Bread Toast Crumbs

April 3, 2017
Blogger Stafford’s mother, Lowery, had a peasant bread recipe that wowed at dinners and parties; when fans asked for her secrets, she steered them toward a nonexistent recipe on the back of a flour bag. Years later, Lowery finally allowed Stafford to put the no-knead miracle bread recipe on the Internet at Alexandra’s Kitchen, and now the two of them share a variety of easy-to-make doughs without starters or fermentation. Honey whole wheat, kalamata olive, and pumpkin harvest bread doughs rise in under half an hour and are entirely unintimidating. Now that bread can be made “simply and quickly,” the authors encourage beginners to bake by providing dozens of recipes that use fresh bread. “Toast” recipes include starter, sandwich, entrée, and sweet options, and wow with selections such as endive and fava salad tartines with herbed ricotta; crab salad sandwiches with sauce gribiche; and English summer pudding. The “Crumbs” chapter makes use of bread bits in pasta and meatless mains; sheet pan mac ’n’ cheese and broiled striped bass with capers and crumbs are perfect for weeknight dinners. This is an inspiring, creative collection for new bakers and those who want to leave kneading behind.