Bread how-to in handy paperback
Hardcover cookbooks can be beautiful, but sometimes paperback is preferable. As it is in the case of “Bread,” a new cookbook by Mother Earth News. I can carry this paperback delight around with me to decide which combination of flour, yeast and liquid I will concoct next. The photos are plentiful, at least one per page, and several recipes include step-by-step photos to accompany readers as they knead and bake.
“Bread” is an enjoyable read. The first 45 pages are dedicated to quick breads, including fan favorites banana, pumpkin and zucchini, as well as blueberry muffins. The book also offers some new recipes to try: Whole Grain Asian Pear Muffins, Savory Bacon Muffins and a Savory Bacon, Sage and Peppered Cornbread.
The yeast-breads section features recipes that lull the soul into thinking one is young again, conjuring memories of the scent of baking bread wafting from the kitchen. Two pages of instructions with photos help even the novice bread baker create lovely caramelized crusts with light, airy insides. All types of classic loaves are represented (sourdough, whole wheat, oatmeal), and we’re also introduced to intriguing Old-Fashioned Potato Water Bread.
Rolled breads are next — biscuits and scones galore. A few recipes that caught my eye: Sourdough Biscuits (puffy, golden biscuits crowded into a cast-iron skillet) and Whole Wheat Biscuits, which beg to be crowned with melting butter and honey. The book rounds out with flatbreads, boiled and fried breads, then ends with gluten-free options.
I’m sharing the recipe for a basic dinner roll made with potatoes. Soft, fluffy and slightly sweet and sour, they’re perfect for a holiday table.