Yeast breads have always been the backbone of my personal cusine. I've been baking bread for over 40 years and there have been some amazing changes in techniques. Flour, water and yeast will result in a very basic bread - add some salt, sugar, butter and eggs and you have a sandwich bread. Add some herbs and/or cheese and you have a fabulous bread that goes with any meal.

The recipes for making bread are simple, but a little patience is required to develop texture and flavor. It isn't a difficult task, but a task that is so rewarding.

• Italian Bread
• Pizza Crust
• Basic White Bread
• No-Knead Bread
• Shug Geter Bread
• 7 Grain Bread
• Pumpernickel
• Swedish Limpa
• Anadama Bread
• Cinnamon Raisin
• Brioche Hamburger Buns



• Breadmaking Technique
• Flours and Grains
• Bread Shapes


Stuffed Bread

A word about Yeast:
There are basically 3 kinds of yeast available to the home baker: cake yeast, Instant yeast and Active Dry yeast. There is a difference in how each one is used.

Cake yeast, or compressed yeast, is fresh yeast. It is used by many professional bakers and can be found in the refrigerated section of some supermarkets. It has a short shelf-life of one to two weeks. Some pastry recipes call for fresh yeast, which comes in 0.6-oz squares.

Active dry yeast is the most commonly available form for home bakers. It is available in 1/4-oz packets or jars. Store jars in the refrigerator after opening. Be sure to check the expiration date before baking.

Instant yeast is a dry yeast developed in the past thirty years. It comes in smaller granules than active dry yeast, absorbs liquid rapidly, and doesn't need to be hydrated or "proofed" before being mixed into flour. I tend to use this yeast because I can add it to the dry ingredients instead of the extra step of 'proofing'.