Breads & Bakes

Flour, water, fat and leavening behave in predictable ways, and this chapter explains them in plain terms. Yeast breads here rely on time rather than effort: a no-knead loaf that rises overnight, a focaccia and pizza dough that develop flavor during days in the refrigerator, and cinnamon rolls shaped the evening before. Quick breads depend on cold butter, fresh leaveners and knowing when to stop mixing, as in tall buttermilk biscuits, a crisp-edged skillet cornbread and a banana bread that is moist without a gummy center. Weights are given alongside cup measures because flour measured by volume can vary widely, and each recipe includes the visual cues and internal temperatures that show a bake is done.