tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-385556182009-07-01T12:28:30.933-04:00Twelve months, three passionate bakers, thirty-six original recipes--and more fun than should probably be allowed in the kitchen.Kevinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01385923797403540154noreply@blogger.comBlogger70125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-38555618.post-40767842356656206562009-06-23T13:59:00.007-04:002009-06-23T14:37:42.567-04:00

We each have our own personal bread 'crushes' on certain bakers and it is no secret that one of mine (Beth) is Peter Reinhart. I have been a fan since the days of Brother Juniper's Bread Book, buying each of Reinhart's books as it hit the shelves, then disappearing into the kitchen to emerge hours later in a whirlwind of flour bearing freshly baked loaves of goodness.In fact, if I had to name one

kitchenmagehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04992982861785057694noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-38555618.post-1560472383872702952009-04-17T01:33:00.006-04:002009-04-17T12:19:40.242-04:00

This is one of those housekeeping posts that I have been needing to do for a long time and I apologize for taking so darned long. Unlike Susan, I can't even claim to have been out in the barn with the totally adorable, entirely too cute for words baby lambs. (and chicks)Simran from Bombay Foodie, who is baking through our first year, has inspired me to get on with it and put together an index of

kitchenmagehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04992982861785057694noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-38555618.post-66353569498072318742009-02-28T11:15:00.002-05:002009-02-28T12:23:45.855-05:00

Susan's 'Perfect for Beginners' Farmhouse White Sandwich BreadWe love to hear your feedback about our recipes, and we enjoy answering the many bread baking questions you ask us. But since our (often longwinded) replies usually end up buried in the comments sections of past posts, we thought it would be more helpful to start turning them into their own little mini posts instead. And besides, we

Farmgirl Susanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04851855517852917202farmgirlfare@gmail.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-38555618.post-7827369107847553272009-02-25T18:52:00.003-05:002009-02-25T19:59:35.266-05:00

Those of you who have read a few posts here may know that I am a huge fan of cold-fermentation. The long, slow process allows the flavor of the grain to fully develop and the ability to bake bread on my schedule, rather than the dough's, is extremely useful.Most recipes can be made using this method, just start with cold ingredients and reduce the yeast a bit. Therein lies the rub, or the knead.

kitchenmagehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04992982861785057694noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-38555618.post-13519205713543496492009-01-22T12:58:00.001-05:002009-01-22T14:05:34.140-05:00

It's great to hear that many of your 2009 bread baking goals (keep them coming!) involve sourdough. And we promise this really is going to be the year we finally take you step-by-step through the simple process of creating, caring for, and using your very own sourdough starter. I've been wanting to make the German Rye Sourdough in Local Breads since I first flipped through this wonderful book (

Farmgirl Susanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04851855517852917202farmgirlfare@gmail.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-38555618.post-70710632347549201022009-01-20T13:39:00.001-05:002009-01-20T14:45:23.254-05:00

White Pizza Goes Green: Susan's Swiss Chard Artichoke PizzaThe other day my foodie friend Mark Overbay, who works at the awesome Counter Culture Coffee in Durham, North Carolina, shared one of his New Year's resolutions with me. "I’ve vowed to myself to learn how to bake good bread from scratch in 2009," he confided in an e-mail. "My goal is to be able to provide my friends with loaves of

Farmgirl Susanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04851855517852917202farmgirlfare@gmail.com23tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-38555618.post-67048079917478350082008-11-18T19:01:00.011-05:002009-05-03T17:43:42.129-04:00

A Whole Grain Loaf Even Diehard White Bread Fans Will LoveI'll admit that things have improved somewhat over the past several years, but for the most part bread still doesn't get the respect in the United States that it deserves—especially the poor sandwich loaf. Is there anything more depressing than a sandwich that is packed full of amazing stuff yet held in place by two totally disappointing

Farmgirl Susanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04851855517852917202farmgirlfare@gmail.com31tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-38555618.post-60917074922684366882008-09-05T12:58:00.001-04:002008-09-05T14:04:28.579-04:00

Homemade Focaccia Can Be Quite Impressive LookingFocaccia is a tasty, easy to make, incredibly versatile Italian flatbread that I discovered very late in life—like about 8 months ago. I tried my friend Stephen's quick rosemary focaccia while researching bread recipes for an article I was working on and instantly fell in love. Basically a cross between thick pizza crust and bread, focaccia makes

Farmgirl Susanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04851855517852917202farmgirlfare@gmail.com22tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-38555618.post-21908037369129457872008-08-16T21:18:00.001-04:002008-11-11T09:00:34.758-05:00

Susan's Farmhouse White - A Classic Sandwich LoafWelcome new visitors and hello old friends! Just in time for back-to-school, here are links to all the sandwich bread recipes we've posted so far on A Year in Bread. What could be better than sending your kids (or yourself!) off for the day with a lunch that includes a scrumptious sandwich made on homemade bread? We certainly can't think of

Farmgirl Susanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04851855517852917202farmgirlfare@gmail.com14tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-38555618.post-31530186393544289222008-05-05T22:35:00.004-04:002008-05-06T01:04:37.000-04:00

Before.Organic rolled oats.AfterOrganic rolled oat flour.Process in food processor for a minute or so. Substitute for about 1/3-1/2 of the flour in recipes that aren't dependent on gluten, like scones or pancakes. You may need to increase the liquid in some recipes just a bit, although it is not consistent.Technorati: Food | oats | baking | bread | kitchenMage

kitchenmagehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04992982861785057694noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-38555618.post-51760792858920090352008-05-04T12:57:00.017-04:002008-05-04T14:52:49.677-04:00

Rumors of A Year In Bread's demise have been greatly exaggerated. Just think of our unaccounted for absence in bread baking terms. The yeast isn't dead - it's more like the dough is fermenting really, really slowly. And when that warm and crusty loaf finally does come out of the oven, it'll be better than ever before.In the meantime, things don't look as good for this little guy. We may be big

Farmgirl Susanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04851855517852917202farmgirlfare@gmail.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-38555618.post-14332256746627720882008-04-01T10:14:00.005-04:002008-04-07T09:29:56.946-04:00

Fiddling With Farmhouse White: Susan's New Honey Bran BreadYou may have noticed that it's been a little quiet around here at A Year In Bread. We didn't plan to all go MIA at the same time, but sometimes life and all its busyness get in the way of bread blogging. Two of us actually have good reasons for our absence. Beth has been diligently meeting deadlines for her upcoming cookbook about cooking

Farmgirl Susanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04851855517852917202farmgirlfare@gmail.com20tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-38555618.post-28069709101120528302008-02-15T22:15:00.015-05:002008-04-17T09:36:12.333-04:00

When I was a young'un, I moved from "Baja Oregon" to a very small coastal town in southwest Washington. A town where the locals joked, in some cases bragged, that, upon arriving, you should turn back your clock 20 years - to the '50s. (um, no) A town where, in the only 'ahead of their time' moment I witnessed there, they hated Calif…er, Baja Oregonians with a vengeance.Well, mostly.Some folks (

kitchenmagehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04992982861785057694noreply@blogger.com25tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-38555618.post-27148598742633038102008-02-07T19:16:00.001-05:002008-04-17T09:38:07.999-04:00

In casting about for a topic for February we somehow came up with bite-size breads with cheese. Go figure. However, having arrived on that topic the first thing that occurred to me was gougères.Gougères are savory Pâte à choux puffs typically made with cheese, usually gruyere, but other cheeses are sometimes used. I frequently make them for parties because they keep easily for a day in the fridge

Kevinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01385923797403540154noreply@blogger.com16tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-38555618.post-9937632460784019622008-01-18T00:12:00.000-05:002008-01-18T13:21:18.173-05:00

My First Foray Into FocacciaUp until the other day, I'd never made focaccia. When I decided to test my friend Stephen's Quick Rosemary Focaccia recipe for an article I was working on, I realized that not only had I never made focaccia, but I'd never even eaten it. I know, I know, where have I been? I have no idea. Probably too busy eating pizza. You know I love homemade pizza. What I know is that

Farmgirl Susanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04851855517852917202farmgirlfare@gmail.com19tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-38555618.post-88215605663393649492007-12-28T10:07:00.000-05:002007-12-28T10:26:55.480-05:00

For more years than I like to admit, we've been slowly but surely working on a large metal building here on the farm that will one day house our wholesale artisan bread bakery and us. Since progress lately has been more along the lines of slowly rather than surely, we finally broke down and admitted to ourselves that this project was never going to be completed unless we hired some outside help.

Kevinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01385923797403540154noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-38555618.post-89715472086528224082007-12-17T17:36:00.001-05:002008-04-17T09:39:55.434-04:00

When we were first talking about putting together A Year in Bread I made an innocent suggestion that we each share the first kind of bread we had baked, way back in the dark ages when we started baking. After a long moment of silence on the phone, one of us muttered something about 'whole wheat bricks' while another said something definitively negative. Then I was asked to describe my first,

kitchenmagehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04992982861785057694noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-38555618.post-89172991277474004712007-12-06T12:50:00.001-05:002008-04-17T09:42:47.564-04:00

Coffee and newspaper in hand, I stepped out onto my patio and into that strangely orange-gold light that suffuses a clear fall morning. Each season seems to have it's own special brand of light: the harsh, white clarity of a frozen winter morning; the sweet, yellow dance of spring; the somehow round color of summer; and, so, to the particular hue of fall.Traffic is light at 8:00 on a Sunday

Kevinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01385923797403540154noreply@blogger.com30tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-38555618.post-62725335941766140442007-11-16T23:48:00.000-05:002007-11-17T00:02:40.634-05:00

Just in time to impress your friends and family with a lovely epi, or sheaf of wheat, loaf at a holiday dinner, I posted a step-by-step lesson in how to cut an epi. It is actually simple once you have seen it done and it offers a less common alternative to the dinner rolls we have been baking here this month.Technorati: Food | recipe | baking | bread | artisanal | artisan | bread baking | epi |

kitchenmagehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04992982861785057694noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-38555618.post-7125845013404088252007-11-15T10:11:00.001-05:002008-04-17T09:47:30.447-04:00

No one in my family is a big bread eater. I probably eat far more bread than anyone else and that's mostly in the form of sandwiches (which I love — shut-up Beth). But the holidays seem to call for bread and, in particular, those soft dinner rolls your mother used to buy and finish baking.I've made these slightly sweet, tender, and buttery rolls in the past. Unfortunately I had no idea what

Kevinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01385923797403540154noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-38555618.post-55820278338953893762007-11-07T14:57:00.000-05:002007-11-15T11:06:05.623-05:00

When we were first creating A Year in Bread last January, I came up with a list of personal goals that I hoped to accomplish while being a part of this project. These included delving into the numerous unused bread books on my shelves, baking new breads I probably wouldn't have ventured to try on my own, and making much better use of all the beautiful herbs in my kitchen garden.This month we

Kevinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01385923797403540154noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-38555618.post-45755412723052405232007-10-26T20:15:00.000-04:002007-11-15T11:06:05.624-05:00

Due to a recent move, I have found myself without my usual bounteous herb garden, which is a truly sad thing. While the place we are renting in theOtherCity has a couple of tiny beds with a few herbs in them, it is pretty thin pickin's around here at the moment.This, as you might imagine, throws a huge wrench in all of my plans for recipes that I was going to write about:Lovage? Nope. Thyme? Not

Kevinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01385923797403540154noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-38555618.post-54701767467768407112007-10-18T13:14:00.000-04:002007-10-18T13:49:30.703-04:00

Let me begin with an apology for the delay in posting the winners of the essay/rap/poetry/short story/memoir contest for a copy of Local Breads: Sourdough and Whole-Grain Recipes from Europe's Best Artisan Bakers. Susan kept saying, "Tell them how hard it was, tell them it was really tough." Pshaw! None of us had any problem picking a winner. Picking a single winner, though… Most of our

Kevinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01385923797403540154noreply@blogger.com13tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-38555618.post-38286492364696521032007-10-11T20:58:00.001-04:002008-04-17T09:48:50.514-04:00

Republished from Seriously Good.I read recently that the most popular sandwich in the US (discounting hamburgers, I assume) is ham. Although I presume most people eat of some sort of processed ham on some sort of commercial bread in their sandwiches, even some of those products aren't bad. And when you branch out into less common hams and handcrafted breads you can create some really spectacular

Kevinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01385923797403540154noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-38555618.post-44828048052909005932007-10-07T19:34:00.000-04:002007-10-10T08:47:34.025-04:00

The best way to master a skill, be it bread baking or brick laying, is to study under someone who has more experience than you do. Over the years I've found that the most helpful information these people can divulge usually falls under two categories: useful and unbelievable. Useful, as in, "How great! I never would have thought of that." And unbelievable, as in, "I can't believe anybody would be

Kevinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01385923797403540154noreply@blogger.com6