Home Baked Bread

I've recently tried my hand at baking homemade bread. Having briefly dated a baker, I am quite the bread snob. Good bread must be crusty, dark, and properly scored, with a chewy, dense, moist crumb.

After recent disappointments at Whole Foods and Panera Bread, I decided it was time to take matters into my own hands.

I must pause here to give serious props to Artisan Bread in Five Minutes a Day by Jeff Hertzberg and Zoe Francois. This book is worth its weight in gold. The basic recipe is so simple and there is no kneading required! Once I figured out the true temperature of my oven and perfected my steam generating technique, I've had consistently pleasing results. In addition to keeping my husband from going all Mary-Kate on me, it's produced some beautiful and tasty boules.

Ah, the smell of baking bread.