Bread Recipes

I’ve got all the bread recipes you need, from traditional loaves to braids, stuffed sweet wreaths, challah, biscuits, and so much more.

Don’t be intimidated by baking with yeast, it’s really quite forgiving and just takes a bit of practice! Over the past several years I’ve gone from a total bread novice to finding bread baking quite therapeutic. And I’m a total sucker for sweet twisty breads, like delicious challah and babkas.

Not sure where to start?? I’ve created a detailed post that helps you decide what bread is best for you based on the time you have and what you’re looking for. Here are a few of my absolute go-to recipes:

You can see a full list of bread recipes in my recipe index or browse visually here. Or pore through the archives below…

Traditional Finnish Cinnamon Buns (Korvapuusti)

May 16, 2023

It’s well-known that when I travel, I seek out all the local pastries I can get my hands on. And Finland was no different…despite only spending about a day and a half in Helsinki, I devoured a crazy amount of Finnish cinnamon rolls, called korvapuusti.

A few days after I got home, I was struck with a craving for these comforting, heavily-spiced, somewhat-dense buns, so decided to try my hand at making them.

What are korvapuusti?

Traditional Finnish cinnamon buns are usually called korvapuusti due to their ear-like shape (“korvapuustit” means “little ear buns”).

They are pretty different from the rich, sweet, gooey American cinnamon rolls we’re used to…instead, they are spiced with cardamom in the dough and a lot less sweet, and have a denser and much less gooey texture.

These Finnish korvapuusti ended up identical to the ones in Finland in both taste and texture. My shaping results were a little mixed, but good overall.

Because the dough is a little dense, it can help to shape it into a square or rectangle to make rolling it out easier…you’re wanting to get the dough as thin as possible, and in a rectangle.

The final recipe I share below wasn’t my first try. In fact, at first I loved the first recipe I tried out (this one), and I used this shaping technique. I was so excited when I put them in the oven, because they looked PERFECT!

Buuuuut….they exploded in the oven, which you can see below. No idea why or what happened. I did love the super soft texture of the baked dough, though it wasn’t as true to the traditional Finnish cinnamon roll texture. So I scrapped this approach and went with the final one below.

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Savory Parmesan Rosemary Shortbread (Unleavened)

April 6, 2023

I’ve been on a mission to find my favorite traditional shortbread recipe, and it’s taken a bit longer than I’d planned but I have cracked it, and will share it ASAP. But we’re taking a quick detour today for a sister recipe—a delicious SAVORY shortbread!

Disclaimer: I keep the Days of Unleavened Bread (the week following Passover) as laid out in the bible, so I avoid leavening (sometimes called a rising agent). This can be things like yeast, baking powder, etc. (definition here). My understanding is that some Jewish people may keep these days differently and also avoid flour and certain grains. I can’t speak to that in any way, and only YOU know how you keep the Days of Unleavened Bread. So please don’t send me angry comments, you have been warned 🙂

Every year for the Passover and Days of Unleavened Bread I like to try at least one new unleavened bread recipe, and this year I couldn’t resist this parmesan rosemary shortbread.

These are great because you can make them fresh, or you can make them ahead of time and freeze them. I’ve tested out both freezing them as cut-out dough or already baked, and both work great when put in the oven at 350 F.

Personally I prefer to freeze them as little dough rounds, and then you just add a minute or two more of baking time…and VOILA fresh unleavened bread!. I always recommend double ziploc bagging to prevent freezer burn.

One of the things that initially caught my eye on this recipe was those laminated herbs on top of the cookies. They’re so pretty!

But here’s the thing…it LOOKS awesome, but is a bit fiddly/inefficient, and also doesn’t add anything to the eating experience. I did a few, so they’d photograph nicely, but it’s definitely not a must-have on this recipe. If you’re freezing them, I’m not sure it’s worth it.

But if you’re looking for something that looks jazzy, with minimal extra work, this is a great option.

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Cranberry-Apricot Brioche Babka with White Chocolate

November 2, 2022

I realize that name is quite a mouthful, but I promise you that THIS mouthful is worth it. I mean, who can resist a soft, pillowy cranberry apricot babka, made with buttery brioche dough and studded with little gooey pockets of white chocolate??

When I shared my amazing O.G. chocolate brioche babka (Smitten Kitchen’s recipe, natch), I talked about how it lends itself to playing around with different flavor and filling combinations. And that’s where this particular cranberry babka was born.

Who doesn’t have a partially-used bag of cranberries sitting in their freezer? I was trying to figure out what to do with frozen cranberries and then inspiration struck.

And while the messy twisted half-logs of jammy dough are even harder to move and hold together than their chocolate counterparts, they’re super delicious and totally worth the mess!

I know that this type of recipe can feel a bit daunting to some people, I promise that it’s really not difficult at all. It does require time and patience, but the steps themselves are pretty easy.

While you don’t *need* special tools to make this babka, there are a few that I think help.

First off, I STRONGLY recommend using a stand mixer for this, vs. doing by hand. The dough has so much butter worked in that it would be very challenging by hand.
Speaking of butter, the quality of your butter is CRITICAL to the flavor of your babka. Kerrygold is amazing, or look for some other very high fat percentage butter. And make sure it’s really softened before incorporating.
I like a nice thin rolling pin to better control the dough, these bamboo ones are perfect.
This scraper tool is super helpful for everything, and I use it to cut my dough logs in half (vs. a knife).
These silicone basting brushes make it easy to brush the glaze on (and they clean up easily).

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Easy Turkish Bazlama (Flatbread)

August 21, 2022

Fresh, homemade bread is one of the magical things in life. And most people don’t realize how incredibly easy it is. This bazlama recipe is no different…an easy traditional Turkish flatbread, it can be made and on the table in 30-60 minutes!

Save for later: What Bread You Should Make Based On How Long You Have…

What I love about this particular Turkish flatbread recipe is that, while it includes yeast, it does not require a long rise. So you get the benefit of the flavor and texture that yeast brings to the bread, with just a quick 15-minute rest instead.

So that’s how we’re rollin’ here, just to be clear…

This bazlama recipe is delicious just to nibble on its own, but best when piled high with fragrant chicken shawarma, tender lamb, veggies, yogurt, and more. This Middle Eastern chicken shawarma is perfect, as is Nadiya’s spiced chicken shawarma.

For myself I usually halve the recipe, so making 5-6 rather than the regular 10-12.

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Traditional Irish Brown Bread

July 15, 2022

This is one of those recipes that immediately transports me back…in this case, to a cozy B&B in the boonies of Ireland.

And then discovering how easy it is to whip up this traditional Irish brown bread at home has been quite dangerous for my waistline…

Brown bread was omnipresent everywhere I went in Ireland, even more so than scones (and honestly I rarely saw soda bread). My bowls of fish chowder or plates of cottage pie came with it, and my hotel or B&B breakfasts often included it.

I am completely in love with its moist, dense, crumbly texture and slightly sweet, nutty taste. It tastes healthy (and is!), but in all the best ways. And piled high with Kerrygold and homemade jam, there’s nothing better!

What’s the difference between Irish brown bread and soda bread?

Both are iconic Irish recipes, but they’re quite different. Soda bread usually uses white flour, or occasionally some whole wheat added in. Irish brown bread, on the other hand, is mostly composed of coarsely-ground whole wheat flour plus wheat bran and wheat germ. It occasionally has other things added like flaxseed, oats, or seeds.

All those whole grains in the brown bread give it a deep, nutty flavor, and its super tender and moist, denser texture. Soda bread is often slightly sweet and has more of a scone-like texture. Not that you care, but I’m definitely more partial to the Irish brown bread.

Save for later: What Bread You Should Make Based On How Long You Have…

It’s super easy to make as well. The main thing that’s tricky is getting the right kind of wheat flour. Irish wholemeal flour is extremely coarsely-ground, and we don’t have an equivalent here. I got my sister to grind some for me (though it still wasn’t as coarse as I’d have liked), but you can also easily buy Irish flour online.

This particular recipe comes from Jimmy Bruic, one of my B&B hosts on my last trip to Ireland. It’s simple and easy, and the only main tweaks I had were to add more salt, and then mine definitely needed more than the 40 minutes in the recipe.

If you’re using a regular loaf tin, I’d say minimum an hour, and my second loaf was more like 80-85 minutes. Be patient, and make sure it gets to around 200 F inside with a thermometer.

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“Quick” Rosemary & Caramelized Onion Focaccia

June 3, 2022

Sometimes you just NEED savory, carb-y, salty, soft goodness. And sometimes you need it now, not like…tomorrow. While a really good authentic focaccia (like my true love from Samin Nosrat) requires a solid 18-24 hours from start to finish, this “quick” rosemary & caramelized onion focaccia is a winner on speed.

I don’t know why perfection on this quick focaccia recipe eluded me so much. Like the story of the 3 Little Bears, my end results were too thin, too crispy, then too soft, etc.

So mostly I’ve been making this on repeat for months, adjusting the amounts in the dough to get to the right amounts, thickness, and texture.

While this isn’t as crunchy as a traditional focaccia (which needs a good overnight rise to get there) and doesn’t have quite the open irregular crumb structure, you just can’t expect that same texture from something you make in a few hours. It’s still incredibly delicious and satisfying.

Save for later: What Bread You Should Make Based On How Long You Have…

And let’s spend a minute talking about this dreamy combination of caramelized onions and fresh rosemary, studded with flaky sea salt and doused with a really excellent olive oil.

This flavor combo is SO good, super easy, and makes this a great standalone bread as well as pairing well with meals. I’ve also left off either the onions or rosemary before, and even done this with just the flaky sea salt, and it’s still awesome.

The key here is that you need to use REALLY GOOD olive oil for your drizzling. You can skimp a bit on what goes into the dough itself and use your regular EVOO, but what you pour on the pan, on the dough, and on the final baked bread needs to be primo.

I’m a huge fan of Brightland olive oils and vinegars, they’re my go-to for this type of recipe where the taste and quality really matters. I rotate between different ones for this focaccia, but their Awake oil is a staple for this.

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Spicy Unleavened Cheese Straws

April 1, 2022

So I don’t totally know what to call these, so have landed on unleavened cheese straws. But as you can see, they’re not straws exactly. Cheese…fingers doesn’t exactly sound as delicious. And they ARE delicious!

Every year I like to try out at least one new unleavened bread recipe for the Passover season, and I’m pretty excited about this one.

My usual disclaimer: I keep the Days of Unleavened Bread (the week following Passover) as laid out in the bible, so I avoid leavening (sometimes called a rising agent). This can be things like yeast, baking powder, etc. (definition here). My understanding is that some Jewish people (particularly Orthodox Jews) may keep these days differently and also avoid flour and certain grains. I can’t speak to that in any way, and only you know how you keep the Days of Unleavened Bread. So please don’t send me angry comments, you have been warned 🙂

Okay, back to our cheesy biscuits. Now, the “spicy” part is up to you…the first time I had these, they really had a kick! It had a bit more cayenne than my taste buds prefer, so when I make them I back off of that.

I’ve also added some smoked paprika for depth and a bit of heat. I feel like you could experiment with different spices or herbs in these cheese straws depending on your mood.

You might also like: The Kitchen Tools I Swear By

These do take a pretty crazy amount of cheese, and you want to go with a nice sharp cheddar for lots of flavor (and less moisture). And here’s the key—if at all possible, grate it yourself rather than buying grated cheese at the store (which has stabilizers that mess with the texture).

If I were doing this on a box grater this would be so annoying (I’m WAY too lazy), but I used my cheese mill/grater, which has a turn handle and is so much easier.

Speaking of easy, you can freeze these cheese straws, either before baking or after…this is handy since it makes a ton. To do it before, go ahead and cut the dough into pieces, lay on a baking tray (with parchment) and freeze for an hour or so, then you can transfer to a ziploc. Bake for a few minutes longer from frozen.

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Small-Batch Challah French Toast

January 16, 2022

Y’all, I have been converted to the cult of challah french toast! I truly don’t think I can go back to regular sandwich bread french toast after this.

This is the perfect lazy person’s brunch recipe, great on a weekend but even totally doable on a random Tuesday morning if you have leftover challah bread. The end result feels so much more satisfying than the 10 minutes it takes to make. This is what we call return on investment.

While you could technically use store-bought challah, I always find it drier, less eggy, and less flavorful than homemade, so the resulting french toast won’t be as good.

But I have great news—making your own challah is so easy! I have two different recipes, this easy soft challah, and this traditional one (that I did a 4-strand plait round on). Either works great for this, though I used the latter for this french toast recipe and it was AWESOME.

I’m sharing a small-batch recipe below (which makes french toast for one or two people), but it can easily be scaled up. It’s really straightforward, but the regular egg/milk foundation is elevated with a little cinnamon, nutmeg, vanilla, and lemon zest. The zest and cinnamon really make this amazing!

Why is challah bread good for french toast?

Both challah and brioche (and even a Hawaiian roll) are better for french toast versus plain sandwich bread, or something like french bread or sourdough. This is because they are made from a richer, egg-ier dough (usually they have butter or oil, some sugar, and eggs). This brings a LOT more flavor to your french toast, plus a softer and more pleasant texture (and they soak up the egg/milk moisture better).

A couple tips to make your challah bread french toast extra awesome:

I think that thick-cut slices are better. Like maybe an inch thick or just over that? Don’t make the mistake of cutting too thin!
You’ll get a better french toast texture from day-old challah, and I recommend even slicing it ahead of time and letting it dry out a bit. This will help it soak up more egg mixture, resulting in a softer, custardier end result.
Because challah is a little more dense and we’re doing thicker slices, do make sure that you let the bread soak up the liquid. Don’t just do a 2-second dunk…I leave each side in the liquid for like 5 seconds, just to make sure it’s picking up enough liquid.

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What Bread Should You Make? An Easy Tool To Help You Decide Based On How Long You Have…

January 7, 2022

“I only have XX hours before dinner, what kind of bread can I make??” It’s a question most home cooks end up facing (for me, pretty frequently), and I’d often poke through different bread recipes, find one that sounded great, and then realize it would take twice the time I had.

So I’ve spent some time collecting my different bread recipes and grouping them based on the amount of time they take from start to finish. This way if you’re wondering what bread to make, you can decide what amount of time you have, what type of recipe you’re looking for, and choose accordingly.

I’ve grouped them into breads that can be ready in less than an hour (or a bit more), in 1-2 hours, in 3-5 hours, and ones that need an overnight rise. These are more “normal” or savory breads, ones you might eat with a meal rather than more dessert-y bread options (you can browse all of those here if you’re looking for them).

Tools that can help make great bread

Bread is strange in that, like baking in general, it can want a lot of precision. But yeast is sometimes unpredictable and requires some adaptability and going with your gut. And there are some good (not expensive) tools that can help make your bread better and more consistent.

A thermometer is super helpful for knowing when bread is done (usually above 200 F, and you want it to cool to less than 80 F before cutting into it).
A good kitchen scale is cheap but critical, as there’s an insane difference in the outcome when you weigh your ingredients vs. just measuring cups…particularly for bread.
When it comes to kneading and shaping dough, I love this multi-purpose scraper tool and these French-style rolling pins.
I also use giant plastic wrap to seal dough as it’s doing its first rise, and then a giant plastic bag for doing the final rise before baking.
These silicone pastry brushes are a cinch to clean and are great for doing an egg wash. A lame is a bit more of an indulgence but it’s made a world of difference in how deep and clean I can slice dough prior to baking.

Bread that can be ready in less than an hour

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Simple & Amazing Chocolate Brioche Babka

January 4, 2022

We’re going “back to basics” with this chocolate brioche babka…why mess with perfection??

Now, I say “basics” not because it’s plain but because this marries two traditional dishes—buttery brioche and a chocolate babka—and executes them perfectly. We’re not trying to get fancy here, no exotic flavors or crazy techniques. Simplicity is the goal.

For this I’ve used Smitten Kitchen’s recipe, and she never steers me wrong. She made a few tweaks to hers that I’ve mostly picked up here as well.

I agree with her on the orange zest front (not that lemon’s bad, it’s delish, but orange is perfect). I also skipped the optional pecans and extra sugar for the filling, because I didn’t feel it was necessary (and I’m not a nut person). This brioche babka isn’t super sweet, so if you want it sweeter you could sprinkle some sugar on top of your filling.

Because this makes two loaves, you also could experiment with other flavors…make one loaf the traditional chocolate babka, then play around with the other. The sky’s the limit. I recently tested a cranberry-apricot one with white chocolate which will be coming your way soon.

While you don’t really *need* special tools to make this, there are a few that will help a lot.

First off, I STRONGLY recommend using a stand mixer for this, vs. doing by hand. The dough has so much butter worked in that it would be very challenging by hand.
This scraper tool is super helpful for everything, and I use it to cut my dough logs in half.
I like a nice thin rolling pin to better control the dough, these bamboo ones are perfect.
These silicone basting brushes make it easy to brush the glaze on (and clean up well).
The quality of your cocoa powder and chocolate is critical. I use this Hershey’s special dark cocoa powder and either these Ghiradelli chocolate discs or Trader Joe’s dark chocolate bars.
Similarly, the quality of your butter is essential. Kerrygold is amazing, or look for some other very high fat percentage butter.

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A Traditional Challah Bread (& 4-Strand Braided Round)

December 26, 2021

I look at this photo and am like…MAN, did I really make that?? There is something just so satisfying and slightly impressive about a traditional challah recipe that’s been twisted into a beautiful and compact four-strand braided round

I definitely feel like my skill with—and comfort with—bread has increased over the last couple years. I’ve learned a lot more about the science behind certain things…for instance why I should avoid the temptation to add more flour and keep the dough sticky, which is how you get the amazing soft texture of a challah.

But really getting creative with shaping dough and expecting it to hold its shape is still very much a work-in-progress. I can usually manage a 3-strand braid or a twisty babka, but have been scared to try anything more complex.

I finally pulled up my big girl pants and decided to try this four-strand challah braid. Rather than a long braided loaf, I followed instructions a beautiful kind of braided round knot, and was super happy with the results!

In reading through a few different recipes and techniques, I came across the idea of brushing the loaves with egg wash twice before baking—once just after braiding (whole egg and a bit of water), and then right before they go in the oven (with egg yolk and sugar).

As you can see, this gives the final loaf a gorgeous rich color and glossy sheen. I’m a convert!

You don’t have to have any super special tools to make awesome bread, but there are a few kitchen gadgets that will help make your bread better and the process simpler.

I strongly recommend weighing ingredients with a digital kitchen scale rather than volume measurements. The scraper tool is a must (in my opinion) for dealing with dough, pastry brushes for the egg wash, and a thermometer for checking doneness.

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The Best Grilled Pizza Dough (and It’s Super Easy!)

December 23, 2021

If you’d asked me a few years ago what my signature grill recipe would be, I highly doubt “pizza” would have been my response. But since I got my grill I’ve become obsessed with grilling pizza, and today I’m sharing my go-to super easy grilled pizza dough recipe.

I’ve come to love this as an easy and addictive weeknight dinner option, but it’s also what I make every year for my birthday. You can grill up just one for yourself, or feed a crowd (I get two grills going for ~10 people, just so it’s fresh and hot).

And part of what makes it amazing is using the best grilled pizza dough recipe, which I think I’ve found. Over the years my post on two different techniques for how to grill pizza has been my most popular one by a landslide, but it was LOOOOOONGG (it included this pizza dough recipe).

So now I’m just splitting it into two different posts. Here I’ll share my easy grilled pizza dough recipe and step-by-step instructions for making it, and then that post linked above has the techniques, tools, and tips for how to grill pizza (plus some awesome recipe ideas).

A few tips for getting the best pizza dough for grilling

Make sure you keep your dough is very sticky—don’t add too much flour (when making or rolling out)!
- Dry dough will be hard to work with and won’t roll out nicely. It also has a tighter, tougher texture once grilled.
- A wetter dough will help make an amazing flavor and soft, chewy texture.
The longer your dough rises, the more flavor it has, so you can decrease the yeast a little and let it rise longer, or rise it in the fridge overnight.
BUT, you can also make this just a few hours ahead of dinner if you didn’t plan ahead. It’s a very flexible recipe.
When rolling your dough out, you want it very thin. It will puff as it grills and won’t be very pleasant to eat if it’s too thick.

There are a few tools that are helpful in making pizza dough. For me, I definitely use my stand mixer and dough hook (though you can mix and knead by hand if you don’t have one). I am obsessed with my multi-purpose scraper tool when working with the dough on the counter.

And for rolling it out, this thin bamboo rolling pin is much easier to use than the old traditional one with handles I used to have.

Save for later: A Tool to Decide What Bread to Make Based On How Long You Have…

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Easy Almond Flour Pancakes (Naturally Gluten-Free, Keto, Low Carb)

May 28, 2021

I wasn’t planning to share any more keto recipes, as it’s not really the focus of this blog and I feel a bit tapped out on what I can do there. But then this amazing and easy almond flour pancake recipe came along and…honestly?? They are shockingly good.

While I won’t tell you that these naturally gluten-free pancakes are just as perfect and fluffy as my basic buttermilk ones (scientifically, can’t really be), it’s the first recipe in a while that didn’t feel like I was getting a lesser version of what I really wanted.

These are great just being what they are. They’re moist, have a little fluff to them, and a really nice texture overall. They’ve got a little sweetness. They pack a punch in both protein and fat, but basically no carbs.

And you can make a batch of the batter and keep it in the fridge, just making up a few here and there as needed (I don’t think they’re as great reheated).

And the best part about these keto pancakes? Less than 15 minutes start to finish, including a 5-minute rest of the batter.

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Paul Hollywood’s Chocolate Cherry Bread

March 20, 2021

I’m obsessed with this pink, shaggy mess! Ever since seeing Paul Hollywood make his chocolate cherry bread with Mary Berry on Great British Bake-Off Masterclass, I knew I needed it in my life.

I *have* thrown in the towel on trying to make my loaf look beautiful and neat, though. That shaggy mess becomes this golden, messy monster, and despite making it like 10 times at this point, nothing I do changes that.

But it is DELICIOUS and so its “informal” nature (to use a Mary Berry term) can be forgiven.

What elevates this from a basic loaf of bread is the incorporation of dark sweet cherries and a lot of dark and white chocolate.

The dark chocolate and cherries pair wonderfully, and the white chocolate ends up kind of melting away into gooey sweet pockets of sweet that burst in your mouth. I’M OBSESSED.

I have always started this in my stand mixer, but have tried mixing in the chocolate and cherries both in the mixer and kneading in by hand. Personally the mixer is way better and less messy, so I recommend going that way.

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Super Easy Lemon Poppyseed Food Processor Biscuits

February 14, 2021

Guys, there are few things more magical than fluffy hot layered biscuits fresh out of the oven. But honestly…I’m often too lazy to want to spend time cutting or rubbing the butter into the flour. Which is why these food processor biscuits are my new EVERYTHING.

I mean, even on my laziest morning I can throw some stuff in a food processor, blitz it, pat it out, and throw it in the oven.

I love these perfumed with lemon zest and some poppyseeds, for a subtle flavor that pairs perfectly with honey or jam. But the flavors are totally flexible…try orange zest, cinnamon, chopped fresh rosemary, or anything else that strikes your fancy.

The one thing to know is that my dough is often a bit too wet if I use all the buttermilk called for, so maybe go a little easy at first to see if you need it all. But even if your dough gets too wet and sticky, you can add a bit of extra flour while you roll it out—problem solved.

And in less than 30 minutes, you’ll have hot, flaky, steamy biscuits just begging to be devoured!

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90-Second Keto “Bread” (No/Low Carb)

February 6, 2021

I KNOW. You’re probably thinking, “What is happening here? Who is this person??” Same. But here we are—90-second keto bread.

You might also like: 10 Tips For Surviving a Super Low-Carb Diet (e.g. Keto)

When I started looking for easy keto bread recipes, just to have a vehicle for my almond butter, I had trouble finding one that sounded good. A lot had cream cheese (not my thing, nor do I keep it around the house), or weird ingredients (lookin’ at you psyllium husk), or were overly complex. And then I found this gem.

Technically I guess it should be called like…5-minute keto bread since you have to get the ingredients out and stir them together. The 90 seconds is just the cooking time. But still.

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A Home Baker Trying Out Samin Nosrat’s Ligurian Focaccia

January 16, 2021

I’ve been fascinated with the idea of trying out this Ligurian focaccia recipe ever since I watched the first episode of Samin Nosrat’s Salt, Fat, Acid, Heat on Netflix.

I’d intended to just have it on in the background, but found myself mesmerized by the gorgeously-shot slow, close-ups of bubbling dough, shiny olive oil pooling in dimples, flaky salt showering over a pan. It hooked me good.

I’d been meaning to try out this recipe for months, but stalled and hemmed and hawed…something about figuring out the long first rise time and when the final product would be ready (for dinner time, ostensibly) seemed to trip me up. I wanted to actually ENJOY making this, not feel rushed or only half paying attention.

That seems silly in hindsight. But since I had some time over the winter break period to do whatever, whenever, I “scheduled” it for one of those chilly days between Christmas and New Year’s (though I celebrate neither of those) when the time kind of blurs together.

No one is really working, you’re not getting bombarded with emails, and you can just kind of…coast. Drink coffee until it’s time to drink gin. Watch the classic black-and-white “New Moon” for the umpteenth time. Maybe organize your closet. Lose a few hours reading. Wonder if it’s Tuesday or Friday.

Another Ligurian staple: Traditional Ligurian Trofie Pasta by Hand (with Fresh Pesto)

And between doing those things you can do the few steps it takes to pretend you’re as awesome and knowledgeable as Samin Nosrat and throw together this Ligurian focaccia. You’ll mimic her gentle movements, the dreamy glug of olive oil and sprinkles of salt.

Or, honestly, you’ll rush each step but still make sure that it has plenty of time to rise (THIS IS CRITICAL), and still end up with an addictive crunchy, salty bread. Because I learned that this recipe is so simple that if you’re only half paying attention you can still end up in the same place. It takes patience in the rising, but the actual hands-on steps are so easy.

One other important thing here is to make sure you use super high-quality olive oil. I’m a huge fan of Brightland olive oils, they’re my go-to for this type of recipe where the taste and quality really matters. I rotate between different ones for this focaccia, but their Awake oil is a staple for this.

Don’t have 18+ hours? Try this “quick” rosemary & caramelized onion focaccia

What makes Ligurian focaccia different? Many people consider Ligurian focaccia (focaccia liguria, or sometimes focaccia genovese which is where the dimples are used) to be the most traditional Italian focaccia type, though there are other regional types.

You’ll find it all of the country, sometimes by itself or with toppings, or as the basis for sandwiches as well. If you see “pizza bianca” listed on a menu, this is basically just focaccia (sometimes with a little cheese as well) so don’t be expecting a real pizza.

So let’s try this, shall we?? READ THE POST

Socca (Chickpea Flatbread) with Roasted Veggies & Goat Cheese

December 30, 2020

Be honest…if I say “chickpea flatbread”, does it give you immediate cravings?? I’m guessing that’s a NO. But it should. Socca has been on my radar for several months, but for whatever reason I kept putting off giving it a try.

Then last week I was starving, needed something super healthy, and had nothing in my fridge…I’d gotten back in town late Christmas Eve so everything was closed. I had some veggies clinging on for dear life in my fridge and that was it. So I decided that socca needed to happen immediately.

What is socca?

Socca (called farinata over the border in Italian Liguria) is a traditional Provençal flatbread and street food, somewhere between a pancake and a thick crepe. It’s crazy simple, made with chickpea flour and water, with a little salt and olive oil for flavor.

It’s naturally gluten-free, dairy-free, and egg-free, and high in protein from the chickpea flour. Cooked under the broiler, it’s got a charred top and golden, crispy outside, with a soft creamy inside, perfect for topping with whatever your heart desires.

Personally I love garlicky roasted vegetables and soft, salty cheese, but you can top with eggs, fresh veggies, meat, or anything else, or just slice it up into wedges and eat hot and fresh.

It’s satisfying, one of those healthy recipes that still feels a little indulgent. And perhaps most importantly, socca is flexible…as long as you have chickpea flour on hand you can make it, and then just figure out what your refrigerator has to offer for toppings.

I use a small 5-inch cast iron skillet for a single portion of this socca breakfast skillet. You can double or triple it for a larger pan to feed more people, but it’s so easy and fast to make that I wouldn’t try to use it for leftovers. It’s definitely best fresh.READ THE POST

Flaky, Buttery No-Yeast Flatbreads (Using Yogurt)

November 14, 2020

I interrupt this Thanksgiving recipe programming to bring you something I’ve been kind of obsessed with for the past month. With working from home, I’ve been able to play around with some easy but unique recipes for lunch or things that require a little planning ahead for dinner, and these buttery, flaky no yeast flatbreads have been a basis for several delicious meals.

The fact is that Smitten Kitchen rarely leads me wrong. I so appreciate her recipes, the clarity and detail of the steps, the tweaking to make it perfect but still super easy. And these delicious no-yeast flatbreads are no exception.

On the one hand you’ll probably look at this yogurt flatbread recipe and go “wow, that’s a lot of steps”. BUT WAIT…I know it might look fiddly but I promise it’s not. It’s just that the steps are written to be very detailed so you never feel lost. These really are easy and don’t take much hands-on time.

Save for later: A Tool to Decide What Bread to Make Based On How Long You Have…

Because I’m only cooking for one, I usually make a half batch, which is five flatbreads in total. And because I can rarely resist eating the first one out of the pan just by itself, tearing pieces off, that leaves me with two fresh and usually two as leftovers.

A couple things that come in handy (though certainly not required) are a scraper tool and a silicone basting brush. I’m also in love with my thin rolling pin, so much easier for this type of task than the traditional fat kind with the handles.

These no yeast flatbreads come together in three easy phases, over the course of a couple hours…but not much hands-on time. I literally do it in between conference calls, about 5 minutes to mix up the dough, and then about 10 to roll them out into the “snails”.

They’re amazing on their own, but the whole point is piling them high with toppings…I recommend Nadiya’s chicken shawarma or this easy Middle Eastern grilled chicken shawarma, and maybe this homemade hummus.READ THE POST

The Best Thanksgiving Recipes: 20+ Of My Family’s Favorites

November 8, 2020

Thanksgiving is a BIG deal in my family. And that includes the food…which is why I feel like I have some of the best Thanksgiving recipes around. You know, the tried-and-true ones that the family requests over and over.

See, I have a big extended family, and we spend the day before baking, cooking, and prepping. The morning of Thanksgiving is always insane—my mom’s up super early with the turkey, then leaves around 10:30 to get down to my grandma’s. I get up a little later, go for a run, finish up all the remaining dishes, and head down around noon.

We eat a huge lunch, then graze all afternoon and have leftovers for dinner. We play football, watch football, play cards, and talk. Chase the kids around.

When you’re cooking for a big crowd (anywhere from 25 to 50 in past years; usually around 25-30 these days), there are some realities in the kinds of dishes that make sense. Anything super time-intensive that doesn’t yield a lot of servings is automatically out.

So these are some of my favorite relatively easy Thanksgiving recipes that I’ve contributed over the years, and it’s all about the sides, breads, desserts, and cocktails. Turkey just…exists. Hope you enjoy and everyone has a safe, happy (American) Thanksgiving with family and friends!

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Addictive Peanut Butter & Jelly Babka

October 18, 2020

Y’ALL. Peanut butter and jelly babka. This is just such an all-time flavor combo, and I’m kind of obsessed with it right now to be honest (stay tuned for a boozy pb&j milkshake comin’ at ya…).

It’s no secret I’m into basically peanut butter anything, but there’s something so comforting about a classic pb&j…this peanut butter and jelly babka is basically a fancy, addictive pb&j sandwich from when you were a kid. It’s what you WISH your sandwich had been.

Don’t be put off by the seemingly-long list of instructions…I’ve been super detailed to help make everything go well, but while this needs plenty of time in rising and baking, the actual *hands-on* parts are not difficult or time-consuming at all.

There *will* be a point when you’re trying to twist the two cut parts together where everything is falling apart, jelly and peanut butter oozing everywhere, and you’re like WHAT HAVE I DONE??? But just push through, the mess doesn’t matter. It’ll be fine. Lick your fingers when you’re done.

One other note of importance, I found I only needed just over 2 1/2 cups of flour to get the right consistency, as I didn’t want to make the dough too dry and tight. Personally I often find babkas drier and denser than I prefer, so I wanted to keep this one light and soft.

So let’s dive in, shall we??READ THE POST

The Best Basic Soft Dinner Rolls

October 6, 2020

You know those holiday gatherings where you have amazing homemade turkey and side dishes and pies and just…so much food?? And then bread was a complete afterthought so someone grabbed a couple packages of rolls from the store?

These are not those rolls. These soft dinner rolls are easy and delicious, and need to become your go-to for any kind of dinner party or holiday gathering.

See my guide for figuring out what bread to make (based on needs & time you have)

A really good soft dinner roll is a thing of beauty. Pillowy and a little chewy, they have that awesome texture when you rip them. They don’t try to take over on flavor, but are the best vehicle for piling on butter and honey. And who knew they were so easy to make?!

Planning cocktails as well? These tools are a must for at-home mixologists!

While these homemade yeast rolls are pretty basic, they can easily be flavored a bit if desired…some garlic, herbs, or honey are all good options. Go nuts!

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Snickerdoodle Banana Bread

August 7, 2020

I have accidentally been keeping this recipe secret waaaaay too long. I know, it’s not the deal we’ve made. So without further ado, I bring you this cinnamon sugar banana bread goodness…that’s right kids, today we’re talking snickerdoodle banana bread!

It’s a long-established fact that I am a sucker for a cinnamon-sugar combo. Seriously. I have a deep, abiding love affair with both cinnamon and almond extract, and I tend to add them to recipes with abandon if I feel it’s warranted.

So it was a no-brainer when I ran across this recipe, was definitely going to happen at some point. And “some point” was definitely going to be during the early days of quarantine.

The original recipe had way too much sugar for my taste, so the biggest change I made to the recipe was backing that off quite a bit. I really like the cinnamon to come through in this banana bread, and the sugar will tend to overpower it if you’re not careful.

With that change made, this bread is basically perfect…not too sweet, warm cinnamon shining through, a ripple of the cinnamon-sugar winding around, and with a really tender crumb.

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Paul Hollywood’s Chelsea Buns

June 17, 2020

It’s hard to tell you how magical these chelsea buns are. Fragrant spices, tart and chewy fruit with a whiff of bourbon, citrus tang. Soft, pillowy dough. Sweet icing. It was truly revelatory.

I’ve wanted to try these out, and decided that Paul Hollywood’s recipe had to be where I start…I only know about them from the Great British Bake-Off, so feels fitting.

What is a chelsea bun?? Chelsea buns aren’t really a thing in the U.S…at least as far as I’m aware. I’d certainly never heard of them before I started watching the Great British Bake-Off.

They are a currant sweet bun from the 1700s, once favored by royalty. Made basically the same way as a cinnamon roll, but stuffed with dried fruit instead and usually with some citrus zest in there. They’re a real British staple.

(Side note, I just went down a rabbit hole about the difference between currants, raisins, and sultanas, soooo…)

And I’m so glad I’ve tried them out, because they were so worth it!

If you’re looking at the ingredients list and thinking “whoa, that’s intense!”…don’t be put off by it. It’s not nearly as complicated or intense as it looks, I promise. I just like to write detailed instructions because I think it makes life easier…and I have step-by-step photos throughout the post so you can see how everything should look.

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Apple Butter Cinnamon-Sugar Babka

February 2, 2020

This is one of those places where I cram a lot of my favorite things into one recipe and see how it comes out. Apple butter, check. Cinnamon-sugar, check. Soft delicious challah dough in a twisty babka bread?? Check.

And I’ll be honest…halfway through making this I was pretty sure it was going to be a disaster.

I can’t remember what gave me this particular brainwave, but it was very likely when I made a new batch of my amazing homemade apple butter and was thinking of all the different ways it could be used.

I’d been browsing challah and babka recipes including peanut butter and jelly, tahini and pistachio, and so many more, and thought…why not apple butter??

This babka would make amazing small-batch french toast!

So I started looking for apple butter babka recipes and really kind of came up empty. Which I found surprising, because it feels like such a logical and beloved flavor combo. So after finding a few different things that were in the right direction, I set out to figure out something on my own.

I think you’re going to like it…

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Rosemary Olive Oil Bread With Sea Salt

December 22, 2019

Y’all, this is probably the best bread I have ever made. One of the best breads I’ve ever eaten.

I know, I know—that’s a bold statement. But I’m being completely serious. As I’ve said previously on this blog, I’m not a huge bread person. I can take it or leave most bread, and would rather have dessert or wine or even a good veggie side dish. But this bread changed my mind.

I first tested out this rosemary olive oil bread many years ago on Thanksgiving weekend, trying to come up with new ways to feed a bajillion people. It’s become a family favorite and staple at Thanksgiving and even normal weekend family events.

One thing I like about it is that it’s really flexible. The first time I made it, I was under the gun time-wise and so had to cheat and force the timings a bit for both the first and second rise. But it’s a very forgiving recipe and has always turned out well. What I’ve laid out here are ideal timings, but don’t be put off by them.

I’ve made a few tweaks to the original recipe, like adding sea salt on top (rather than the dried rosemary it called for). I do believe that fresh rosemary in the dough makes a huge difference, so strongly recommend you use it if at all possible.

The bread flour called for is nice and adds a great chewy texture, but if you don’t have bread flour then just substitute more regular flour. I quite like this using mostly white whole wheat flour, but that’s your call…all-purpose works fine as well.

Save for later: A Tool to Decide What Bread to Make Based On How Long You Have…READ THE POST

How To Make Amazing Grilled Pizza (& My Go-To Dough)

August 3, 2019

Ever since I got a proper gas grill, I’ve been working on becoming a total grillmaster. That means all the usual things like learning how to make moist and flavorful chicken, steak, fish, and vegetables…but one of my favorite things to experiment with has been grilled pizza.

So I wanted to share what I’ve learned and provide my best tips for how to grill pizza dough (along with some of my favorite grilled pizza recipes).

The beauty of grilled pizza is how versatile it is…you can seriously top it with just about anything, as long as it’s already cooked or mostly cooked. From veggies to protein to fruit to cheese to chocolate, you can’t go wrong.

I’m sharing two different techniques for how to make grilled pizza, both of which I’ve used extensively, are easy, and work well. Part of it depends on what you prefer, and also what kind of end result you’re looking for…technique #1 has a little more of a flatbread feel and #2 is more traditional style with a puffy outer crust.

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Heavenly Dark Chocolate Orange Babka

July 21, 2019

Even though I made this at least a month ago, I’ve been dreaming about it ever since. And forcibly restraining myself from making it again. Because this chocolate orange babka is what dreams are made of.

As a flavor combo, chocolate and orange will always be a winner—particularly this kind of dark chocolate. One thing I really love about this recipe is that it uses a challah dough as the base, which makes the final result lighter and softer. I often find babkas a bit denser and drier than I like, so I was drawn to this particular recipe.

This is my happy place…

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Small-Batch Traditional Wholemeal Irish Soda Bread

April 28, 2019

Once upon a time, I made soda bread quite a bit. It was back when I found real yeast bread quite daunting, and so often stuck to quick breads. But I realized recently that it had been probably 5 years at least, possibly more, since I’d made it at all. I was in the mood for a really hearty bread slathered with rich butter and jam, and so decided to go back to basics with a true whole wheat traditional Irish soda bread.

Save for later: A Tool to Decide What Bread to Make Based On How Long You Have…

Now, there are a LOT of soda bread recipes out there, many of which are amazing. But to be a traditional Irish soda bread, it should have JUST 4 ingredients—flour, baking soda, salt, and buttermilk. Anything else, and it’s not the traditional kind (apparently, anything else makes it a tea cake…).

The beauty of this type of recipe is that you can be struck with a craving for fresh bread, and be sitting in front of a steaming slice of it in under and hour. Here’s to instant gratification.

I have a bunch of different takes on soda bread that I want to try, but figured we’d start super pure and simple. One important note, this recipe just makes one small-ish loaf (that still feeds plenty of people)…most recipes make two large loaves, which is way too much for little ol’ me. Hence, the “small-batch” moniker in the recipe title.

My first experience with soda bread was on a trip to Ireland several years ago, where we were spoiled every morning at our B&Bs with freshly made soda bread and homemade jam. While I don’t typically love super crusty breads, I fell in love with this basic and delicious traditional food.

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Norwegian Skillingsboller (Cinnamon Bun Pastries)

March 31, 2019

I’ve been lucky enough to visit Norway a couple of times over the past year, and have quickly fallen in love with the country’s mind-blowing landscapes and delicious baked goods. Yes, scenery and pastries—that’s basically what I’m here for.

Most recently, I spent a few days in charming Bergen over the holidays, and made it a point to visit as many coffeeshops and try as many different pastries as possible (all in the name of research, of course). And as soon as I got home, I knew I had to try out some of the recipes myself. So behold, Norwegian skillingsboller!

Skillingsboller (skillingsbolle is singular) are basically Norway’s take on cinnamon buns, and technically these are really specific to Bergen. It translates to “penny bun” (kanelbolle would be “cinnamon bun”, and you’ll see that all over Norway as well), and they are truly everywhere in Bergen.

Want to see all about my Norwegian adventures? Here you go!

I tweaked the original recipe a bit and added the cardamom, letting it steep in the milk and butter mixture to give extra flavor. That cardamom is a flavor I fully associate with Scandinavian pastries, so I felt it was necessary (but too much will overpower the buns).

These are actually WAY easier than they look, and the end result is less sweet than regular American cinnamon rolls. It’s just lightly sweet and much more subtle (and also lower calorie, as a result), perfect for having as an afternoon snack with your coffee.

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Simple Rosemary Unleavened Bread

March 24, 2019

When it comes to the Days of Unleavened Bread, it’s hard not to just go back to my old favorite recipes, rather than branching out a bit. But every year I try to make myself try at least one new unleavened recipe, to see if I can find a new tradition to add to my annual recipe repertoire. And this super simple rosemary unleavened bread recipe is one of the best I’ve tried in years!

Disclaimer: I keep the Days of Unleavened Bread (the week following Passover) as laid out in the bible, so I avoid leavening (sometimes called a rising agent). This can be things like yeast, baking powder, etc. (definition here). My understanding is that some Jewish people (particularly Orthodox Jews) may keep these days differently and also avoid flour and certain grains. I can’t speak to that in any way, and only you know how you keep the Days of Unleavened Bread. So please don’t send me angry comments, you have been warned 🙂

This recipe comes courtesy of my bestie (a.k.a. my Cheese) out in California. I love a handwritten recipe! The main change I’ve made is using white whole wheat flour, as I like the taste better and is healthier. It’s also a little more true to how the Israelites would have made their unleavened bread. I’ve done it basically half and half, using a cup of white flour and a cup of the white whole wheat, and that still tastes great too.

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Chai Spice Banana Bread

March 3, 2019

In a true signal of adulthood, I buy bananas about every other week solely to let them get overripe and bake with them. But here’s the thing—I don’t actually like banana bread. It doesn’t appeal to me at all. So what I’ve ended up doing as a non-banana bread lover is accidentally starting a tradition of finding souped-up banana bread recipes to bring you.

Chai spices have been a favorite flavor combination of mine since I was in college and discovered Starbucks’ chai lattes (grande nonfat no-water chai, please!). So when I saw this recipe I knew I had to give it a try…the fragrant combination of the traditional cinnamon and ginger, with the warmth of cardamom and kick of black pepper and cloves is just divine.

So here’s another amazing OTT (over the top) banana bread recipe for you, and it’s definitely going in my regular rotation. I’ve linked to a few of my favorite other banana bread recipes at the bottom of this post if you’d like to give them a try as well!

One thing I’ll tell you up front—don’t be intimidated by the number of ingredients in the recipe. The lazy person in me kept me from trying this recipe for quite a while after I’d bookmarked it, but everything comes together very quickly and simply.

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Swedish Vanilla Cardamom Bread

February 3, 2019

Ever since spending a few days in Sweden sailing the Gothenburg archipelago and devouring fresh smoked herring and cardamom-laced pastries the entire time, I’ve been meaning to try my hand at Swedish baking myself. This recipe initially came to me as a simple Swedish vanilla bread, but to me that was leaving out the most iconic flavor of Swedish baking, ground cardamom.

So I did us all a favor and made it Swedish vanilla cardamom bread 🙂

So I’ve been playing around with this recipe for a while, both in tweaking the flavors, but also in getting the texture to turn out correctly. The original recipe had way too much flour, which resulted in a much drier dough than I liked, and overall it’s taken some trial and error to perfect.

But the time was worth it, and this recipe results in a lovely simple subtly-spiced bread. It’s not really sweet at all, just a nice snack at any point in the day.

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Peanut Butter Banana Bread

December 1, 2018

Elvis was onto something.

Not that it was news to me, but peanut butter and banana will always be a magic combo. This bread just emphasizes the point. That’s right, friends, we’re talking about peanut butter banana bread today!

I’ve gotten to the point where I now just buy bananas every couple weeks, knowing full well I have no intention of actually eating them while they’re good. So expect some more tasty banana treats coming your way!

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Orange Cinnamon-Sugar Twist Bread

September 20, 2018

Every time I go to Chicago for work lately, I’ve stayed at The Godfrey for convenience, and had a lovely run along the River Walk in the early morning. Then, as a reward, I’ve stopped at Beatrix and gotten the biggest latte they have a morning bun.

Their morning buns are an inspiration, like a cinnamon roll’s way cooler cousin…dough that’s slightly sweet with some lamination and a hint of orange zest, a cinnamon-sugar filling that’s positively gooey inside, and some sugar on the outside. No frosting, nothing overly sickly. Perfection.

So I’ve been lingering on this particular recipe on Pinterest lately, since it ticks the same flavor boxes as my beloved morning buns. I finally decided to tackle it a couple weeks ago and was SO happy I did!

One of the biggest changes I made was adding orange zest into the dough itself, versus just in the glaze. That slight hint of orange in the dough with a subtle cinnamon-sugar filling is just sublime. Additionally, I adapted the glaze by eliminating the butter and decreasing the amount quite a bit. I think the changes work SUPER well and make it a little less sweet, which is more my style.

I’d also recommend not being daunted by the number of steps in the recipe. It’s not a difficult recipe, and other than braiding the split layered dough ropes (it’s a bit messy!), it’s totally doable as long as you have the time. Don’t rush it and it’ll be a breeze!

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Cinnamon-Walnut Challah…And Some New Digs

June 16, 2018

Oh hello there!

Yes, I know it’s been a hot minute since last we met here. But things have been a little insane around here, due to relocating (in my tiny Corolla), living in a temporary furnished apartment for a couple months (with the WORST kitchen supplies! Also, the cats were not fans…), house hunting, finalizing my move from Atlanta, and closing on a house here in Louisville. Oh yeah, and starting a major new job. So yeah, a lot’s been happening.

But I have a mountain of deliciousness to make it up to you today.

The great news is that I’m back in a fully-functioning kitchen and raring to go. I had to have them pipe in a propane line and install a new gas range because I was not dealing with that electric stove nonsense. Isn’t she pretty????

So that’s where I’ve been hiding for the last couple months. And without further ado, I bring you the yummiest stuffed challah bread you’ve ever had. Butter and walnuts and cinnamon and brown sugar meld into a magical mess inside a soft enriched dough (yes, I’ve been watching GBBO). But it’s surprisingly easy to pull together and got rave reviews from my co-workers. Totally worth the little bit of extra effort.

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Spiced Chocolate Tahini Swirl Bread

March 5, 2018

This is one of those cases where I randomly saw something on Pinterest on a Sunday and was like, UM YES. It just got stuck in my head, and I *had* to make it that very day. Sometimes I can get intimidated by braided breads, but for whatever reason that weekend I decided that I would kick this bread’s butt.

And overall, I was very happy with how it turned out. The dough itself was lovely and soft, and the combination of the warm spices and the gooey chocolate (I used part semi-sweet, part dark) was just heavenly on a cold winter morning. I took it work and it was devoured.

And honestly, the braiding was too scary either. I still struggle to get the ends really pinched together and the insides totally baked and not doughy, while not overcooking things. I’ve applied every Paul Hollywood technique I know. I’m guessing it’s a “practice makes perfect” thing, but overall I was quite proud of how this turned out!

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Easy Homemade Naan Bread

January 29, 2017

Once upon a time, I made homemade naan bread, and it turned out terrible.

This is not that naan bread. This is awesome.

I have no idea what went wrong with the first recipe I tried, probably a year or more ago. But it did put me off trying it again for quite a while. However, when I decided to try my hand for the first time at Indian cooking with this chicken tikka masala over winter break this year, I knew that naan had to be in the cards for me again.

This recipe comes together super easily and doesn’t require any special handling. It’s not finicky at all. Just proof your yeast, add the ingredients all at once and knead in the machine for a couple minutes, let it rise, and then roll out and fry up. Very hands-off.

I tend to use half white whole wheat and half regular flour. To me, when I use all whole wheat it tends to be a bit too dense and loses a bit of that chewiness that makes naan so satisfying. But you can use all of one, or mix it up however you want.

The other important thing is that you use ghee, not just regular butter. You can buy ghee fairly easily these days (Trader Joe’s, Amazon, or a well-stocked grocery store), but if you can’t get it for whatever reason I’d recommend making a batch of your own and storing it. The water in regular butter will keep it from frying up right.
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Snickerdoodle Zucchini Bread

January 22, 2017

This bread is the BOMB!

Cinnamon-sugar is my kryptonite in general, so it’s no surprise that I was drawn to this recipe. It’s all the best things about my snickerdoodle bread (which is amazing, but also will make a major dent in your calories for the day), combined with a bit of whole wheat flour and fiber from zucchini.

Make no mistake, this is definitely a breakfast dessert, but it’s now only a bit of splurge rather than a complete diet derail.

The hardest thing is finding the cinnamon chips—if you see them, buy like 6 bags! (Though this may be part of the scarcity problem…). I think Hershey’s discontinued theirs, so I’ve been buying them on the Amazon black market, and will need to look elsewhere soon.

Cinnamon chips are seriously the best, and appropriate in all manner of delicious breakfast and dessert recipes.

This was a hit at work. And I had trouble keeping my hands off it. I had a piece with my morning espresso, but went back several times throughout the day for another bite. I probably had three pieces total, one bite at a time!READ THE POST

Easy, Awesome Challah Bread

April 26, 2015

ISN’T IT PRETTY?!?!

When I saw a recipe that claimed to be easy challah, my reaction was…”sure, easy for some people, but for a bread novice like me not so much”. This was before I had ever really gotten into baking bread (several years ago), and this was really one of my earliest bread experiments. It went so well, it boosted my confidence for future yeast-based baking.

Seriously, this bread is just beautiful. And it’s not just beautiful, it’s amazingly soft and flavorful and perfect. And easy.

I’d never had challah bread before this, but basically it’s a yeast-leavened, lightly-sweet braided dough made with eggs, then brushed with an egg wash before baking. It can be soft or dense, made with many different grains, created into other shapes (spirals, circles, birds, etc.), but at its heart it’s just a slightly-sweet, eggy bread.

And I can’t imagine that it gets much better than this recipe! First-try bread recipes can be tricky sometimes, and rarely are they absolutely perfect the first time. But this easy challah recipe lived up to its name…it was super forgiving, the braiding was super easy, and the final product made me want to eat ALL THE BREAD.

And I’m not even a bread person…

Let’s just look at it again, shall we???

(As a side note, challah makes the most AMAZING french toast…here’s my favorite small batch recipe!)

Save for later: A Tool to Decide What Bread to Make Based On How Long You Have…

Okay, moving on…

[Note: I’ve updated the instructions and photos, September 2019]
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Easy Crusty French Baguettes in 30 Minutes

July 27, 2014

You know those times when you realize that you’re having a bunch of people over and that you forgot to figure out a bread? But you’re like an hour from dinner and pretty much everything would take way too long?

(umm…me neither??)

But fear not—because this quick & easy baguette recipe is coming to the rescue!

Save for later: What Bread You Should Make Based On How Long You Have…

Lucky for me, I’ve found a couple of pretty quick bread recipes that are pretty quick (and aren’t just biscuits). I have this 1-hour focaccia bread and a 1-hour french bread, but this goes even further.

You can have this quick baguette recipe coming out of the oven golden and piping hot in about a half hour (give or take a few minutes depending on how long it takes to bake). And the flavor is AMAZING!

This is a key part of bread making…

Bread is a non-negotiable part of meals for my mom, so super happy to have another great recipe in the arsenal.

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Unleavened Almond Bread

April 20, 2014

I apparently don’t read directions well, which is why my stash of unleavened bread ended up molding with a few days to go (fridge, schmridge). So Sabbath morning I needed to make something to take me through the last few Days of Unleavened Bread.

I considered just making the same soft unleavened sandwich bread that I’d made a few days earlier, but decided something a little sweeter was in order. My Aunt Paula had sent me this unleavened almond bread recipe, one of their favorites, so I gave it a try.

I’m a sucker for almond flavor to begin with, and this was super simple to whip up. I took the sugar amount down a little, but it’s up to you how sweet you want it. I also used a combination of white flour, whole wheat flour, and almond meal, which gave it an awesome texture. All-in-all, this one’s a keeper!

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Soft Unleavened Sandwich Bread

April 16, 2014

My whole life, my family has had one—and only one—unleavened bread recipe (not counting desserts).

That’s cottage cheese rolls, and they’re awesome. But they’re a little labor-intensive for me most of the time, and we needed a second kind of bread for the Night to Be Much Observed (and also for leftovers). That’s where this unleavened sandwich bread comes in.

I had to throw something together quickly but none of the recipes I found were really exciting me—either too much work, too many ingredients, or too much time.

Then I found this one, and decided to give it a try. It was super easy and fast, good flavor, and everyone seemed to enjoy it. I’ll definitely be re-visiting this one later this week!

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Grandma’s Chocolate Chip Banana Bread

March 27, 2014

I don’t like banana bread. There—I said it. Cue the shock and hand-wringing and exclamations of my lack of humanity. I’ve heard it all. But I still don’t like banana bread.

THIS chocolate chip banana bread, however, is pretty freaking awesome.

I got the chance to fly out to eastern Washington in late January with my dad to visit my Grandma and some other family on his side. I see most of them maaayyybe every decade, often longer, so it was a great chance to catch up and reconnect.

My grandma had baked some banana bread that I ended up snacking on all weekend. It was dense and moist, like a flat little cake, and studded with chocolate chips. I loved it.

She gave me her recipe and I played with it a little, including using all whole wheat flour, leaving out the coconut (partly because I forgot), and using dark chocolate chips.

I also baked it in two shallow dishes instead of making a regular-size loaf, which I think actually was the best thing I could have done for even cooking and keeping everything moist.

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Dreamy, Creamy Scones

March 4, 2014

OH MAN, are these cream scones good!!

A while back, I was really excited because I tried a cream biscuits recipe without butter that was amazing. I stand by that, and I loved that it didn’t require cutting the butter into the flour. Let’s face it, I’m super lazy.

These cream scones are in a similar vein, except they have both cream AND butter in them, which makes them double awesome. I think they’re the best scones, texture-wise, that I’ve ever made.

They were also shockingly good as leftovers the next few days, heated up with a little raw organic honey for breakfast at work.

And that is a victory, because it’s hard to justify making a whole batch of scones for myself when usually the leftovers are like trying to eat ceiling insulation. But these, these are magical.

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Amazing, Fluffy Cream Biscuits

January 16, 2014

These cream biscuits are the bomb diggity.

Bomb. Diggity.

I love biscuits. Basically all biscuits (except Chick Fil-A’s…their food is awesome except their biscuits which are sad). But I tend to get lazy about cutting butter into flour. It’s so annoying!

Sure, maybe it’s not the most difficult thing ever, but for some reason it always makes me feel like a failure. Then I ran across this recipe. The cream provides the fat for the biscuit, so no butter-cutting necessary.

I was skeptical that these could possibly be as good as biscuits made the old-fashioned way, though. But I needed to throw a side bread together really quickly the other night and decided to try the recipe, and was stunned by how good these are.

They’re light and fluffy and buttery on top, took five minutes to throw together, and are even almost just as good leftover.

That’s right—GOOD LEFTOVER BISCUITS. It’s a January miracle.

Save for later: A Tool to Decide What Bread to Make Based On How Long You Have…READ THE POST

Caramel-Glazed Apple Bread

January 5, 2014

It’s weird. As a self-proclaimed caramel hater (okay, maybe “hate” is strong, but “non-lover”), I somehow made two different awesome recipes within a couple weeks back in November where caramel was the star. The first was the caramel pear crumble pie I made for Thanksgiving, and the second was this fall-worthy gem—caramel apple bread.

Obviously, apple and cinnamon are a can’t-miss combination. But the caramel glaze really elevates this bread beyond what a regular powdered sugar glaze would. It gives not just a sweetness but a warmth, and the burnt sugar caramel flavor deepens everything.

This is one of those beautiful quick bread recipes that’s super easy to throw together—I mean, the bread takes as long as it takes to chop the apples, basically. And you get not one, but two, loaves of sweet bread that can feed hungry overnight guests for breakfast, delight your co-workers, or punt as an easy dessert.

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Caramelized Onion, Spinach, & Olive Oil Quick Bread

September 29, 2013

A couple weekends ago I was recuperating from a really long week, getting ready to head out of town, and wanted to make a semi-healthy meal. I settled on a frittata since it’s easy, so figured I could whip up something a little out of the ordinary as well. That’s where this super interesting olive oil quick bread came in.

This bread got rave reviews from my co-workers, despite the its slight over-saltiness (yeeeeeah…I may have accidentally added too much salt)!

It’s a great complement to any meal, but particularly something that could be a little bare on its own (like the beet and feta frittata I made with it). It was moist and satisfying, with a great subtle flavor.

Save for later: A Tool to Decide What Bread to Make Based On How Long You Have…READ THE POST

Lemon Zucchini Bread

July 29, 2013

Yeah, I know, it’s weird. We have regular zucchini bread. We have chocolate zucchini bread (seriously, it’s awesome!). We have snickerdoodle zucchini bread. But lemon zucchini bread?? Color me intrigued…

My love affair with lemon is legendary and long-standing. But something about this recipe kind of weirded me out, so I kept passing over it and trying other things. Then I told myself to put my big girl pants on and give it a try.

First, I had to shred zucchini, and anyone who knows me can tell you that I absolutely HATE shredding things—mostly because I usually end up shredding my fingers too. But I survived. (Also, you can use a food processor.)

And lemon zest is the best! It’s basically an excuse to make any recipe.

I also decided to make this recipe a little healthier so it would be a good breakfast food (vs. a dessert), so I used way less glaze than the recipe called for.READ THE POST

One-Hour Skillet Focaccia Bread

July 14, 2013

Some days I feel like I have a handful of awesome go-to bread recipes, so why bother trying new recipes? And then I stumble across a recipe like this quick focaccia and remember why—because sometimes you find a completely new kind of awesome to add to your arsenal.

And by arsenal, I mean arsenal of carbs.

I was making dinner the other day for myself and a friend, and was having decision issues. I finally decided to go with my pasta with goat cheese, roasted peppers, and chicken sausage since I could make that in my sleep.

And I also decided to try two new recipes—kohlrabi fries and these delicious oat brown sugar strawberry shortcakes. Then, since I can’t seem to stop myself from overdoing it, I ran across this quick cast iron focaccia bread and HAD to try it.

It was surprisingly easy and also very forgiving (considering I forgot to follow one of the instructions). The texture was awesome, and I loved the flavor of the spices and parmesan cheese.

But the best part was how fast it was. I’ve talked about how difficult it is to find a good bread recipe that I can make when I realize two hours before dinner that I forgot bread. Most of my great artisan recipes take at least 5 or 6 hours, and many of them are overnight.

So to find something that can be on the table in 1-2 hours start to finish is pretty awesome.