Breads and Baking Archives - The Boozy Epicure

The Simple Pleasure of Freshly Baked Bread

October 20, 2016April 21, 2025

I've been happily obsessed with bread baking for the past few years now. There is nothing quite like the smell of freshly baked bread in your kitchen. It conjures feelings of warmth and comfort like none other and it's a pleasure I wish more people partook in. I understand why... Read More

Breads and Baking How To

Hearth Bread Baking at Home

October 20, 2016October 20, 2016

When I talk about baking rustic loaves of bread, I'm usually talking about hearth breads. These are breads made directly on a hearth or the hot deck of an oven. What you are trying to do is radiate heat as efficiently as possible to promote oven spring (that extra lift... Read More

Breads and Baking How To

Working with Wild Yeast – How Not to Kill Your Mother

October 7, 2016

Why do I care about wild yeast? The older I get, the more fascinated I become with the unseen world. We are surrounded every day by microorganisms, shaping the foods we eat and the beverages we drink in numerous ways. It seems that our entire edible world is constrained by... Read More

Breads and Baking Breakfast Recipe

Homemade Bagels

January 24, 2016October 2, 2016 bagels, bread, breakfast

The first time I made bagels at home, I felt like a magician. I've always loved a good bagel, heck, I even enjoy the basic plastic wrapped bagels at the grocery store. But with all the boiling and shaping and baking involved, homemade bagels seemed like a lot of work... Read More

Breads and Baking How To Recipe Sweets Testing

Fundamentals: Puff Pastry

February 14, 2015September 1, 2016 baking, pastry

Why do tv chefs tell you to purchase puff pastry? I'm not saying that store-bought puff pastry is bad, quite the opposite, but I've heard Ina Garten, Alton Brown, and countless other food celebrities wax on that it isn't worth your time, it's a painstaking process, it's highly complicated. When... Read More

Breads and Baking Recipe

Parker House Rolls

September 20, 2014January 5, 2017 baking, bread

Who doesn't love bread? From baguettes to croissants, I haven't met a carb-loaded baked good that I don't like. But when you make dinner rolls that are rich, soft, buttery, eggy, and barely sweet Parker House Rolls, people will more than love them. They will crave them, and find you... Read More

Breads and Baking Breakfast Recipe

Perfect Holiday Breakfast – Craquelin

December 22, 2013September 1, 2016 baking, bread, breakfast, brioche, sweets

Until a few months ago, I had never heard of craquelin. Then I received a loaf through the Zingerman's Culinary Adventure Society food club and was hooked. I ate the craquelin greedily and was bound and determined to make my own. Craquelin is basically the Belgian play on brioche, adding... Read More

Breads and Baking Recipe Sweets

Let Them Eat Brioche!

October 22, 2013September 1, 2016 baking, bread, breakfast, brioche

Ah, brioche. The buttery, eggy gorgeousness that somehow marries bread and cake. When I started baking breads at home, I overlooked brioche, instead favoring peasant loaves and baguettes, with their crusty exterior and airy interior. But after sampling some lovely brioche recently, I was again hooked and craved making my... Read More

Breads and Baking Recipe

Homemade Focaccia

August 27, 2013September 1, 2016 baking, bread, Italian

Homemade FocacciaFoccaccia is one of those breads that I never thought much about. I had come across many bland, boring versions that seemed to be overloaded with toppings, more like a thick crust pizza. But recently, I've come across a few restaurants whose focaccia was served plain, maybe with herbs,... Read More

✷ Breads and Baking Recipe

Homemade Popovers

June 14, 2013September 1, 2016 bread, eggs

Homemade PopoversI remember the first time I ever ate a popover. The thrill of that steaming, glorious roll, super puffy and golden, with a crispy crust and custardy interior, still impresses me to this day. Funny enough, popovers are super easy to make. All you need is a blender and a... Read More