourds until the past year or two, when I discovered the unique taste of the kabocha. Dense, flavorful,
bread
I have always hand-shaped my burger buns, but after buying a set of ring molds for English muffins, I saw the opportunity to create perfectly identical buns. I took my usual burger bun dough and portioned it into a dozen round balls. I then lightly oiled the inside of each