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I hate wasting scraps—so when Chefsteps suggested using dough scraps to make monkey bread, I fell in love with the idea. Doughnuts produce lots of scraps, and homemade doughnut holes are both hard to cook at home and turn stale quickly. The recipe can be made using the scraps from my doughnut recipe, or from a half batch of doughnut dough. Don’t worry about making the chunks even or pretty; they’ll get torn apart anyways. Makes one loaf of monkey bread Ingredients Scraps from 1 recipe doughnuts, or ½ recipe doughnut dough 150g dark brown sugar 2 tbsp unsalted butter, melted 100g chocolate chips 1 tsp Diamond Crystal kosher salt If using doughnut dough but not making doughnuts, prepare the dough as specified using half of the ingredients and proof for one hour. Punch down the dough and dust the countertop with flour, but instead of rolling into a sheet, use your hands to roll the dough into a 1” diameter log. Use a bench scraper to cut the dough into 1” segments. Generously grease a bundt pan with baking spray. Whisk together the brown sugar, melted butter, chocolate chips, and kosher salt in a large bowl. If using doughnut scraps, cut scraps into ¾”-1” chunks. Toss the dough pieces together with the brown sugar mixture by hand until the pieces are thoroughly coated. Place the dough pieces in the bundt pan, loosely cover with plastic wrap, and let proof at room temperature until puffed but not quite doubled in size, 45 minutes to an hour. 20 minutes before baking, preheat the oven to 350°F. Once the dough has fully proofed, place in the oven and bake until the top is golden brown and the internal temperature of the loaf registers 200-210°F, 25-35 minutes. Remove from the oven and immediately invert the loaf onto a serving plate. Let cool for several minutes and eat while still warm.

Since I don’t enjoy deep frying, I save doughnuts for special occasions. I decided to make a recipe with all of the characteristics I look for in a doughnut: tender but slightly chewy, yeasty and eggy, and glazed with sugar. As it turns out, finding textural balance between a cake and a bagel can be challenging. This recipe uses part bread and all-purpose flour, as well as vegetable oil for tenderness. Diastatic malt powder, also found in my bagel recipe, contains enzymes which break starches into sugars, promoting browning. Instead of making doughnut holes, which often turn out dry, try using the scraps to make monkey bread. Makes 20-30 donuts, depending on the size Ingredients 70g vegetable oil 2 eggs 6g (2 tsp) instant yeast 400g milk 100g sugar 6g Diamond Crystal kosher salt 200g bread flour 400g all-purpose flour 20g diastatic malt powder (optional) 2 qt vegetable oil 300g confectioner’s sugar 100g hot water Pinch kosher salt 4 oz seedless jam, optional In the bowl of a stand mixer, whisk together the eggs, vegetable oil, yeast, milk, and sugar until homogenous (it is ok if the oil separates). Add the salt, bread flour, all-purpose flour, and diastatic malt and mix with the dough hook attachment by hand until the dough forms a shaggy mass. Attach the dough hook to the stand mixer, and mix the dough on medium-high speed until it is smooth, pulls away from the edges of the bowl, and passes the windowpane test, 10-15 minutes. Cover with plastic wrap and let rise at room temperature for one hour or until doubled in size. Uncover the bowl and punch the dough down to deflate. Lightly dust a countertop with flour, and place the dough on the counter. Roll the dough out to ½” thickness. Using a 3” ring cutter or a drinking glass with a thin rim, cut out 20-30 doughnuts. Using a pastry tip or other narrow ring cutter, cut holes in the center of the doughnuts, or keep doughnuts whole if filling with jam. Reserve the holes if frying or making monkey bread. Line two 13”x18” sheet pans with parchment paper and spray with cooking spray. Place the doughnuts (and doughnut holes, if frying) on the sheet tray with at least 1” space between doughnuts. Spray the top of the doughnuts with cooking spray. If proofing the doughnuts overnight in the refrigerator tightly cover with plastic wrap and transfer to the refrigerator. Chill for at least 10 hours and up to 18 hours. If proofing the doughnuts at room temperature, loosely cover the doughnuts with plastic wrap and let rest at room temperature until the doughnuts are puffed but not quite doubled in size, around 45 minutes. 30 minutes before frying, heat 2 qt vegetable oil in a large stock pot or dutch oven over medium heat to 350°F, using an instant-read or candy thermometer to gauge the oil temperature. Line a sheet tray with paper towels and place a wire rack atop. In a medium bowl, whisk together the confectioner’s sugar, hot water, and salt until homogenous. When the oil has reached 350°F, place three or four doughnuts in the oil and let cook until golden brown, 30-40 seconds. Then flip the doughnuts with a slotted spoon or spider and cook for another 30-40 seconds. Remove the doughnuts from the oil and place them on the rack. Repeat with the remaining doughnuts, monitoring the temperature and changing the temperature as needed. Let the doughnuts cool on the rack for 2 minutes. If filling with jam, poke a hole in the side of the doughnuts with a paring knife and pipe jam into the centers with a piping bag or Ziploc bag with the edge snipped off. To glaze the doughnuts, use your fingers or forks to dip the doughnuts in the confectioner’s sugar mixture and return to the wire rack to cool. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Pizza is my favorite type of bread; therefore, I wanted to make this recipe perfect. I began by defining my ideal pizza: bright and fresh tomato sauce, fresh mozzarella (torn by hand), and a dough with the fluffiness of Neapolitan and crunch of New York style. And, of course, the dough had to contain sourdough starter. I quickly found that neither instant yeast nor sourdough starter alone created the ideal dough—thus, my dough uses both. The yeast provides lift, while the sourdough provides flavor. The dough has a 70% hydration, slightly more than Neapolitan style, making for a blistered, crackling crust. Baking the pizza on a stone close to the top heating element of the oven mimics the high heat environment of a pizza oven. My favorite toppings are caramelized onions and Calabrian chili, but mushrooms, anchovies, pepperoni, ricotta, meatballs, and everything else (besides pineapple) are also acceptable. Makes three 11" pizzas Ingredients Dough 450g bread flour 9g Diamond Crystal kosher salt 300g water 100g mature sourdough starter 1g (around 1/2 tsp) instant yeast Olive oil Sauce 14 oz can San Marzano tomatoes, liquid drained 1 clove garlic, minced 1 tsp Diamond Crystal kosher salt 4-5 basil leaves Toppings and Assembly 40g semolina flour 8-10 oz fresh mozzarella, torn into 1/2-inch chunks Freshly grated Parmigiano Reggiano cheese 10-12 basil leaves Extra virgin olive oil Caramelized onions, pre-browned mushrooms, ricotta, Calabrian chili, sausage, or any other topping of your preference. Whisk the water, starter, and yeast in a large bowl. Add the flour and salt and mix with a wooden spoon until no dry spots of flour remain. Turn the dough on to a well-floured counter. Knead until it does not stick to your finger when lightly pressed, about 10 minutes. Place in a clear container and cover with a dish towel. Let rise at room temperature for five hours. Turn the dough out on to a lightly floured countertop. Cut the dough into three even pieces. Using your hands, form each piece of dough into a taught ball. Place dough balls on a lightly oiled sheet tray. Pour 1 tsp of olive oil on each dough ball and use your hands to coat each dough ball. Cover the tray with plastic wrap. Refrigerate overnight, or for up to 2 days. While the dough is refrigerating, make the sauce. Place the tomatoes, garlic, salt, and basil in a food processor and pulse in one-second bursts until the sauce has a few small chunks of tomato remaining, about 8 seconds. Pour into a bowl and refrigerate until ready to use. One hour before making pizza, place a baking stone at the top rack of an oven and preheat to 500°F (or highest oven temperature). 20 minutes before baking, remove the dough from the fridge and let it sit at room temperature. 10 minutes before baking, turn the broiler on. To shape the pizzas, lightly flour a countertop, place a ball of dough domed-side-up on the counter, sprinkle the dough with flour, and using your knuckles, form the dough into a flat disk (don’t press the edges down! They will form the crust). Gently lift the pizza dough and use your knuckles to stretch the dough out into a 11-inch round. Keep track of which side of the dough was facing up in the fridge—this will be the side facing up in the oven. When the dough is fully stretched, lay it on the counter, and sprinkle the pizza peel with semolina. Place the pizza dough on the peel, and add about 1/4 cup sauce, mozzarella, parmesan, and toppings. Drizzle with olive oil. Though it may be tempting, do not add too many toppings to the pizza—they can weigh it down and make it soggy. Turn the broiler off and turn the oven back to 500°F. Slide the pizza onto the baking stone and bake until the cheese is melted and the crust is lightly charred and golden brown, around 3-5 minutes. Once you remove the pizza from the oven, remember to turn the broiler back on while you make the next pizza. Let each pizza cool for around 2 minutes before slicing and serving.

Focaccia is simple by design. Instead of reinventing the wheel, I decided to create a naturally leavened version of focaccia. Focaccia requires little kneading because the loaf is pillowy and less chewy than classic sourdough. ½ cup of olive oil may sound like a lot, but it will ensure your loaf is crispy around the edges and well-browned all over. I consider flaky salt mandatory for this recipe. Makes one 13"x9" focaccia loaf Ingredients 500 ml water 60g starter (or 2 tsp instant yeast) 20g honey 10g (4 tsp) Diamond Crystal kosher salt ½ cup extra virgin olive oil, divided by four (each 2 tbsp is 24g) 600g bread flour 1 tbsp flaky sea salt In a large bowl, whisk the water, sourdough starter (or yeast), honey, and 2 tbsp of olive oil together until well combined. There should be no remaining chunks of starter. Add the salt and whisk thoroughly to combine. The oil will float to the top of the water, but this is fine. Add the bread flour and using a wooden spoon (or very firm silicone spatula), stir the flour into the liquid until no dry spots of flour remain. Add 2 tbsp olive oil to another large bowl. Add the dough to the bowl with olive oil. Cover with plastic wrap. If using sourdough starter, let rest at room temperature until doubled in size, 12-16 hours, and if using dry active yeast, refrigerate for at least 12 hours, or up to 18. When the focaccia has risen, use a brush to grease a 9x13” metal baking pan (not a sheet pan!) with 2 tbsp olive oil. Lightly grease your hands with olive oil, and reaching underneath the dough, fold the focaccia over itself six times. Turn the focaccia into the baking pan and press it into a rough rectangle the size of the pan (you will not be able to fully stretch it into the corners of the pan as it relaxes). Cover the pan with plastic wrap and let rise again at room temperature for 2-3 hours, until puffed and dotted with air bubbles. Thirty minutes before baking, preheat the oven to 450°F and place the rack in the center. Place a small aluminum sheet pan or baking dish on the bottom rack. Once the oven has heated, uncover the focaccia, and using your fingers, firmly press into the dough with your fingers to create divots. They should be spaced around ½ inch apart, but this does not need to be exact (make sure you press all the way into the dough—you should reach the bottom of the pan when you press). Drizzle the remaining 2 tbsp olive oil over the focaccia, and sprinkle generously with flaky sea salt. Place the focaccia on the center rack of the oven and place two ice cubes in the tray on the bottom rack. Bake for 20-30 minutes, turning at the 20-minute mark, until the focaccia is golden brown across the top and springs back when pressed gently. The focaccia is ready when the internal temperature at the center registers 210°F. Let the focaccia cool for 10 minutes before removing it from the pan and letting it cool on a wired rack for another 20 minutes before slicing and serving.

Babka is an Eastern European Jewish specialty. Babka is cinnamon or chocolate flavored and has swirls of filling throughout the bread. My take on babka uses brioche dough and has chocolate and tahini (though I will enthusiastically accept a cinnamon babka). Though you may be tempted to dive in, the babka stays freshest when served at room temperature. Makes two babka Ingredients Tangzhong 100g whole milk 30g bread flour Bread 100g ripe sourdough starter 6 eggs 150g milk 40g honey 3g (1 tsp) instant or dry active yeast 600g bread flour 10g (1 tbsp) Diamond Crystal kosher salt 16 tbsp butter Filling 140g chocolate 60g tahini 2 tbsp unsalted butter 1g (½ tsp) Diamond Crystal kosher salt Egg Wash 1 egg Flaky sea salt In a small saucepan, whisk 30g bread flour with 100g milk. Cook on medium heat, stirring constantly with a silicone spatula, until the mixture forms a thick paste, around 3 minutes. Scrape the mixture into the bowl of a stand mixer, and let cool for 2 minutes Add the remaining 150g milk to the flour mixture, and whisk until incorporated. Add the eggs, sugar, starter, and yeast, and whisk until homogenous. Add the bread flour to the wet ingredients and using the dough hook attachment of a stand mixer, mix by hand until no dry spots of flour remain. Cover (dish cloth is fine) and let rest for 10 minutes. Sprinkle the salt over the dough. Attach the bowl and dough hook to the stand mixer and knead on medium-high, scraping down the bowl every so often, until the dough pulls away from the sides of the bowl, around 7-10 minutes. With the mixture running at medium speed, add a tablespoon of butter at a time to the dough, waiting until each piece of butter is fully incorporated before adding another piece. Once all butter is added, return mixer speed to medium-high and knead until dough passes the windowpane test, another 5-10 minutes. Transfer the dough to a large bowl, and cover with plastic wrap. For best results, proof the dough in the refrigerator overnight, or for 12 hours. Alternatively, let dough rise at room temperature until about doubled in size, 1.5-2 hours. While the dough is rising, make the filling. Melt the chocolate in a microwave or on a double boiler until no lumps remain. Add the tahini and salt and whisk to combine. Let cool to room temperature. Lightly grease two 8x4” loaf pans with butter or baking spray. Lightly dust countertop with flour (bread or AP are both fine). Fold the dough over itself 6 times to deflate. Turn the dough onto the floured counter and roll into an 18”x16” rectangle. Use an offset spatula or knife to spread the chocolate filling evenly over the dough, leaving a ½ inch border around the edge of the dough. Tightly roll the dough into an 18” log. Using a pizza cutter or knife, cut the log evenly in half. Then, slice each log in half lengthwise (you should see the filling). Twist two logs together, keeping the filling face-up, and place in a loaf pan. Repeat with the other two logs. Lightly cover with plastic wrap, and proof until puffed but not quite doubled in size, about 1 hour. 30 minutes before baking, preheat the oven to 350°F. Beat the remaining egg until homogenous. When ready to bake, gently brush the babka with egg wash, and sprinkle with flaky sea salt. Bake until the bread is golden brown, sounds hollow when tapped, and registers 200°F when probed with an instant read thermometer, 30-40 minutes. Let cool at room temperature for 10 minutes, then remove loaves from their pans and let cool completely on a wire rack before slicing and eating.

I am constantly learning more about bread. I consult blogs, websites, books, and other resources every day. Here is a list of sources I use to learn about bread: Tartine Bread, Chad Robertson This book taught me how to bake sourdough. Chad Robertson is responsible for popularizing sourdough. If you're looking for a thorough and beautiful book, look no further. Buy on Bookshop.org New World Sourdough, Bryan Ford A more recent book, Ford travels beyond basic loaves and common confections. This book is fantastic for experienced sourdough bakers, and treads new and exciting ground. Buy on Bookshop.org Dessert Person, Claire Saffitz Claire Saffitz became famous making videos for Bon Appétit, but she now writes for The New York Times Cooking section and has a cookbook, Dessert Person. Her book has several delicious bread recipes, usually sweet, and all worth trying. Buy on Bookshop.org Cook's Illustrated Cook's Illustrated exhaustively tests every recipe it publishes. Though it is behind a paywall, there is a multitude of wonderful recipes. Go to CooksIllustrated.com Chefsteps Chefsteps explains the science behind each recipe they publish and creates accessible versions of professional recipes. Plus, all their recipes use gram measurements! Go to Chefsteps.com Serious Eats Serious Eats is a cooking and baking website which offers much more than bread recipes. Food scientist J. Kenji Lopez Alt offers detailed and meticulously tested recipes, while Stella Parks (AKA Bravetart) creates magical pastries. Go to SeriousEats.com Modernist Cuisine Modernist Cuisine explores the "why" behind every aspect of bread. They recently released a several-volume exploration of bread (costing upwards of $500), but they have a blog and several free recipes available on their website. Go to ModernistCuisine.com

Bread, in its simplest form, is flour, water, and salt. However, even from my early days baking challah, a traditional Jewish bread enriched with oil and egg, bread has served as much more than an amalgam of pantry staples. Bread introduced me to the kitchen; as a four-year-old, I stood on tip-toes to observe my sisters and parents baking. I dreamed of a time when I could go near the oven, let alone open it. For a few years, baking bread was little more than an aspiration. Inspired to take up a new practice a decade later, I decided to bake my first sourdough loaf. I stirred water and flour—and waited. I anxiously tracked my starter’s progress for two weeks, hoping for the smallest sign of growth. After weeks of anticipation, my starter began bubbling and growing, meaning it had reached a sustainable quorum of natural bacteria and yeast. When I baked my first loaf, however, it was a remarkable failure. The bread was flat and dense, yet over-baked. (1) I sat puzzled by my mistakes. Did I follow every step to the letter? Yes. Did I take my time, waiting until the starter was truly ready? Of course. The only rational explanation for my failure was that I did not have what it takes to bake sourdough. For a few weeks, I gave up on bread. My starter sat in the back of the fridge, slowly fermenting into oblivion. By the time I worked up the courage to bake sourdough again (this time having learned of my past mistakes), I realized I was too late: my starter was dead. The once white, bubbly goo was now a dark gray sludge, drowned beneath a thick pool of alcoholic byproduct. (2) Desperate, I tried to revive my starter. I nursed it with nutrient-rich flours for days, praying for a recovery with each feeding. After just three days of pampering and prayer, my starter was back, returned from the dead. I decided to name my starter “Lazarus,” not just to honor its reanimation, but also to recall the nature of bread-baking. (3) We, like bread, go through phases, give up, find ourselves lost, or simply lack motivation—but when we pick ourselves up, bread will always be there waiting for us, ready to return from slumber. Bread is so much more than flour, water, and salt. Bread can be a cherished family ritual, or a weekend project. Bread is challenging, unique, and beautiful. I hope that you, reader, choose to discover bread for yourself. Baking can be daunting, but it is deeply rewarding. You will fail, inevitably, but you will also triumph. With just a few humble ingredients, you can discover a vast and unique world of baking—so what are you waiting for? A Very Brief History of Bread More than 14,000 years ago, long before the origin of modern agriculture, hunter-gatherers in modern day Jordan baked the oldest samples of bread known to man. (4) Since then, bread’s sphere of influence has only grown. Bread and yeast have been found in Egyptian tombs, and brick bread ovens (today used to make pizza) were used in Pompeii. (5) Bread serves as a foundation for society because it is a perfect food, in many ways: it is cheap and adaptable, and it uses few ingredients. Most of the earliest civilizations grew wheat, because it required little water and could be dried for later use. But in ancient Egypt, wheat not only enabled the construction of an empire; it was also central to Egyptian mythology. Osiris, the god of wheat and agriculture, was also the god of fertility and rebirth. Each year, the Nile flooded and created fertile land for crop growth; wheat symbolized rebirth, as it represented the passage of a soul to a different body. Mummified bodies were buried with wheat and loaves of bread. Beyond the ancient days, bread was a catalyst and cause of several revolutions. In France, bread riots occurred when the price of bread was too high for the lowest classes. Later, the high price of bread pushed the French people to a breaking point in the late 18th century (long story made short, several people lost their heads). In Russia, the Bolshevik party rallied the proletariat class around a catchy slogan, “Peace! Land! Bread!”, as the lower class starved in the lead up to the Russian revolution. Politicians, take note: if you want to gain support, consider adopting a starchy slogan. Bread appears in some modern religions, too. In the Jewish story of Passover, Hebrews fleeing Egypt had no time to leaven their bread; thus, matzo was born. The story of Passover represented a rebirth for the Jewish people—only the progeny of the older people could pass into the new promised land, passing the spirit of the Hebrew people on to new bodies. Christianity is centered around the resurrection of Christ—and bread is a metaphor for the body of Christ, the most common example of resurrection. Bread was a common symbol of divine presence not only because it breathed life into civilization, but because it also represented the nature of life. A person is born, grows, and dies, but their legacy lives on in future generations. A sourdough starter has a similar cycle; it begins as a small colony, which feeds and grows, then loses strength until it is fed again, and the cycle continues. A starter regularly changes to a new body, but its flavor—its spirit—remains the same. In the spring of 2020, as the pandemic began and millions of people were trapped at home, a new generation of people fell in love with sourdough. Perhaps the sudden period of solitude motivated people to cultivate their own source of food, or more likely, the only non-perishable ingredient people had was flour; regardless of the cause, bread became more than a commodity. The same product that cradled and sustained civilization at its earliest stages saved many of us from boredom and solitude. Bread is—and always has been—more than a pastime and a filler of empty bellies. The Baker’s Vocabulary Throughout my recipes and articles, I will refer to a number of terms which bakers use to describe bread. Here are some common ones: Baker’s Percentage For decades, American home cooks have used volumetric measurements in their baking recipes. But ask almost any professional baker for a recipe, and they will give you quantities in grams—and for good reason. Especially when measuring ingredients of varying volumes, like flour and brown sugar, a cup measure can hold up to 10% more volume than a recipe calls for. Bakers must produce consistent goods, and the only way to do this is by weighing ingredients. Many bread recipes include a baker’s percentage; this refers to the ratio of other ingredients to the amount of flour. For example: if a bread loaf contains 1000 grams of flour, 500 grams of water, and 20 grams of salt, the hydration is 50% and the salt content is 2%. The flour content is always 100%. Baker’s percentages are helpful as they make scaling recipes up (or down) incredibly easy. The Windowpane Test I refer to the windowpane test several times throughout my recipes—this simply means that dough has developed a strong enough gluten network that it can be stretched into a thin film without tearing. The Float Test The float test refers to a sourdough starter. If you are unsure of whether your starter is mature enough to bake with, try dropping a teaspoon of starter into a cup of water. If it floats, your starter is good to go. Buyer’s Guide Before you begin baking bread like a professional, there are a few things you must have, a few things you should have, and a few things you can splurge on: Must Haves Kitchen scale A fair warning: each recipe I write uses a kitchen scale to measure ingredients. In the world of professional baking, volumetric measurements are seldom used because of their inaccuracies and inconsistencies. A kitchen scale ensures that ingredients are measured accurately, and it also helps save time. If you must convert from grams to volume, refer to this table: https://www.kingarthurbaking.com/learn/ingredient-weight-chart. Bread flour Bread flour is the ultimate workhorse for all bread baking. Its high protein content ensures loaves with strong gluten networks, meaning higher rises and larger bubbles. Each recipe I develop uses King Arthur Bread Flour. All-purpose flour All-purpose flour is used less commonly in bread, but can usually be used in a pinch for basic loaves. If baking pastries or tender breads, such as donuts, recipes will typically include all-purpose flour. In my kitchen, I use King Arthur All-Purpose Flour. Whole Wheat Flour Whole wheat flour’s value is two fold: the yeast and bacteria in sourdoughs love to feed on the more complex starches, and the presence of more parts of the wheat berry introduces more earthy, roasted tones to breads. It is hard to go wrong with whole wheat flour—you can stick with supermarket brands, or even branch out and look for specialty flour mills. Diamond Crystal Kosher Salt (Or Morton Kosher Salt) I consider myself a cook as much as I am a baker. I typically stick with kosher salt in recipes, because the size of the salt particles makes it easy to sprinkle, and I am used to its level of saltiness. Reasons to stick with Diamond Crystal kosher salt are practical: I wrote and developed these recipes with Diamond Crystal, and it is the most widely used kosher salt by cooks. If you happen to use Morton kosher salt, use half the amount by weight called for in my recipes. Instant or Dry Active Yeast I prefer instant yeast to dry active, for a few reasons. Instant yeast comes in smaller particles, meaning it does not have to be dissolved in water before usage. I develop recipes using instant yeast, but feel free to use dry active yeast. Just make sure you add it to the wet ingredients, whisk, and let dissolve for around 10 minutes before mixing into the dry ingredients. Bench Scraper For many professional bread bakers, a bench scraper is like another appendage. This tool is truly unmatched in its versatility: it makes cleaning countertops a breeze, it scrapes sticky (or dry) dough from any work surface, and it can be used to easily portion, cut, and shape breads. Dutch Oven In order to bake a loaf with a great rise, you need two key aspects during baking: steam, and intense radiant heat. Steam’s purpose is twofold: it ensures the crust of the bread stays soft during the first portion of baking, so that bread may rise without setting too soon, and it heats much more evenly than unsaturated air. Intense high heat will kickstart the bread expansion as soon as the loaf enters the oven. With a dutch oven, heat travels a shorter distance to the bread, meaning more is absorbed. When the bread rises and releases steam, the closed environment becomes saturated with water vapor, mimicking professional steam-injected ovens. Dutch ovens are the single best hack for baking professional-level bread at home. Sturdy wooden spoon, or flat plastic spatula When possible, I prefer to mix bread by hand. The best way to do this is with a sturdy, flat spatula. Parchment paper Besides its non-stick properties, parchment paper is useful when it comes to lifting bread into and out of hot dutch ovens. Banneton, wide colander, or strainer A banneton is a bread basket made of cane. Bread undergoes a final rise in a banneton to form its final shape because air can circulate around the outside of the loaf. A dry outside means an extra blistered, crunchy crust after baking. A well-blistered crust Dish towels Dish towels are incredibly versatile. I carry one around every time I am in the kitchen, for cleaning, covering bread, grabbing hot pans, and much more. These are cheap and perfect for baking. Should Haves Special flours, like rye and spelt If you want to improve the flavor of your bread, branch out with different types of flour! Semolina Flour Semolina is simply flour that has not been ground as small. It adds textural contrast and more earthy flavor to breads. I also use semolina to make pizza, as the small bits act as ball bearings on a pizza peel, so that pies slide seamlessly into the oven. Baking stone Baking stones are the only way you can achieve restaurant-quality pizza at home, thanks to their ability to store tons of heat. They are pricey, but consider investing in a good one, as they will last a long time. Bowl scraper Plastic or rubber bowl scrapers make it easier to decant doughs onto countertops, but silicone spatulas also work well. Bread Lame Bread lames are either curved or lie at a low angle, making it easier to score and decorate bread. Alternatively, use a very sharp knife or a razor blade. The Splurge: The Challenger Bread Pan If you bake bread often, consider purchasing the Challenger Bread Pan. It is a large cast iron dutch oven, and it can retain a ton of heat. It fits loaves of all sizes and produces gorgeous, even crusts. Plus, its low-walled base makes loading bread easier and safer. Great Bread, In Little Time If you are looking for a simple entry to bread, or perhaps you crave starch while your sourdough starter is still maturing, look no further than this recipe. Jim Lahey, from Sullivan Street Bakery, revolutionized the “No-Knead Bread” concept years ago. The concept was simple: combine flour, yeast, salt, and water, let it rise overnight, form into a loaf, and bake. The result is a somewhat chewy, irregular-crumbed bread. However, I believe that some kneading and folding—not a lot—greatly improves the texture of bread. My recipe is more complex than Lahey’s recipe. It includes an autolyse, a period in which the dough rests so that the starch molecules may absorb water before being introduced to salt and a bit of vinegar. Then, the bread undergoes a four-hour rise (interjected with a series of folds), before being shaped and proofed in the fridge. Finally, the bread is scored and baked in a dutch oven. Though the bread lacks the nuanced flavor of sourdough, its crusty, blistered crust and chewy, open crumb will satisfy the need for bread. Plus, it comes together in less than a day. For variations, try mixing up the flours or adding mix-ins. Simple, Non-Sourdough Bread Recipe Links 1. Later, I would learn that my loaf was a textbook case of over-proofing. When a colony of yeast outgrows its supply of food, it produces huge amounts of gases. In the oven, these gases expand too much and rupture the gluten network—resulting in a deflated loaf. 2. Alcohol is a natural product of fermentation. 3. At the time of my starter’s death, my 9th grade English class was reading sections of the New Testament (hence the name Lazarus). 4. Arranz-Otaegui, Amaia, et al. “Archaeobotanical Evidence Reveals the Origins of Bread 14,400 Years Ago in Northeastern Jordan.” Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, vol. 115, no. 31, July 2018, p. 7925, doi:10.1073/pnas.1801071115. 5. Pizza, one of my favorite applications of bread, was born in Napoli at the foot of Mount Vesuvius. A combination of San Marzano tomatoes grown in nutrient-rich volcanic soil, olive oil, basil, and the freshest mozzarella possible meld in a spectacularly hot oven. The pizza oven, with a high dome-shaped roof and thick stone base, creates an environment conducive to pizza cooking. Ovens of similar design have been used on the Amalfi coast for thousands of years...

Yeast: The Foundation of Bread Yeast is the most miraculous part of bread baking. To understand why bread works, you first need to understand what yeast is. As harnessed for bread baking, common yeast (or saccharomyces cerevisiae) is a single-celled organism which produces energy the same way humans do: cellular respiration. Yeast takes in glucose (from flour) and oxygen (from the air) and produces carbon dioxide. If there is no oxygen present, yeast will undergo alcoholic fermentation, converting starches into ethanol and carbon dioxide. The carbon dioxide is what fills bread with air; the ethanol gives bread flavor and its alcoholic scent. Proofing Proofing, or fermenting, is the period in which yeast and bacteria consume sugars and produce carbon dioxide, alcohols, and acids. Proofing depends on several factors, but the key ones are temperature and dough content. A dough with more simple sugars will rise faster than one with plain wheat, simply because the starches (or sugars) found in wheat are more complex. Heat causes microorganisms to speed up and work faster, and cold temperatures cause microorganisms to become more dormant. Hot and cold ferments have their benefits and drawbacks: hot fermentation makes bread rise faster, but allows for less flavor development as the most complex starches are not broken down as much. Cold fermentation can be very slow, but it also produces better flavor and can give bakers some flexibility. Like any population, yeast and bacteria grow at an exponential rate until they reach carrying capacity, at which point more alcohol and acid are produced and microorganisms begin to die. Usually, bread undergoes two proofs: a bulk fermentation and a final rise. Bulk fermentation is a longer rise where yeast reproduce and produce carbon dioxide—however, the disbursement of yeast and gas is often uneven. Before shaping, bread is usually punched down and kneaded slightly, both to redistribute the gases and give the dough extra strength. Sourdough does not require punching down; since it has a long rise and is folded throughout its bulk fermentation, the yeast and air are evenly dispersed. What is a sourdough starter? A sourdough starter is a colony of bacteria and yeast. If you mix flour and water together and wait, over time, wild microorganisms found in the air will feed on the starches and produce gas, sugar, and alcohol. The “funk” associated with a starter does not come from the microorganisms themselves, but rather from the gases and liquids they create. Like any organism, yeast and bacteria cannot be active and reproduce without feeding. A good starter will act predictably; mine, for example, takes around eight hours to double in size after a feeding. I choose to feed my starter with a mixture of all-purpose flour and whole wheat flour. The all-purpose is a neutral and inexpensive flour, but the whole wheat flour provides more complex carbohydrates, which invite more diverse microflora. I recently made a starter using just AP flour; the aroma, compared to a starter fed with whole wheat flour, was much less nuanced. Just like animals have different diets, microorganisms have different food preferences. Most bakers use 100% hydration (or equal weights flour and water) for their starters—these are called “liquid starters,” and they are popular because they are easier to mix. However, some bakers prefer stiffer starters. The Circle of Life The microorganisms within a starter do not necessarily have symbiotic relationships. At the beginning of a starter’s life, thousands of types of yeasts and bacteria reside within a starter, all vying for the same food (flour). The main types of bacteria in sourdough starters are lactic acid bacteria and acetic acid bacteria—both create energy in a different manner from yeast. Bacteria feed on sugars, proteins, and other nutrients, and produce acids and carbon dioxide. Acetic acid and lactic acid in large quantities can inhibit yeast growth—this is why a starter becomes unusable after fermenting for too long. Some of the bacteria also have unique defense mechanisms—usually, they will produce chemicals which are toxic to other bacteria or yeast. When creating a starter, a fight to the death occurs as tiny organisms kill each other for a scarce supply of food. A young starter will usually smell bad due to the array of chemicals and alcohols produced by the bacteria and yeast. After several weeks, just a few strains of bacteria and yeast will remain. Though they may compete with each other over food, they will kill any “bad” bacteria which enter a starter. A mature starter will produce lots of gas, a sign that it is digesting flour. Though a starter which has been alive for a year may be more flavorful than one alive for a month, after several years, a starter’s flavor will not change much. Photo: Modernist Cuisine Observing and Maintaining Your Starter The key indicators of a starter’s health are its growth, aroma, and viscosity. A starter’s growth is an indicator of how much bacteria and yeast are present; if lots of microorganisms are present, they will produce more gas, and the starter will be very bubbly. A “young” starter is one which has just been fed, and is beginning to grow. It will smell very faintly of yeast, and there may not be any sour aroma. A “mature” starter will have doubled in size, and will smell very yeasty. When my starter is mature, it smells like overripe fruit and cider vinegar. Usually, I bake with a very bubbly mature starter that smells somewhat sour. A “ripe” starter has reached its peak of growth; it will smell very yeasty and sour, and it will appear frothy and liquidy. When a starter is very watery, or “proteolytic,” it means the gluten network has been weakened by enzymes and acids. If your starter is very thin, it is probably too ripe to bake with and should be fed again. Most stages of starter are fine to bake with, but be wary of baking with very young or very ripe starters; the former will take a long time to ferment, and the latter will produce a very tangy flavor. In order to manage a starter, you actually have to discard much of it when feeding. When the population grows, it demands more food. With more food available, the population grows even more. If you were to keep feeding a starter without discarding any, it would grow exponentially large. Think of feeding a starter like making a cocktail: an ounce of liquor may be very strong by itself, but add other non-alcoholic ingredients, and the drink becomes weaker. Feeding a starter is essentially taking a small, very populous sample of the original starter and adding it to a much larger supply of food. Bakers can feed starters in different ratios depending on when they plan to bake bread. Usually, professional bakers will feed their starters twice a day, because they are constantly baking. If you’re not baking bread regularly, you can certainly feed your starter once a week and keep it in the fridge. If I plan to make sourdough the next morning, I will feed my starter the night before with a ratio of 1:5:5 (starter:water:flour). It takes about 12 hours for my starter to achieve the level of maturity I prefer for bread, so when I wake up, the starter is perfectly risen. That said, every person’s starter (and schedule) is different—the best way to tell how your starter reacts to feedings is to feed it different amounts of flour and see how it rises. A Note About Water I used to obsess about the water I used to bake. Some bakers only work with non-chlorinated water; however, the scientists at Modernist Cuisine proved that filtration level of water has no effect on fermentation. What about Instant or Dry-Active Yeast There are some people who will publicly decry dried yeast; I am not one of those people. Dry yeast is incredibly helpful, mostly because it takes no maintenance to preserve, it lasts a long time, and it acts predictably. The main drawback is that it lacks the nuanced flavor and texture of sourdough, as it reacts with starches differently and does not produce any acid; however, you can add starter to breads to supplement the flavor. In fact, for recipes such as pizza, bagels, and enriched doughs, I recommend using a mixture of dry and fresh yeast, as the doughs are much easier to work with and have a greater rise. Can You “Kill” A Starter? Technically, you can kill a starter—however, it is very difficult. Yeast and bacteria can go into stasis, meaning they lie dormant and do not need nutrients. Dormant yeast has been found in ancient Egyptian tombs, so your starter can probably go for a few weeks without dying in the fridge. However, starters can be finicky. If you change their feeding schedule, or feed them different types of flour, they may react differently. As a rule of thumb, if you change a starter’s diet or feeding plan, you should feed it daily for a week before keeping it in the fridge. If your starter begins to grow mold, however, the best option is to discard the starter. You may be able to remove the mold, but the very presence of the invasive fungus suggests that the yeast and bacteria are inactive. If your starter seems inactive, try feeding it several times before baking bread. Only once your starter rises predictably is it ready for baking. Making Your Own Starter Each starter is a reflection of the person who makes it—this is the beauty of bread-baking. The air quality of your house, the flour you use, your feeding schedule, all impact the way your starter will turn out. To make your own starter, you will need: All-purpose flour Whole wheat flour Water In a small mason jar, mix 50g water, 25g AP flour, and 25g whole wheat flour. Loosely cover with a lid and let rest at room temperature for 48 hours. After two days, the starter should be bubbly and pungent. If it is not yet showing signs of life, let it rest for another day at room temperature. Transfer 25g of starter to a small bowl. Add 50g of water and whisk to combine. Add 25g AP flour and 25g whole wheat flour, and stir to combine. Discard the starter from the mason jar, add the freshly mixed starter to the jar, loosely cover, and let rest at room temperature for 24 hours. Repeat the feeding step every day for two weeks, using the ratio 1:2:2 of starter:water:flour. After two weeks, your starter should rise and fall predictably, and smell more pleasant as it matures. Once your starter is fully matured, you can use it to bake bread. To preserve it, keep it in the refrigerator and feed it once per week or whenever you bake bread with the ratio 1:5:5, starter:water:flour.

The Anatomy of Flour A wheat berry, or wheat kernel, has three parts: the bran or exterior, the endosperm, or most of the interior, and the germ, a small section of the interior. The bran accounts for fiber and nutrients, while the endosperm accounts for starch and protein. The germ is the wheat seed, and it is high in fats and vitamins. Flour is wheat berries which have been refined, ground into a powder, and sometimes “enriched” or imbued with more nutrients. Different types of wheat have distinct protein contents—bread flour and 00 flour contain lots of protein, while cake and pastry flours contain little protein. Plain white flour only contains the endosperm, or starch portion of wheat—this is why it appears white. Whole wheat flour, on the other hand, contains the endosperm. Semolina is simply coarse flour, which is why it appears more yellow. Gluten Think of a balloon. When you blow more air into the tiny, hollow piece of rubber, it expands massively in volume. Gluten is an amazing substance, because of its innate ability to link with other gluten molecules and form a tight bond. Wheat flours contain two principal proteins, glutenin and gliadin, which combine to form gluten in the presence of water. Glutenin are long protein threads which build the strength of gluten, and gliadins are smaller proteins which allow the flexibility of gluten. The combination of strength and flexibility is what enables bread to rise. When bread is kneaded, the gluten strands are flattened out and aligned to form long strands. The result of kneading is a complex network, held together by millions of microscopic chains. When yeast and bacteria produce carbon dioxide (see Part 2), the gas particles remain trapped within the gluten network, and when bread is placed in a hot oven, the gas and water molecules speed up and bounce around the glutenous cavities, forcing the bread to expand upwards and outwards. Eventually, the starches in the bread gel, and the gluten network is set in place. If the dough is not kneaded enough, it means the gluten strands are not sufficiently aligned. The dough will lack strength, and when the bread enters the oven, high-speed gas particles will rupture gluten chains, deflating the loaf. On the other hand, if bread ferments too long and the yeast and bacteria produce too much carbon dioxide, even properly aligned gluten strands will not be able to contain the sheer amount of gas bouncing around. The gluten chains will snap, and the bread will collapse. A simple way to tell if the gluten network in bread is strong enough is by performing “the windowpane test.” To perform the test, stretch a ping-pong ball-sized chunk of dough out with your fingers. If there is proper gluten development, the dough should be able to stretch thin enough that you can see light and movement behind the web of dough. A demonstration of the windowpane test Time and Temperature A helpful way to visualize gluten is as a muscle. After exercising, your muscles might feel tense or sore. When repeatedly worked, gluten tenses up and becomes more difficult to work with. Athletes use ice baths to ease muscle pain and reduce tension—similarly, gluten relaxes in cold environments. Especially with high-gluten breads, rests at room temperature or the fridge make shaping much more manageable. Bagels are some of the most glutenous breads made; in my recipe, the dough has several rests in the fridge between stages of rolling and twisting. Without rests, the dough springs back as soon as it is rolled—making shaping almost impossible. Sourdough Malt Bagels Recipe Gelatinization To understand how dough turns into bread in the oven, you first need to understand the structure of starches. The starches found in flour vary in size and shape but are usually chains of glucose and other sugars. The starches have a crystalline structure, meaning the molecules are uniformly arranged. Gelatinization is the chemical reaction in which starch absorbs water, thickens, and sets. When starches and water are heated to high temperatures, the crystalline structures break apart as starch molecules bind with water molecules. Starch molecules absorb more water and swell up—eventually they burst, releasing amylose sugars and water. The water, amylose, and starch form a solid network strengthened by gluten. If you have ever added cornstarch to a sauce, or made a roux, you have harnessed gelatinization. In certain bread recipes, including bagels and pretzels, dough is boiled in an alkaline solution before baking. This process quickly gels the crust so that when it bakes, it turns glossy, crackly, and crispy. Since hydrogen ions break up starch bonds, starches gel faster in alkaline solutions (solutions with fewer hydrogen ions). Salt Salt is an overlooked, but essential ingredient to breads. Beyond its practical use (to add flavor), salt has unique chemical properties which enhance gluten’s strength. Upon adding salt, the chloride ions break the bonds between gluten and starches, and bind gluten together; the reaction is noticeable, as the dough tenses up upon salt addition. Acid, which contains lots of hydrogen ions, has a similar effect on starch molecules. Salt, however, can also be the enemy of yeast and helpful enzymes. If you recall back to chemistry class, you may remember that osmosis is the process by which water moves from zones of low solute concentration to zones of high solute concentration. When salt is added to dough, water exits yeast cells to maintain osmotic balance—resulting in a slower fermentation. Salt also kills proteases, the incredibly helpful enzymes which help shorten gluten strands (and form a structurally sound loaf). The autolyse is done without salt so that starches and yeast have a chance to absorb water, and proteases have a chance to act before being inhibited. I hope I’ve made it clear that I adore flaky sea salt. Flaky salt elevates most foods; it adds texture and flavor contrast to sweet pastries, like babka and cinnamon rolls, and helps bring out yeasty, earthy flavors atop sourdough. Trust me: the next time you bake cookies, a small sprinkle of Maldon will make all the difference. Bread with butter and salt—what more could I ask for? Fat In the baking world, enriched breads are treasured for their buttery, rich flavor and unique texture. Though it adds richness and flavor, fat also acts as a tenderizer, as it inhibits gluten development. When introduced to bread dough, fat molecules coat gluten, preventing them from forming connections. Some enriched breads require much more kneading—in other recipes, fat is introduced to dough only after it has formed a strong gluten network. The most common types of fat added to breads are egg yolks, butter, milk, and vegetable oils. Of all these, egg yolks impart the most flavor (and color) to breads, but each oil has its own benefit. Butter is the most common fat in bread, but especially in savory breads, olive oil adds a more nuanced, earthy flavor. For plain loaves, professional bakers may use vegetable oil or shortening, and vegan bakers embrace fats such as coconut oil and alternative milks. Pastries such as croissants, as well as biscuits and pie crusts, achieve their flakiness through a process called lamination. Typically, laminated bread is made by encasing a block of butter within dough, rolling the dough out, folding it over itself, and repeating. The result is a dough with several dozen layers. In the oven, the water within butter turns into steam and pushes the dough upward, while the fat melts into the bread. Bakers sometimes describe the structure of a croissant as “a honeycomb,” as the dough turns into a thin membrane surrounding air pockets. In brioche, a very fatty bread, I prefer a stronger network of gluten which can support the weight of the butter. However, other recipes (such as challah) are characteristically supple. In developing my enriched bread recipes, I looked for a balance between texture and flavor. Trust me, I never skimp on the butter. Easier Lamination Though croissants are the classic example of bread lamination, they're tricky to pull off (and test!) in a home kitchen. To demonstrate the effects of lamination, you can try something much simpler: pie dough. The only non-bread recipe on my website is for a galette with rhubarb and raspberries, perfect for summer snacking. Rhubarb Galette Recipe

The Moment of Truth Over the course of just a few minutes, the result of hours of kneading, rising, folding, and shaping come to fruition. In many ways, baking bread is the most unpredictable aspect of the process. Every part of bread-making has several factors that affect each step—however, unlike many other steps, regulating the oven environment is more difficult and usually irreversible. The keys to mastering the baking process are understanding how your oven works and practicing often. A Basic Explanation of Thermodynamics There are three types of heat bakers care about: thermal radiation, convection, and conduction. Conduction is when heat is directly transferred from one surface to another. Cooking food on the stovetop is an example of this. Convection is the transfer of heat via particles (or liquid). Thermal radiation is the transfer of high-power electromagnetic waves through an empty medium. In most home ovens, the walls heat up and direct rays towards the surface of food; however, thermal radiation dissipates over distance. Many sourdough recipes (including mine) call for cooking bread in a dutch oven as it reduces the distance between the loaf and the source of thermal radiation. Though bakeries traditionally use deck ovens with low ceilings, the heating elements in home ovens are far away from the objects they bake. To achieve the greatest oven spring, lots of immediate heat is required; dutch ovens have solid walls which retain heat and quickly transfer energy to loaves. Thermal radiation Convection heat is when fast-moving particles directly transfer heat to an object. Convection heat is more efficient than thermal radiation, as particles hit food directly. Convection ovens simply blow air around—in recipes like bagels, I suggest using convection mode if available as it quickly and evenly browns the bread. When sourdough bakes, water and gas particles escape the loaf—in a dutch oven, the particles are confined and bounce around at high speed, helping cook loaves more evenly. Convection heat Thermal conduction is when an object is heated through direct contact. The reason food browns well in a pan or on a sheet tray is because its surface absorbs energy directly from the metal. Pizza cooks directly on a stone to quickly create a crispy crust and chewy, moist interior, and doughnuts cook in oil because they can absorb lots of energy in a short amount of time. Thermal conduction Scoring Bread Though often beautiful, bread scores serve a much more vital role than decoration. When introduced to sudden, intense heat, several reactions take place: yeast and bacteria speed up fermentation, releasing much more gas; already present CO2 and water expand and bounce around violently; like a water balloon, the strands of gluten stretch to contain the gases. However, gluten’s strength is not infinite. Gas always finds a way to exit bread—scoring a loaf simply helps control the escape of gas. If bread is not slashed, air may create large gashes along the side of the bread to escape. A key mistake amateur bakers make is incorrectly scoring. A 750-1000g boule should contain at least one large slash, ¾-1 inch deep. A sign of a well-cut loaf is an “ear,” or a ridge of dough that has separated from the loaf and is heavily browned. When slashing a functional vent, you should try to cut at a low angle—the gases will have to work harder to escape and will create an even larger oven spring and larger ear. Feel free to make several decorative slashes, but make sure they are shallow or else too much steam may escape. The final key to scoring is to use a very sharp blade, ideally a razor or bread lame. If the blade gets caught on the dough, try cutting faster or dusting the surface of the loaf with a bit of flour. Using The Correct Baking Vessel Professional bakers have the luxury of using specialized ovens with steam injection, high heat, and alternative sources of fuel (think: a wood-fired pizza oven). Home bakers must make do with what we’re given. There are a few simple ways home bakers can replicate the effects of a professional bakery, however. Whereas pizzerias use high-powered, incredibly hot ovens to fire pies, we can replicate the effects at home by bringing the pizza closer to the source of thermal radiation and using a baking stone to quickly cook the crust via conduction. For other loaves, less heat-retention is preferable. For enriched breads such as brioche, try to use metal baking dishes, as glass can retain too much heat and overcook the delicate breads. Lastly, a dutch oven (or any metal or ceramic baking dish) is crucial to achieving bakery-quality sourdough. Home ovens constantly replace their air, removing steam from the environment, but dutch ovens retain steam and provide a much stronger source of thermal energy.

For the chewiest, quickest sourdough loaf, this recipe is your best bet. Partially inspired by Chad Robertson’s original sourdough recipe, this recipe has a different ingredient ratio and streamlines a few key steps and includes several videos and photos for reference. Beginners may find it helpful to transfer the dough to a clear container after kneading, as it helps monitor bubbles and growth. Your sourdough starter is ready for use when it floats in water (to test, simply drop a teaspoon of starter in a cup of water). The dough is kneaded initially and folded as it bakes, greatly improving the gluten structure and creating a very open-crumbed loaf. Before baking, the dough is refrigerated to make slashing and transfer much easier. When you slash the dough, make sure to cut deeply at a low angle—this will maximize the oven spring. Makes 2 large sourdough boules Ingredients 750g water 200g mature sourdough starter 900g bread flour 100g whole wheat, rye, or spelt flour 20g Diamond Crystal kosher salt 20g water 1 cup assorted dried fruit, nuts, olives, dry cheese, chocolate, or any mix-ins (optional) The night before you plan to bake, feed your starter with a 1:5:5 ratio of starter:water:flour. Make sure you have at least 200g of starter. In a large bowl, whisk 750g water and 200g mature sourdough starter. Add the bread flour and the whole-wheat flour, and using a flat wooden or rubber spatula, mix the dough just until flour is completely incorporated. Cover, and let the dough rest for 30 minutes. Once the dough has rested, sprinkle 20g kosher salt on top and pour another 20g water over the salt. Using your fingers, pinch the salt and water into the dough. Incorporating the salt Once the salt and water are fully incorporated, begin kneading the dough in the bowl by pulling one half of the dough over itself and pushing down on the bread, then rotating and repeating. Knead until the dough passes the windowpane test (see below). This dough passes the windowpane test Once the dough passes “the windowpane test,” form it into a ball. At this point, you can transfer the dough to a large, clear container to better monitor its growth—either way, cover with a dish towel and let rest for 30 minutes. At this point, the dough will begin bulk fermentation. Forming the dough into a ball After 30 minutes of resting, uncover the bowl and pour any mix-ins atop the dough, if using. Wet your hands, and fold the dough by grabbing one part and folding it over the rest. Repeat this folding 3 times (for a total of 4 folds), then cover, and let rest another 30 minutes. Folding the bread Repeat the resting and folding until the dough has doubled in size, jiggles when shaken, and looks very bubbly, 4-6 hours. Once the dough has completed bulk fermentation, turn it onto an unfloured counter. Dust the top of the dough with all-purpose flour, and using a bench scraper, cut the dough in half. Using the bench scraper and your hands, gently work the dough into a circle, tugging the dough under itself, to form a taught ball. When you can touch the top of the dough with a dry finger and it doesn’t stick, the dough has developed enough surface tension. Repeat with the remaining loaf. Cover the dough balls with cloth dish towels and let rest for 30 minutes on the counter. The first shaping While the dough is resting, line two bannetons or colanders with cloth dish towels, and generously dust them with flour. After the dough has rested, remove the cloth towels. Working one at a time, gently scoop the loaf up using your hands and the bench scraper and flip it over on the counter. Fold the bottom half of the dough over itself, followed by the left and right sides, then working from the bottom, roll the dough upwards so the original surface is facing up again. Place the dough ball smooth-side down in a banneton, and repeat with the remaining loaf. The final shaping Once the dough is in the banneton, cover with a cloth towel and let rest at room temperature for 1 hour. At this point, you have several options: you may place the dough in the fridge for 1 hour, or let it rest in the fridge for up to 24 hours. Refrigerating the dough for longer will lend a more complex, sour flavor. 45 minutes before you are ready to bake, place a large dutch oven in the oven and heat to 500°F. Once the dough is ready to bake (one at a time), place a sheet of parchment on the counter. Gently flip the dough onto the sheet of parchment, then using a razor or scorer, make a large slash in the top of the dough about ¾” deep at a low angle. Place the hot dutch oven on the stove, remove the top, and gently lower the bread into the dutch oven. Put the top back on and return to the oven. Lower heat to 475° and bake for 20 minutes. After 20 minutes, remove the lid from the Dutch oven, and continue baking until the bread is well-browned, around 15-20 minutes. Remove from the oven, place bread on a metal rack, and place the dutch oven back in the oven. Return the heat to 500°, and heat another 20 minutes before repeating the scoring and baking process with the second loaf. Scoring and placing the bread in the dutch oven Make sure to completely cool the bread before cutting into it. Serve with butter and flaky salt, or however you prefer it. The finished loaf

Though this bread lacks some of the flavor and texture of sourdough, it comes together incredibly quickly. If you start prepping the bread at 10 AM, you’ll have a loaf by 6PM the same day—just in time for dinner. The dough uses bread flour for structure and whole wheat flour for flavor. Only a small amount of yeast is used, allowing time for the flavors to develop and gluten chains to form. Some apple cider vinegar is added to supplement the sourdough tang and improve dough strength with hydrogen bonds. A knead before bulk fermentation and folds throughout the long rise create an airy, open-crumbed loaf. Sorry, but you won’t get a no-knead recipe from me. Makes 1 medium loaf Ingredients 350g water ½ tsp instant yeast 450g bread flour 50g whole wheat flour 10g Diamond Crystal kosher salt 15g water ½ tsp apple cider vinegar ¾ cup assorted dried fruit, nuts, olives, dry cheese, chocolate, or any mix-in (optional) In a large bowl, whisk together the yeast and water. Add the bread and whole wheat flours, and mix with a spatula or by hand until all flour is incorporated. Cover with a dish towel or plastic wrap and let rest at room temperature for 30 minutes. While the dough is resting, stir together the kosher salt, water, and vinegar in a small bowl. Once the dough has rested for 30 minutes, pour the mixture atop the dough, and using your fingers, pinch the salt into the dough (see video below). Incorporating the salt Push the dough and fold it over itself in the bowl until it passes the windowpane test (see below), around 10 minutes. This dough passes the windowpane test Form the dough into a ball, place back in the bowl it was kneaded and mixed in, cover with a dish towel, and let rise for 1 hour. Forming the dough into a ball After an hour, fold the dough over itself 6 times. If adding mix-ins, add them now and incorporate into the dough as you fold the bread. Cover and let rest for another 3 hours, folding 6 times every hour. Folding the bread When the dough has been resting for 4 hours total, lightly flour the counter and turn the dough onto the countertop. Using your hands, form the dough into a taught ball (you should be able to touch the surface of the dough momentarily without it sticking to your finger). Cover with a dish towel and let rest for 30 minutes. The first shaping While the dough is resting, line a banneton or colander with a cloth dish towel, then dust it liberally with flour. When the dough has rested for 30 minutes, use a bench scraper to flip the mound over. Fold the bottom third over the dough, then fold the sides over the center. Roll the dough over so the smooth side is facing up again (see the video for directions). Place the dough smooth-side down in the banneton. Cover the dough by folding the towel over the loaf, and place in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours, and up to 24 hours. The final shaping 45 minutes before baking, place a large dutch oven with the cover on in the center rack of the oven and heat to 500°F. Once the bread has rested, flip the loaf onto a sheet of parchment paper. Brush excess flour off the surface of the loaf, and with a bread lame or knife, score the loaf once around ¾” deep at a low angle. Remove the dutch oven from the oven, carefully place the loaf inside, and cover with the lid. Return to the oven, reduce oven temperature to 475°F, and bake for 20 minutes. Scoring and placing the bread in the dutch oven Once the bread has been baking for 20 minutes, remove the top from the dutch oven. The bread should have expanded and will be lightly browned. The loaf after 20 minutes Remove the lid from the dutch oven and continue to bake for 10-15 minutes, or until the bread is uniformly golden brown. Remove the bread from the dutch oven and let cool completely on a wire rack. Do not slice the loaf until it is completely cooled. Serve. The finished loaf