OK, Christmas is over, New Year’s Eve has come and gone, and all that’s left to do is undecorate the house, finish eating the Christmas goodies, and prepare for the long, cold, dreary days of winter. Sounds depressing, right? But it need not be. Because this is also the season of soup and bread. And of course, I mean homemade soup and homemade bread. And as much as I enjoy the lovely long and warm days of summer, I really think I prefer the stormy and rainy days of winter. It’s the coziness I love. Fireplace on go, no watering the yard responsibilities, and more of my favorite dishes, all in the “comfort food” category. So, for me, there is nothing like a hot bowl of soup and a slice of homemade bread to put me in my comfort zone. And I especially love a bread that is hearty and full of flavor. And this bread should be the poster child for the perfect bread to go with a big old steaming bowl of soup, or chowder, or chili.

And the best part, this is a very easy bread to prepare. In fact, most breads are easy to prepare if you get right down to it. They require time, but most of the time is taken up in allowing the little yeasty beasties to gobble up the sugars in the flour, which in turn releases the carbon dioxide that makes the dough rise. But the actual assembly time is only a matter of minutes.

And I know, you are probably tired of me expounding on the virtues of homemade bread. I do it only because I find homemade bread to be one of life’s simple pleasures. It’s not expensive to make, and if eaten in moderation, even someone with type 2 diabetes can enjoy the right kind of bread. The American Diabetes Association (ADA) puts it this way: “Starchy foods can be part of a healthy meal plan, but portion size is key. Breads, cereals, pasta, rice (whole-grain options are better), and starchy vegetables like potatoes, yams, peas, and corn can be included in your meals and snacks.”

And I know, for those of you who still work for a living, bread baking may only be accomplished on your days off. I get that. So, bake bread on your day off. Then work the rising and baking around the housework, laundry, grocery shopping, yard work, etc. etc. that also requires attention on your day(s) off. (Never forget, I’ve been there too.) But what a treat it will be for your family to sit down to dinner (oh yes, there’s dinner also to be made on your day(s) off) with homemade bread to fill all those hollow places in your kid’s legs.   

Anyway, I know I am obsessed with bread baking. But I’d rather have a mania for bread baking than, say, gambling or watching Fox News. So, if you too love a great slice of bread, give this recipe a try.

As always, have fun in your kitchen. Keep trying new recipes. And always endeavor to eat healthy and if possible, locally sourced ingredients. And use your herbs and spices with shear abandon. Spicing dishes up a bit is rarely a bad thing.

Peace and love to all.

1 c. room temperature sourdough starter discard 

1½ c. lukewarm water

1 pkg. or 1 scant T. active dry yeast   

1 T. granulated sugar

2½ tsp. kosher salt

2 c. bread flour

1¾ c. whole wheat flour, plus more as needed

olive oil

Combine the room temperature sourdough starter, water, yeast, and sugar; let sit for 5 minutes. Add the salt, bread flour, and about 1½ cups of the whole wheat flour in the bowl of your stand mixer fitted with the dough hook.

Knead on slow speed until a smooth dough forms, about 4-6 minutes. Add additional bread flour as required. (If you are used to bread dough that forms a nice clean ball around the dough hook, pull back a little on the amount of flour you usually use. This dough is a bit different. It is perfect when you touch it with your finger and it’s not sticky, while some of the dough is still clinging to the bottom of the mixing bowl.)

Pour a bit of olive oil over the dough and using your hands and a stiff spatula, form a ball completely coated in the oil. Cover the bowl loosely with plastic wrap, and allow to double in size, about 60 minutes. (Could need up to 30 minutes more.)

Punch down the dough. Form into a boule, then place the dough ball, smooth side up on a piece of parchment paper long enough to allow you to lower the dough into a Dutch oven or cloche (clay baker). Cover the dough with greased plastic wrap and let rest for 60 minutes. (It should just about double as it rises.) Near the end of the rising time, place your Dutch oven or clay baker (cloche), lid and all, in your oven and pre-heat to 425-degrees.

When the dough has risen sufficiently, carefully remove the Dutch oven or clay baker from the hot oven. Immediately use a sharp knife or lame blade to score an X about ¼-inch deep into the surface of the bread dough. This allows the bread to expand without tearing as it bakes. (Don’t press down too hard. You don’t want to deflate the dough ball.)

Carefully remove the lid of the Dutch oven or cloche and place the parchment paper and loaf in the bottom of your Dutch oven or on the bottom portion of your cloche. Then cover and place in the pre-heated 425-degree oven for 30 minutes. Remove the lid and continue baking for an additional 10-13 minutes or until the crust is nicely browned and the loaf sounds hollow when tapped. (Your instant read thermometer should read between 200 to 205-degrees.)

Remove from oven and carefully transfer to a cooling rack. Cool completely before slicing.

I am always amazed when I bake bread. Amazed that “we” actually produced such an awesome loaf. Me, myself, and I, that is! Of course, with the help of my little yeasty-beasty sourdough starter friends. But then, why shouldn’t they help me out? I’ve been feeding them conscientiously every 7-10 days for months. We’ve become buddies, comrades, and allies in my quest for the perfect sourdough loaf. And they’ve been very patient with me. Sometimes I have used them to less advantage. Other times they have shown their true colors. And this, dear friends, is one of those times. If I do say so myself, this is one darn good loaf of bread. Period! It’s flavorful, but not over the top garlicky. It’s chewy, but not too chewy. And the crust is divine. All and all, I’d give this bread a rating of 9.8 out of 10. (Nothings perfect, after all.) But this bread is about as good as it gets. And extremely easy to build. And let me tell you true, this bread makes the best ever toast. Lightly spread with soft butter, there is just nothing better to accompany bacon and eggs.

Plus, no fancy ingredients, not even bread flour required for this loaf. Just plain old unbleached all-purpose flour. And even if you don’t have a cast iron Dutch oven or a cloche (clay baker), you can simply bake the boule on a piece of parchment paper. It will still taste delicious. The crust might not be as fabulous, but the chewy texture and the light sourdough flavor will still be present. And of course, the lovely roasted garlic.

So, I see nothing stopping you from building a loaf that will knock your friends and family’s socks off. (They don’t need them on anyway. It’s SUMMER!)

As always, be the one who brings the entire family together around the dining table. With heaps of good and healthy food and lively conversation. Because these precious days together will not last forever.

I remember how I felt some days while my kids were young. I’d ask myself will this ever end? Will I ever have any peace and quiet? Will there ever be any milk left in the refrigerator?? But those days did end, and honestly, I’d bring a few of them back if that were possible. Because they were also joyous days. Hectic, frantic, but very gratifying. And always full of love. And the best times we experienced together almost always revolved around the heart of our home – the kitchen. Good food always makes for better companionship. And as cooks, we can make that happen.

Peace and love to all.   

¾ c. sourdough starter discard   

½ c. warm water  

1½ tsp. instant dry yeast 

1 tsp. granulated sugar

1¼ tsp. kosher salt

2½ c. unbleached all-purpose flour (more or less)

1 head garlic, roasted* then cloves roughly chopped

extra virgin olive oil, for greasing bowl and brushing on boule after baking

super-fine sea salt, for sprinkling over baked boule

Combine the sourdough starter discard, water, yeast, and sugar in the bowl of your stand mixer. Let stand for 5 minutes. Then add the salt and flour. Using your dough hook, knead until the dough is smooth, elastic, and quite stiff, about 6 minutes.

Pour a bit of olive oil around the dough, and using your fingers and a stiff rubber spatula, form dough into a ball. Cover with plastic wrap and let rise for an hour or until doubled. (If you gently poke a finger into the dough, an indentation should remain when you remove your finger.)

Turn the dough onto a lightly floured surface and pat into a rough rectangle or oval about ½-inch thick. Spread the chunks of roasted garlic evenly over the dough. Roll into a log starting with a short side.

To form into a boule, gently bend one end up towards the middle. Do the same with the other end. Then turn the dough over and tug and tuck towards the bottom of the ball until you’ve formed the dough into a tight ball shape. Place the dough ball, smooth side up on a piece of parchment paper long enough to allow you to lower the dough into a Dutch oven or cloche (clay baker). Cover the dough with greased plastic wrap and let rest for 60 minutes. (It should just about double as it rises.)

Meanwhile, place your Dutch oven or clay baker (cloche), lid and all, in your oven. After the dough has been rising for about 30 minutes, pre-heat your oven to 425-degrees. When the dough has risen sufficiently, carefully remove the Dutch oven or clay baker from the hot oven. Immediately use a sharp knife or lame blade to score an X about ¼-inch deep into the surface of the bread dough. This allows the bread to expand without tearing as it bakes. (Don’t press down too hard. You don’t want to deflate the dough ball.)

Carefully remove the Dutch oven or cloche lid and place the parchment paper and loaf in the bottom of your Dutch oven or on the bottom portion of your cloche. Then cover and place in the pre-heated 425-degree oven for 30 minutes. Remove the lid and continue baking for an additional 10-13 minutes or until the crust is nicely browned and the loaf sounds hollow when tapped. (Your instant read thermometer should read between 200 to 205-degrees.)

Remove from oven and carefully transfer to a cooling rack. Brush generously with extra virgin olive oil and sprinkle with super-fine sea salt. Let cool completely before slicing.

Please note: If you prefer a crisp, chewy crust, don’t slather with olive oil. Leave as is.

Store leftovers at room temperature wrapped in a tea towel.

*To roast a head of garlic, cut off the top of the garlic to expose the cloves. Drizzle with 1-2 teaspoons of olive oil. Cover and roast at 400-degrees for 60 minutes or until tender. Remove from oven and let cool until you can easily remove the golden, soft cloves from their paper-thin wrappers.

It isn’t often that I get to make a bread that’s as much fun to fix as it is to eat. But for me, breadsticks fit that statement perfectly. But breadsticks do have their limitations. They are not a utilitarian bread product. For example, you can’t put breadsticks in a toaster and serve them for breakfast. You can’t use them to make French toast or French dip sandwiches or any kind of sandwich for that matter. So, as a bread for all occasions, they are a bit lacking.

But when a piece of bread is needed to dip, dunk, or mop – soft breadsticks are unparalleled! First of all, they are the perfect shape. And if they are soft like these breadsticks, anything you dunk them in or slather on them is going to stick. And isn’t that a beautiful thing?!

And in the case of these breadsticks, you make the dough one day and bake it off the next day or the day after. (My favorite type of dough to make.) And just so you know, this is a very self-confident dough. It enjoys being alone in a cold and dark place. In fact, it absolutely insists on some time alone to contemplate whatever it is that bread dough considers worth its time to ponder. And if you forget about it for a day or two, it could care less. It knows full well that sooner or later it will be baked into perfect soft and tasty breadsticks. (We should all be blessed with this amount of confidence!)

So, the only thing left to say, is that these breadsticks are supremely easy to build, truly delicious, and go with all kinds of different dishes. And like every other type of bread we build in our own kitchens, an inexpensive alternative to the exorbitant or should I say extortionary price we are forced to pay for artisanal bread in a bakery or market. Just sayin’!

As always, play with your food and be creative. When you decide it’s time to spend some quality time in your home with your family, make it quality time spent in the kitchen. Believe me, your grown children will not remember that their childhood home was a bit dusty, or the garage was often cluttered. But they will remember the meals your family shared around the dinner table and the times you made cookies together. Let the dusting wait.

Peace and love to all.

1 c. warm water 

½ c. whole milk

½ c. sourdough starter discard

2 tsp. instant yeast

1½ tsp. granulated sugar

2 tsp. kosher salt

3 T. olive oil, plus more for greasing the mixing bowl

4 c. unbleached all-purpose flour, more or less

4 T. (½ stick) unsalted butter, melted

½ tsp. kosher salt

¼ rounded tsp. granulated garlic  

¼ rounded tsp. Italian seasoning

Combine the warm water, milk, sourdough starter discard, instant yeast, sugar, salt, and 3 tablespoons olive oil in the bowl of your stand mixer. Using the bread hook, add as much flour as necessary to make a soft dough. When the dough has been kneaded for several minutes, and there is still a bit of dough clinging to the bottom of the bowl, the dough is ready for the next step.

Pour a bit of olive oil around the edge of the mixing bowl. Using your fingers and a stiff rubber spatula, form the dough into a nicely greased ball. Cover with plastic wrap and place in your refrigerator overnight or up to three days. When ready to use, remove the dough from fridge and let sit on your counter for an hour.

On a nicely floured surface, shape the dough into a rectangle about 16×7-inches. (I use a rolling pin but patting out the dough with your fingers works too.) Cut the dough into 16 1-inch strips with a pizza cutter. Twist each piece gently and place on a parchment paper lined baking sheet. (They can be fairly close together.)

Cover with a tea towel or piece of plastic wrap sprayed with non- stick spray. Allow to rise until doubled (approximately an hour).

Bake in preheated 350-degree oven for 22-25 minutes or until a very light golden brown. The internal temperature should measure at least 200-degrees.

While the breadsticks are baking, combine the melted butter, kosher salt, granulated garlic, and Italian seasoning. Remove breadsticks from oven and immediately brush with butter mixture.

Serve warm or at room temperature. Great dunked in olive oil, soup, marinara sauce, or used to clean one’s plate or bowl. Or, if you are feeling really unorthodox, you can serve the breadsticks in place of dinner rolls. But, people will talk!  

Store any leftovers in an airtight container at room temperature.

I found this incredible recipe for rhubarb quick bread on the cutco.com site. The topping I used for this bread, well that’s another story.

I read about the topping somewhere, but for the life of me I can’t remember on what site this marvelous suggestion for topping a quick bread was revealed. But I must state for all to read; this way of topping a quick bread is going to become standard procedure from now on at Chez Carr. If of course the batter contains nuts. But to make any sense out of what I just wrote, you should first read this recipe. Then afterwards, if you decide to make this bread, you will undoubtedly understand why I would make such an unequivocal statement about a topping. Because the topping is just that fantastic! Crunchy, nutty, and sweet. But enough about the topping. It’s time to talk about the bread itself.

Amazing. Delicious. Moist and tender. With just enough orange flavor to be interesting, but in no way pervasive. Not to mention, the bread is easy to prepare and beautiful in appearance. So, basically, a perfect quick bread. And I truly do hope you make this bread while fresh rhubarb is still available. It is one of the best fruit breads I have ever tasted.

As always, keep counting your blessings. Keep finding joy in family and friends. And if you are able, share your blessings with others. Last evening, we had our dear friends Jim and Margo over for dinner. It was such a joy to once again have people in our home. And tonight, we are going to a restaurant with our dear friends Mark and Vicki. And afterwards, they are coming over (they live next door) for dessert. After such a difficult year with covid looming in every direction, it is wonderful that we are finally free to invite a bit of normalcy back into our lives. Hopefully the same is true for each of you.

Peace and love to all.

½ c. (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature

2/3 c. + 2 T. granulated sugar, divided

2 eggs

2 tsp. grated orange peel

1½ tsp. vanilla extract

1½ c. unbleached all-purpose flour, fluffed

½ tsp. baking powder

½ tsp. cream of tartar

¼ tsp. baking soda

½ tsp. kosher salt

½ c. sour cream

2 generous c. finely diced fresh rhubarb

1¼ c. chopped walnuts, divided

Cream butter and the 2/3 cup granulated sugar in a large bowl until light and fluffy. Beat in eggs, orange peel, and vanilla. In a separate bowl, whisk the flour, baking powder, cream of tartar, baking soda, and salt together. Add to the butter mixture, alternating with the sour cream. Fold in the rhubarb and ¾ cup of the chopped walnuts.

Scoop into 2 8-inch loaf pans coated with cooking spray. Sprinkle the remaining ½ cup chopped walnuts evenly over the top of both loaves. Lightly press the nuts into the batter. Then sprinkle on the remaining 2 tablespoons of granulated sugar.   

Bake in a pre-heated 350-degree oven for about 45 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the middle of the bread comes out clean. Don’t overbake.

Cool for 10 minutes in the pan, then gently remove and place on a wire rack to cool completely before slicing into fairly thick pieces. If desired, gently warm before serving.

Best eaten within a couple of days. Or freeze the second loaf for later. Or even better, give the second loaf to a neighbor or friend.

Whenever I bake bread I feel like an earth mother. Because there is just something primal about taking a few simple ingredients and turning them into something as magnificent as bread. And since baking some form of bread is as old as civilization itself, I feel connected to past generations through this simple action. It fills my soul with joy and humbles me to watch bread rise, then come out of the oven as this incredible product that I had some small part in producing. Kind of like watching my kids grow up. Talk about a humbling experience! But I digress!

If I try really, really hard, I can still recall the smell of bread baking in my grandmother’s kitchen. Pure heaven. But I’ll tell you true, I’m sure my grandmother never dreamed of putting anything like garlic, rosemary, or kalamata olives in her bread! In fact, I’m pretty sure she never even heard of rosemary or kalamata olives. Garlic, maybe, but if so, she sure as heck never used it. (Mores the pity.)

But the good news is – I know about rosemary, garlic, and kalamata olives, and I am not afraid to share my knowledge with you! First of all, if you are not using these amazing ingredients with enthusiasm, in my opinion, it is time to re-think your priorities.

Lets’ start with garlic. There are very few savory dishes that can’t be improved by the judicious use of garlic. I swear, there are weeks when not a day goes by without me finely mincing a garlic clove or 2, 3, 4, etc. This Allium sativum is simply an integral part of my cooking. And because it is so much a part of our everyday life, we have never been bothered by vampires. (Not just everyone can make that claim!)

And rosemary, how can I esteem rosemary any more than I do? This fragrant evergreen herb with its edible needle-like leaves is fabulous in so many dishes. In fact, rosemary is almost essential if you are fixing lamb. And for many other dishes, including soups, rosemary provides just that certain “something” that turns the dish from acceptable to incredible. And the fact that this perennial is ever so easy to grow, makes it even nicer. I have 3 big bushes of rosemary in my yard because I never want to find myself without rosemary. (I’d get the hives without rosemary. I’m absolutely sure I would. So, I take no chances!)  

That leaves kalamata olives. Oh, how I wish kalamata olives had been around when I was younger. I have always loved olives in any form. But kalamata olives, they are just special. Perfect in pasta (think puttanesca or pasta salad), salads (think Greek salad), pizza, and of course bread. Which of course now leads me directly to why you should make this bread at your earliest convenience.   

I first started making bread containing kalamata olives many years ago. And no, I did not dream up the use of kalamata olives in bread. I read about it in a cookbook I’m sure, because this was decades before I could go online and find at least a thousand recipes already posted for what I thought was an original concept. (I have since learned that there is no such thing by the way! At least when it comes to food!)

Anyway, the gist of all this rhetoric is that garlic, rosemary, and kalamata olives are wonderful ingredients, even in bread. And because this particular bread is baked flat, there is a lot of crust. And the part that isn’t crust, is nice and chewy. So, give it a try. Easy to build, and lovely to eat. Perfect with soup or as a side with a hearty main course salad.

As always, begin each day with a smile on your face. For me, that’s easy. Because I know there will be an Americano waiting for me in the living room once I stagger down the hall in my bathrobe. Freshly made coffee, and delicious. And while I sip my coffee and read the daily paper, I always take a moment to thank whichever deity may happen to be listening, for providing me with such a wonderful life. May you be as blessed.

Peace and love to all.

1 c. sourdough starter discard

2/3 c. slightly warm water

1½ tsp. active dry yeast

½ tsp. granulated sugar

1 tsp. kosher salt

½ tsp. granulated garlic

1 T. finely chopped fresh rosemary

1 c. Kalamata olives cut in thirds

2½ c. bread flour, or more as needed

extra virgin olive oil

flaky or coarse salt

Combine the sourdough starter, water, yeast, sugar, and salt in the bowl of your stand mixer. Let sit for 5 minutes. (Or as long as it takes to chop the rosemary and olives and retrieve the granulated garlic from its hiding place.)

Add the granulated garlic, rosemary, kalamata olives, and 2 cups of the bread flour to the mixing bowl. Using your dough hook, knead dough until relatively smooth, about 6 minutes using enough remaining flour to make a soft dough. (Most of the dough will form an irregular shaped ball around the bread hook. There should still be a bit that clings to the bottom of the bowl. And the dough will be very sticky.)  

Cover with plastic wrap. Allow to rise at room temperature 1 hour, or until doubled in bulk.

Prepare a large, flat baking sheet by spraying with cooking spray.  Pour the dough onto the prepared pan, and shape into a rough circle about ¾-inch thick. Spread the surface with olive oil. Cover with a piece of plastic wrap. Allow to rise for 1 hour at room temperature. Sprinkle lightly with flaky or coarse salt. 

Bake in a pre-heated 450-degree oven for 14-15 minutes, or until a light golden brown and the internal temperature reaches 200 degrees. Remove from oven and allow to cool completely before slicing.