Breads – Three Points Kitchen

Bread, Fast and Slow

Easter and the end of Passover coincide this year, which presents an opportunity to reprise experiments in breads both leavened and unleavened. Povitica, the sweet bread that was always part of our Croatian Easter basket, is a lesson in the former, while matzoh (or matzo) pretty much defines the latter. A lesson in povitica Mamma,…

The Kings and I

Christmas may be a hazy, food-coma hangover, but that does not mean pastry season is over. Indeed, we have entered King Cake time, the weeks between Epiphany and Mardi Gras–the last night before Lent and its prescription of 40 days of restraint.

Bring Out Yer Bread

Like so many Mexican festivals, the Day of the Dead cannot be celebrated without food. It inspires fanciful and abundant baking, specifically of pan de muerto, a slightly sweet, decorated yeast bread enriched with butter, milk and eggs.

Bierock and Roll

The bierock’s modest ingredients and homey appearance belie how tasty it is, especially with a dab of horseradish sauce on every bite.

Different Grain Bread

So many interesting alternative flours have become more generally available—particularly here in New York, where upstate growers are offering their own milled grains—that it’s been time to experiment with using them in bread. We’ve discovered a great base in the Master Recipe for Sandwich Bread from The Best Recipe by the editors of Cook’s Illustrated…

King Me

It’s Mardi Gras season! Sadly, I am in shivery Washington instead of rollicking my way through New Orleans. At least the oven works here, and I have colorful sugar in the cupboard. My solace for today: Cinnamon-laden, almond-glazed King Cake, warm and sweet and sober.

Chestnut Flour Quick, Chestnut Flour Slow

With so many bakers exploring gluten-free options, here’s one to try: chestnut flour. When this traditional Italian ingredient turned up in local markets recently (fall is the best season for the new crop of chestnut flour), it seemed an interesting alternative for cookies or pastries, like the crescents (a.k.a. Russian tea cookies, Mexican wedding cookies)…

Corn Bread vs. Cornbread

Over the years a vendor at the local farmer’s market has occasionally offered a corn bread. Not cornbread, the often sweet quick bread, but a yeast bread with some cornmeal added to the dough that was baked into a round loaf. During the summer it made a marvelous BLT. But its appearance was sporadic, and…

Sweet Inspiration

I know, I know, povitica/potica has made a few appearances here at Three Points Kitchen. But the Eastern European nut bread is a family holiday tradition, especially as part of the Easter basket and subsequent dinner. But part of the fun of baking comes from where experimentation and exploration can take you. OK, sometimes innovation is a matter of…