Contents

INTRODUCTION

Why Bake Bread?

Breaking The Rules (Myth And Mystique vs Reality)

Tools Of The Trade

Hands, Hunches And How To Use Them

Flour, Water, Yeast And Salt – Down To Basics

Just For Starters

DAILY BREADS

Focaccia: Basic Dough for Loaves or Flatbreads

Fougasse de Collioure

Rosemary Filoncino

Ciabatta (Slipper Bread)

Kalamata Olive Filoncino

Hazelnut/Sage Filoncino

Filoncino Integrale

Sourdough Caraway Rye

Shimek Dill Pickles

Pane Casereccio (Housewife’s Bread)

Whole-Wheat Bread

Pane Rustico

French Baguette

TRADITIONAL BREADS

Anadama Bread

My Mother’s Cream Bread (Pan de Mie)

My Mother’s Sourdough Biscuits

Buttermilk Bread

Fresh Fruit Purée

My Grandmother’s Beaten Biscuits

Skillet Corn Bread

Cornmeal Spoon Bread

Sourdough Flapjacks

Buckwheat Blini

Boston Brown Bread

Suzanne’s Version of Boston Baked Beans

English Muffins

PIZZA

Basic Pizza Crust

Pizza Bianca alla Romana

Pizza Margherita

Pizza Napoletana

Pizza with Potatoes and Rosemary

Pizza con Carciofi

Pizza Quattro Stagione

Pizza alla Griglia

Very Thin Pizza with Rocket Paste

Simply Perfect Tomato Sauce

SWEET LOAVES AND OTHERS

Classic Brioche

Bigmama’s Kolaches

Poppy Seed Filling

Apricot Filling

Prune Filling

Cottage Cheese Filling

Apricot Focaccia

Prune and Walnut Bread

Schiacciata with Roasted Grapes

Suzanne’s Roasted Grapes

Sourdough Lemon Cake

Golden Cornmeal Torta della Nonna

Gabriella’s Ricotta Cake

Fresh Ricotta

Brownie Scout Chocolate Cake

Foolproof Chocolate Icing

Another Foolproof Chocolate Icing

Gingerbread Cake

Lemon Curd

Chocolate Tozzetti (Roman Dipping Cookies)

Wild Turkey Chocolate Ice Cream

SPECIAL BREADS AND BREADSTICKS

Apricot-Plum Pudding

Hard Sauce

Panettone

Candied Orange and Lemon Zest

Russian Kulich with Pashka

Pink Sugar Icing

Pashka

Quick Chappati for Curry

Ye-Wolo Ambasha (African Spiced Bread)

Nit’ r K’Ibe

Berberé

Truffle Rolls

Rosemary-Pepper Breadsticks

LEFTOVERS

Panzanella (Bread Salad)

Tuna Panzanella

Fresh Scallop Panzanella

Bruschette

Bruschetta with Tomato and Basil

Bruschetta with Rocket and Prosciutto

Bruschetta with Sweet Peppers and Tuna

Bruschetta with Caponata

Bruschetta with Olive Paste

Bruschetta with Wild Mushrooms

Bruschetta with Roasted Garlic and Parmesan

Bruschetta with Shellfish

Bruschettine

Bread Soufflés

Bread and Cheese Soufflé

Bread Soufflé with Salmon and Capers

Bread in Pasta and Rice

Penne with Broccoli and Anchovies

Rotelle alla Romana

Orecchiette with Broccoli Rape and Hot Peppers

Supplí

Pasta con le Sarde

Bread Soups

Tuscan Bread Soup

Carrot, Celeriac, Onion, and Parmesan Soup

Pappa di Pomodoro

White Bean and Balsamic Vinegar Soup

Suzanne’s Rich Chicken Stock

Bread for Dessert

Classic Bread and Butter Pudding

Chocolate Bread Pudding

Sautéed Apples and Cream on Toast

Pears in Caramel with Cheese on Toast

Exotic Croutons and Breadcrumbs

Croutons and Breadcrumbs

BREAD FOR CHILDREN

Pie Crust Pinwheels

Your Very Own Bread

Egyptian Eggs

Log Cabin Scrambles

Alphabet Breadsticks (Basic Recipe)

Pain Perdú (Lost Bread)

Campfire Rolly Polys

Adam and Eve on a Raft

Acknowledgements

Index