a matter of loaf and death
There are few baking pursuits that are more intimidating than the idea of mastering bread. It’s not for the faint of heart, but it is for the lovers of carbs. Restaurant reviewer and cookbook author Allyson Reedy understands that, and she has curated 30 of her favorite bread recipes together in one book for others who are ready to get yeasty with it.
Reedy starts with the godfather of the bread baking universe, the sourdough, and more importantly, the sourdough starter. She walks bakers through the week of creating and feeding that starter, until that starter is good enough to take on recipes like the Beginner’s Sourdough from Maurizio Leo or the Marble Rye Sourdough from Denver’s Zach Martinucci. Or you can take on an easier loaf that doesn’t need the starter, like Joanne Chang’s Focaccia or Kinberlee Ho’s 3-Ingredient Bread.
If you want to make yourself a sandwich, you can try the Soft Sandwich Bread from Jeanne Sauvage (it’s gluten free!) or the Honey Whole Wheat Loaf from Anne Ng and Jeremy Mandrell. Or you can try you hand at braiding Smitten Kitchen’s Deb Perelman’s Challah with its six strands (there are photos to help, thank you very much, from all of us who need the visual to get it remotely close to right).
If you’re looking for faster and easier projects you can try Marcus Samuelsson’s Teff Biscuits, Tessa Arias’s Ultimate Dinner Rolls, Ana Frias’s Flour Tortillas or Barbara Javaid’s Cheesy Naan. Or you can test your endurance by taking on Dominique Ansel’s Croissants, Daniela Moreira’s Maple Salt and Pepper Bagels, or the Pizza Crust from Claire Czarnecki’s Pizzeria Alberico. Or you go sweeter, and whip up some Banana Bread from Snejana Andreeva, Chocolate Chip Brioche from Rebecca Eisenberg, or Overnight Cinnamon Rolls from Kate Wood.
While some of these recipes are quick and easy, others take days because of the long rise. And if you’re making a sourdough and creating a starter from scratch, then you’re adding a week to the process. But pulling those loaves out of the oven at last, or out of the cast iron pan (Caroline Glover’s English Muffins), offers a true sense of accomplishment. I can’t recommend this one for beginners, as many of the recipes call for special equipment, like a stand mixer, a bread pan, or a smoker (Joshua Bellamy’s Smoked Oat Sourdough). But there are recipes that are relatively simple too, like Duff Goldman’s Matzah, so you can impress your family and friends without going all in on Shawn Bergin’s Baguette. You could just make the Mozzarella Stuffed Bread from Kimberly Yang or Tanya Holland’s Sweet Potato Biscuits and win all the dinner parties.
I am so impressed by 30 Breads to Bake Before You Die. It’s not a lot of recipes, but it covers a wide range of sweet and savory yeasted foods, giving bakers a chance to dip into a variety of flavors, textures, and baking techniques. It is filled with beautiful photos, which offer some extra instructions (like how to braid the Challah or how to form the Pretzels) but mostly offer inspiration to try all these delicious looking bakes because believe me, licking the pages is just not quite doing it for me. If you know an aspiring baker with intermediate skills and their own scale, then these recipes will give them a solid foundation into baking breads, and Reedy’s added instructions will offer extra support and encouragement based on her experiences with baking in general and with these recipes in particular.
A copy of 30 Breads to Bake was provided by Pacific & Court publicity and digital marketing firm, with many thanks.
