Chef's Blog

10 Recipes Every Cook Should Know: Multigrain Bread

Multigrain bread is more beneficial than white bread because whole grains are rich in protein, fiber, vitamins, minerals and provide you with complex carbohydrates and healthy fats. Baking with whole wheat flour and whole grains can seem intimidating at first, but try our simple recipe to get the perfect loaves […]

Side Dishes

Apple Sage Dressing

Use this recipe as a stuffing for your turkey or a dressing you can bake separately. Additions like browned sausage, smoked ham, or pecans are natural variations for a hearty option.

Chef's Notes Plus

Bakers’ Percentage

Buckle up, foodies. We’re doing math! Artisan bread requires just a few key ingredients, but it is the ratio of those ingredients and the way they are handled that produce a wide array of finished loaves. Proper execution comes from a detailed understanding of each step in the process—what needs […]

Chef's Notes Plus

Best Water for Bread Making

Bread dough is made from very few ingredients, and each one counts. This includes the most basic, likely least-considered ingredient: water. The rule of thumb here is that if you enjoy drinking it, you can use it for baking bread. However, there are three important ways water quality can affect […]

Chef's Notes Plus

Braiding Challah

Challah, an enriched and truly delicious bread, is prized for its tender crumb, but identifiable by its glossy crust and characteristic braid. It is unmistakable among the other crisp crusts and rustic shapes. As part of ancient Jewish traditions, challah dough can be simply braided from three strands, like we […]

Breakfast and Brunch

Brioche

Makes 1 loaf or brioche à tête Buttery, rich, and delicious, brioche is one of those breads that may not be a health food, but sure does taste good. As long as you are going to the trouble, make an extra loaf and freeze it. You can use it for […]

Chef's Blog

Celebrate Apple Cider Donut Season with a Twist

And just like that, it is apple season! For those of us near our Hyde Park, New York campus, visiting our local apple orchards is an unmissable autumn tradition. Sure, you pick apples to bring home for snacks and pie, but most important is the season’s first apple cider donut. […]

Breakfast and Brunch

Challah

Makes 1 large or 2 small loaves Challah is a special kind of bread, enriched with whole eggs, used for the Jewish Shabbat and holidays. Although challah is generally formed into a braid, other shapes are also traditional, such as a round loaf for Rosh Hashanah. Ingredients 4 1/2 cups […]

Side Dishes

Corn Tortillas

Makes 32 tortillas Homemade tortillas may not seem worth the trouble, but if you haven’t had a fresh tortilla, you are truly missing out. A super-simple mixture of masa harina, water, and a bit of salt combine to form the dough, which you can press with a tortilla press (you […]

Appetizers, Hors D’oeuvre, and Snacks, Pantry, Side Dishes

Durum Rosemary Rolls

Makes 22 rolls Found in the pasta aisle of many supermarkets, durum flour—a wheat flour high in protein and gluten strength—contributes a slight yellowish hue to these aromatic rolls. The flavors of chopped rosemary and olive oil conjure up thoughts of the Mediterranean. Whether the dough is shaped into a […]