GRIT Country Skills Series

It’s a fair question since we could use our time to do other productive tasks. And no one wants to waste money. As a person who’s very conscious of how I use my time and spend my money, I decided to look deep into the cost of baking bread. It’s a joy

Buttermilk biscuits are an easy homemade type-of-bread that can be served with any dish. This homemade staple is not only delicious, but requires just five ingredients to make. With lots of flour, buttermilk, baking soda, and little bit of heat, you’

As you prepare to begin your exciting, bread-making adventure, four Grit bloggers offer advice and outstanding variations on traditional bread recipes. These bread makers and lovers will guide you through making deliciously, flavorful Stromboli, stov

You can do it. You can make tasty, healthy bread every week. You can be the busy mom of three, the work-10-hours-per-day dad, or the away from-home-most-of-the-time couple and still have homemade bread on the table every night. Let me level with you:

When I first started baking with whole grains, my endeavors were limited to replacing some portion of white flour with whole-wheat flour—the easiest introductory step into whole-grain baking. Now I bake almost exclusively with whole-grain flours and

In a quest for healthier, tastier eating, many folks have returned to the art of baking bread. What they don’t realize is that they go to all that trouble to get good flavor with flour that may be a bit short on nutrients when compared with the wheat

Who can resist a loaf of bread, warm from the oven with a slab of cheddar on top? Or whole-wheat pancakes slathered in butter and maple syrup? What about tortillas fresh off the griddle, filled with beans, rice, salsa, and sour cream? These mouthwate

You probably already know that alfalfa and mung bean sprouts add nutrition and color to sandwiches, salads, stir-fries, and soups. However, sprouted wheat and other grains provide similar health benefits, as well as adding flavor and interesting text

Yeast! The English once called it “godes good,” believing it was a demonstration of God’s kindness. Yeast earned its place of respect because, for thousands of years, it was the invisible workhorse that fermented our fruits and grains to make wine, b

Baking bread is something people have practiced for centuries but have partly forgotten in modern life. It’s a skill worth relearning for the pride and joy of putting a lovely loaf on the table, knowing it was our care and skill that made this beauti

European breads are frequently made with an overnight starter, called a poolish or biga. This way of developing dough—which I learned from Peter Reinhart, of The Bread Baker’s Apprentice—has helped me to quickly put together some delicious, full-flav

This is the absolute best bread for a PB&J sandwich! You can substitute 1 cup whole wheat for 1 cup white bread flour to achieve a deeper flavor. As for the oats, you can use “quick-cooking” oats (never “instant”) if that’s what you have, but rolled

My grandmother taught me that when making mashed potatoes, you should cook one potato per person and one more “for the pot”—but I usually add more. Sometimes when I see potatoes starting to sprout in the bin, I’ll go ahead and cook those up and mash

I’ve often wondered how it is that bread, which is so basic to most of the world’s food cultures, has turned into something that we are intimidated to make ourselves. Homemade bread is often much more nutritious, and certainly less expensive, than “a

All across the country, cooks are rekindling a love affair with cast-iron cookware. Sales of newly manufactured cast iron have risen steadily over the last decade, and where once you could find a box of cast-iron cookware at a garage sale or flea mar

Cast-iron cookware is, in my own opinion, the secret “ingredient” to great-tasting food. I cook and bake exclusively with cast-iron, and whether it’s golden French toast or perfect pan-fried steaks, I always reach for one of my more than 50 pieces of

Recently, several people have told me, “I can’t make bread. It won’t rise.” Despite our best efforts, sometimes flour + water + yeast doesn’t equal a tantalizing loaf of bread; it’s just a large lump of dough. Needless to say, this can be frustrating

Like many people raised in Mediterranean households, I was taught to preserve and venerate bread. Whether collecting fallen crumbs from my cupped hands while exiting church or feeding ducks with our weekly scraps, many of my childhood memories revolv

Pies are the perfect dessert any time of year. In the summertime, cool and creamy pies are a refreshing treat. In the cooler months, nothing is more comforting than a warm slice of fruit pie, especially if it’s topped with a scoop of ice cream. And,

WEIGH YOUR FLOUR: Most recipes measure flour by volume instead of weight, meaning they call for 1 cup of flour instead of 5 ounces. A perfectly measured cup of flour weighs 5 ounces. However, that same cup will weigh less if you pack the flour too lo

Going-gluten-free has been catching on in the culinary world in recent years, as many folks are finding that they are anywhere from mildly to severely affected by gluten. You don’t have to have celiac disease to be affected by gluten. Even milder for

One tempting whiff of the aroma from my mom’s freshly baked bread pudding was all she needed to call my friends and me in from our various outdoor pursuits. How could we not drop everything to taste that delicious, mouth watering creation? Seated aro

By Karen K. Will These special muffins qualify as sweet and savory, and for anyone who scoffs at the bacon chocolate pairing, try it before you knock it. The salty, smokiness of the bacon marries with the sweetness of chocolate, and a perfect union i

During the fall and winter months, we turn inward, seeking comfort and contentment in the warmth of our homes. We want heartier seasonal foods, and life revolves around the warmth of the kitchen. So turn on your ovens and treat your family to some go

This bread is fashioned after Tuscan bread that I learned to make when I lived in Italy. The addition of herbs and onions makes it a savory loaf. The bread dough can be allowed to rise once and be punched down; then the herbs can be kneaded in and th

1 cup unbleached flour or ½ cup unbleached flour with ½ cup bran1 cup rye flour1 cup cornmeal3 teaspoons baking soda1 teaspoon salt1 cup sorghum molassesAbout 2 cups clabbered milk1 tablespoon fresh minced thyme or 1 teaspoon dried½ cup currants dust

You can use any lemon herb you like in these scones; orange mint is also delicious. Of course, using fresh herbs will give you the most wonderful bouquet in addition to flavor. However, you may use dried herbs if need be—reduce the amount of dried he

Buttery-rich and full of sprightly garlic flavor, these biscuits don’t need any extra butter. Serve them just as they are with soups and stews, and for a nice sweet-savory twist, with preserves and/or thin slices of cheese at breakfast or brunch. At

The act of adding ground grains to water, then mixing in a bit of salt, has created simple doughs throughout the ages. No one knows when the recipe was first used—it’s that ancient. Our ancestors rolled the dough flat, and baked it on rocks, inside o

By Debbie Whittaker Yields 8 pitas. 1 package active dry yeast1 teaspoon honey1½ cups warm water¾ teaspoon salt3 tablespoons olive oil (flavored with sage, rosemary or thyme, if desired)1½ cups whole-wheat flour1½ to 2 cups unbleached all-purpose flo

By Susan Belsinger These puffy disks of bread are simple, quick, and versatile. Prepare a batch of dough and leave it covered to rest—it takes only minutes to roll out a few flatbreads and bake them on a griddle or in a heavy skillet. The dough can r

By Adrienne Kane, from United States of Bread Yields 40 to 50 servings. These homemade crackers balance sweet and salty, and taste nutty from the whole-wheat flour. United States of Bread (Running Press, 2014), by Adrienne Kane, contains 75 vintage A

By Jeeti Gandhi Yields 8 large naan. 2½ teaspoons active dry yeast¼ cup warm water2 teaspoons sugar⅔ cup milk, room temperature⅔ cup plus 2 tablespoons plain, low-fat yogurt, whisked1 egg, beaten (extra ¼ cup yogurt can be 1 In bowl, combine yeast, w

Iread somewhere that “an un boiled bagel is just a roll with a hole,” and it caused me to think about the intricacies of various foods, how they’re made, and what makes them unique. Good boiled breads, such as bagels and pretzels, are soft and chewy,