Is sourdough bread good for you? Yes, it can be, especially when the loaf is made with whole grain flour and eaten as part of a balanced meal. Sourdough fermentation may change how starch and some wheat carbohydrates behave, and some studies have found a lower rise in blood glucose after sourdough bread compared with … Read more
Fresh bread can go from crisp and tender to dry and disappointing with surprising speed. A sourdough loaf that crackled when you cut it on Monday may feel like a brick by Wednesday. Soft sandwich bread has the opposite problem: seal it badly and it dries out, but trap too much moisture around homemade bread … Read more
The best size Dutch oven for sourdough bread is 5 to 6 quarts for most home loaves. If you want one number, choose a 5.5-quart round Dutch oven. It gives a standard sourdough boule enough room for good oven spring while keeping the dough contained enough to rise upward instead of spreading across a very … Read more
A loaf pan looks like one of the simplest pieces of bakeware in the kitchen, right up until you start comparing sizes, handles, lids, glass and metal. Pyrex keeps the choice fairly easy. If you want the best Pyrex loaf pan for bread, banana bread, pound cake, meatloaf, and everyday baking, the Pyrex Easy Grab … Read more
You are halfway through a bagel recipe when you notice the barley malt syrup bottle is empty. The dough is ready, the flour is measured, and the nearest store does not carry malt syrup anyway. The good news is that you can replace barley malt syrup in most home recipes without giving up on the … Read more
You lift the lid from your sourdough starter expecting the usual sharp, yeasty smell, and instead your kitchen suddenly smells like someone opened a container of cheese. Maybe it reminds you of Parmesan, yogurt, old cheddar, or a slightly funky cheese rind. It can be surprising, especially when yesterday the same jar smelled fruity or … Read more
An onion bagel has a very specific appeal. It is chewy, slightly sweet, savory, and packed with the toasted aroma of onion. When your bakery is sold out, you cannot find one at the grocery store, or you simply want something different, there are plenty of good substitutes that still work with cream cheese, eggs, … Read more
A healthy sourdough starter has a funny habit of multiplying. One small jar can soon provide enough starter for bread, pizza, pancakes, and still leave plenty behind. That makes sourdough one of the easiest homemade foods to pass from one kitchen to another. A spoonful from your jar can become someone else’s first loaf a … Read more
You reach for the semolina flour and find an empty bag. Pasta dough is already on your mind, the pizza dough needs mixing, or a bread recipe is sitting open on the counter. Fortunately, you can replace semolina flour in many recipes without ruining dinner. The best semolina flour alternative depends on what the flour … Read more
Rye bread vs wheat bread sounds like a simple choice until you stand in the bread aisle and start reading labels. One loaf is dark and dense. Another is light brown and soft. Both may carry whole grain wording, both can contain plenty of fiber, and both can be part of a balanced diet. Yet … Read more