The snow seems to be following me around the country. I get back to Rochester, MN and am greeted by 8 fresh inches. Watch out Seattle. I’m coming for ya Wednesday. I have extremely high standards for bagels. Cedar Mill Safeway Bagels in Portland, OR are the best I know of, and my homemade attempt […]
Category: Yeast Breads
Glazed Cinnamon Rolls
Writers, to me, are the most amusing of famous people because they build their fame upon hours of solitude, so when they finally ascend to popularity and must command a stage before an audience of 10,000 people, they behave as though they have just come through the door of a surprise party–for forty five minutes. […]
Apricot and Almond Bread
The most snow days per year we have had since moving to Minnesota. Since Monday we have been having a crazy dump. KP has the day off school today, so we all went out into the backyard this morning to enjoy the fresh eight or nine inches we got since yesterday. I’m convinced Izzy puts […]
Abbey Altar Bread
Calvary Episcopal Church is the best church community in town. We are so grateful to enjoy fellowship with the Friendship Dinner series, Beer Church on Mondays, and last night, Cruise Night to welcome a tropical breeze into Rochester in time for Spring. They put out a call during Lent for Communion Bakers, and if I […]
Challah Bread
I grew up with Challah Bread, not because I grew up Jewish (although everyone thought I was with the name Rachel, the way I look, and a younger brother named David), but because we adopted grandparents who had connections at the Jewish Community Center. It’s a long story, worth the telling, and in homage to […]
Babas Au Rhum
These little muffin dealies are named after Ali Baba because the guy who came up with them liked Ali Baba as a personal hero. Basically, a lazy dude took his stale bread and dipped it in rum and sugar to make it taste better and then lazily named it after his favorite folk character. Lame […]
Brioche
What better to serve at a decadent Academy Awards party than a decadent loaf of buttery brioche? I barely tasted the brioche, so quickly it disappeared from the party platter. Janelle and Lorraine were especially fond of the bread—rumor has it they had a little shoving match next to the oven over a slice. Nothing […]
Rosemary and Olive Bread
I love rosemary; it makes me think of Rosemary Clooney torch songs and It’s a Wonderful Life, for some reason, in particular, this famous exchange: George Bailey: What is it you want, Mary? What do you want? You want the moon? Just say the word and I’ll throw a lasso around it and pull it […]
Rustic Italian Bread
When Karl-Peter told me we were going to some friends’ house for pizza last night, I had no idea I was bringing my Rustic Italian bread under scrutiny of an authentic bread baking guru. Straight from the oven I delivered this gigantic Italian loaf to our hosts and the party guests, and it was with […]
Ciabatta
My love affair with ciabatta bread has significant history. As freshmen in high school, my closest friend Christine and I worked foodservice at the Oregon Zoo (jobs we were offered when on site filming a freshman English music video based on Romeo and Juliet, which is another story for another time). With what, at fifteen […]