jeff, Author at Artisan Bread in Five Minutes a Day

Sheet Pan Pizza

April 28, 2016April 24, 2019 jeff 28 Comments

My kids are crazy about pizza. I could really make it every night of the week, and they would never complain. Most pizza nights I turn to stovetop pizza because it is so fast and easy, but I’m finding the older they get, a thicker crust fills them up and keeps them happy.

I received a copy of Ken Forkish‘s wonderful new book, The Elements of Pizza, and was happy to find a classic ‘Grandmpa Pie’ recipe on it’s pages. This pizza is parbaked in an oil-brushed half sheet pan, which helps keep the crust crispy without over baking the cheese. Toppings are then added, and the pizza is baked again and finished under the broiler. It was an instant hit when I made it.

Because this version of pizza is a little more time consuming, I tried it out with our no-knead pizza dough. Sure enough, it was just as delicious, and my family couldn’t tell the difference.

Deep Dish Pizza

March 30, 2016April 30, 2019 jeff 14 Comments

Deep dish pizza is a favorite meal around my house, but I often forget to add it to our weekday meal plan. This week, however, I was ahead of the game, and planned for deep dish pizza night. No-knead cornmeal olive oil dough makes this almost too simple, and the thick pizza slices filled with sausage and cheese meant one piece each was enough for all of us. Of course, it’s been requested again, and next week I think I’ll stuff it full of onions, green pepper, and mushrooms, for a vegetarian take.

Baked Spelt English Muffins

March 9, 2016March 9, 2016 jeff 20 Comments

I’ve become addicted to adding spelt flour to my Bread in 5 dough (see blood orange doughnuts and stove top pizza), and decided to try it in yet another application: English muffins. My family is a big fan of warm bread first thing in the morning, so this seemed like a perfect application. Not only does the spelt add extra (delicious) flavor, but it has many health benefits, including increasing circulation and helping with digestion. I’ve been adding it to our bread and many of our baked goods as we slowly try to decrease the amount of white flour we are consuming. It worked perfectly again here. The muffins were delicious right out of the oven, and they also toasted up nicely the following day.

Spelt Donuts with Blood Orange Glaze

February 16, 2016April 30, 2019 jeff 7 Comments

If you’ve been around this site long enough, you’ll know that we are big fans here of using our no-knead brioche dough to make donuts. We’ve made jelly-filled donuts, mini-donuts, espresso-chocolate donuts, powdered sugar donuts, and even s’mores donuts. But I firmly believe that there can’t be too many ways to enjoy one of our favorite treats, and so I bring you yet another recipe for warm, delicious circles of goodness. After reviving our spelt pizza dough a few weeks ago, I decided to try and come up with an enriched version of it; I like the flavor it lends to sweet confections, and it makes whatever I am baking a little more healthy, which is always a good thing. These spelt donuts are made with both spelt and all-purpose flour, and fry up light and tasty.

Stovetop Pizza with Spelt Dough

February 2, 2016April 30, 2019 jeff 16 Comments

With the holidays tucked safely behind, I’ve found myself trying to incorporate healthier foods into my family’s New Year diet. There were some subtle groans about the 100% whole wheat flour bagels and bread that showed up in our kitchen January 1st, foreshadowing things to come. After a few weeks of slowly letting go of the white flour, however, no one seems to mind quite as much anymore. Along with the whole wheat flour, I have also been adding spelt flour to many of our baked goods and breads. I’ve always loved the flavor of spelt, and find it easy to work with in most applications. I had forgotten about the Whole Grain Spelt Dough recipe in Artisan Pizza and Flatbreads, and it has been a welcome addition to dinner. My kids didn’t even notice the crust on their beloved stovetop pizza was slightly heartier, and gobbled down their slices without batting an eye.

Brioche Cake with Sugared Cranberries and Cream Cheese Frosting

December 21, 2015December 21, 2015 jeff 6 Comments

With Christmas just around the corner, I’ve found I still don’t have the perfect morning-of breakfast. I have a secret wish to have that one amazing sweet bread my kids will make in their homes one day, for their own children on holiday mornings. After playing around with sugared cranberries and cream cheese frosting, I’ve decided they might be the keys to what I am searching for. The tart cranberries and tangy cheese pair well together, especially when perched on a sugar-swirled brioche cake. We all oohed and aahed on first bite.

Thanks EveryDayCheapskate.com: great review of “New Artisan” and, an Artisan Baker’s Gift Basket…

November 21, 2015November 21, 2015 jeff 6 Comments

Mary Hunt blogs at EveryDayCheapskate.com, and she’s put up a marvelous review of “The New Artisan Bread…” When you visit, scroll down and you’ll see the holiday gift basket she’s put together, plus some very kind words:

“I may as well be president of the Artisan-In-Five fan club. for how this book and its method changed my life…”

Mary Hunt, EveryDayCheapskate.com

Thanks Mary!

Ghoulish Breadsticks for Halloween!

October 29, 2015October 29, 2015 jeff 22 Comments

This week is the one time a year when we purposefully make our food look creepy. Halloween is great fun for the kids, but we adults love to play with our food too, and its great fun to watch people squirm just a bit. Even though these breadsticks are ghoulish, they are crunchy and delicious as well. Stick a few in the lunch box to give your kids a little Halloween thrill at school. Read More

Braided Savory Spinach, Feta, and Pine Nut Dinner Pastry

October 21, 2015October 21, 2015 jeff 74 Comments

This started out as a dessert post, but then I looked out the window, and it’s October in Minnesota, and fresh berries from the U-pick farm are long over with. My family needs something warming tonight, so I dropped my almond cream and raspberry idea, and jogged to the store for spinach and feta to go with the pine nuts I already had in the house. Not only is this thing delicious, but I stashed gobs of spinach into it and it was super kid-friendly anyway. Read More

Craftsy Class Giveaway!

September 3, 2015September 3, 2015 jeff 25 Comments

It is coming up on baking season and we want to get you all ready and in the mood. As you may have heard, we did a Craftsy video series that shows all the tips and techniques for creating our favorite breads. The class is based on our Master recipe from The New Artisan Bread in Five Minutes a Day, but the course is helpful for baking any breads and pizzas from all of our books.

As a big THANK YOU to our Breadin5 community, we’re giving away our Craftsy Artisan Bread in Minutes class to a random winner. All you have to do is click on the link below to enter. Good luck and enjoy the class. Read More