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Text copyright © 2013 by The Model BakeryLLC.

Photographs copyright © 2013 by FrankieFrankeny.

All rights reserved. No part of this book may bereproduced in any form without writtenpermission from the publisher.

ISBN 978-1-4521-2991-4

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-PublicationData available under ISBN 978-1-4521-1383-8.

Designed by Alice ChauTypesetting by Helen Lee

Chronicle Books LLC680 Second StreetSan Francisco, California 94107

www.chroniclebooks.com

CONTENTS

Introduction PAGENO 14

Ingredients PAGENO 20

Equipment PAGENO 24

Basic Techniques PAGENO 29

BREADS

The Model Bakery’s EnglishMuffins

PAGENO 35

Dinner Rolls PAGENO 38

Ciabatta PAGENO 40

Focaccia PAGENO 42

Struan PAGENO 43

Pain de Mie PAGENO 46

Pain au Levain PAGENO 49

Whole-Wheat Harvest Bread PAGENO 52

Amber Ale Bread PAGENO 54

WILD YEAST GRAPE STARTERPAGENO 56

The Model Bakery on Bread PAGENO 60

YEASTED SWEETS

Croissants PAGENO 64

Almond Croissants PAGENO 68

Pains au Chocolat PAGENO 69

Bear Claws PAGENO 71

Classic Cheese Danish PAGE

NO 72Cheese and Berry Danish

PAGENO 73

Morning Buns PAGENO 74

Sticky Buns PAGENO 76

Cinnamon Rolls PAGENO 79

CROISSANT DOUGHPAGENO 80

SCHNECKEN DOUGHPAGENO 82

The Model Bakery onYeasted Sweets

PAGENO 83

BREAKFAST FAVORITES

The Model Bakery’s Granola PAGENO 86

Buttermilk Biscuits PAGENO 89

Cranberry Buttermilk Scones PAGENO 90

Apricot-Pecan Scones PAGENO 91

Cream Currant Scones PAGENO 92

Blueberry Muffins PAGENO 94

Banana-Walnut Muffins PAGENO 96

Multigrain Muffins PAGENO 97

Morning Glory MuffinsPAGENO 99

Irish Soda Bread PAGENO 100

The Model Bakery onBreakfast Favorites

PAGENO 101

CAKES

Espresso Bundt Cake PAGENO 104

Lemon Pound Cake PAGENO 106

Pumpkin Gingerbread Cake PAGENO 107

Classic Carrot Cake PAGENO 108

Coconut CakePAGE

NO 110

Red Velvet Cake PAGENO 113

Auntie Emma’s ButtermilkCake

PAGENO 116

Devil’s Food Cake PAGENO 117

White Cake PAGENO 118

Sunny Lemon Cake PAGENO 119

Berries and Cream Cake PAGENO 120

Chocolate-Raspberry Cake PAGENO 122

Chocolate Mousse Cake PAGENO 124

Bûche de Noël PAGENO 125

A Homemade Wedding Cake PAGENO 128

Vanilla Buttercream PAGENO 134

Cream Cheese Frosting PAGENO 136

Old-Fashioned Boiled Icing PAGENO 137

The Model Bakery on Cakes PAGENO 138

PIES AND TARTS

Apple Streusel Pie PAGENO 142

Peach Streusel Pie PAGENO 145

Strawberry-Rhubarb Pie PAGENO 146

Pecan Pie PAGENO 147

Brandied Pumpkin Pie PAGENO 148

Chocolate and CaramelTartlets with Fleur de Sel

PAGENO 150

Lemon Brûlée Tart PAGENO 153

Fresh Fruit Tart PAGENO 155

Gâteau Basque PAGENO 156

Plum Galette PAGENO 158

Pastry Cream PAGENO 161

Whipped Cream PAGENO 161

Lemon Curd PAGENO 162

PIE DOUGHPAGE

NO 163

TART DOUGHPAGE

NO 164

The Model Bakery on Piesand Tarts

PAGENO 165

COOKIES

Lemon Squares PAGENO 168

Brownies PAGENO 171

Carmelita Bars PAGENO 172

Chocolate Rads PAGENO 173

Almond Macaroons PAGENO 176

PAGE

Oatmeal-Raisin Cookies NO 178

Peanut Butter Cookies PAGENO 179

The Ultimate Chocolate ChipCookies

PAGENO 180

White Chocolate Chip andHazelnut Cookies

PAGENO 182

Tender Sugar Cookies PAGENO 183

Festive Sugar Cookies PAGENO 184

Raspberry Linzer Cookies PAGENO 189

Ginger Molasses Cookies PAGENO 190

PAGE

Gingerbread Cookies NO 191

Our Gingerbread HousePAGE

NO 192

Meringue Mushrooms PAGENO 196

The Model Bakery onCookies

PAGENO 197

ResourcesPAGE

NO 199

Acknowledgments PAGENO 200

Index PAGENO 202

INTRODUCTION

The year was 1984, and I was a young,naive, and determined self-taught chef. Iwas operating a small but thrivingcatering business, hidden in a back alleybehind Main Street in the center of thesmall town of St. Helena, in the heart ofCalifornia’s best-known wine region.My landlord, who was both a goodfriend and my attorney, also owned thebuilding that housed the town bakery. Ihad long dreamed of owning the St.Helena Bakery, which was operated bya European family. The location, thebuilding, the interior space, and the

ovens were perfectly suited to myidealistic aspirations.

When the building became available, myhusband, John, and I immediatelydecided to rent it. I was elated, eventhough months of hard work lay ahead. Inever doubted that we could renovatethe facility, develop a new product line,and make a successful venture out of thiswonderful old building. The premiseshad been vacated, and nearly all theequipment had been removed. The onlythings remaining were two brick ovensbuilt into the walls during the 1920s.Most of the old brick hearth ovens inbakeries in California (and elsewhere inthe United States) had already

disappeared, replaced with electricconvection ovens. I had always covetedthose beautiful brick hearth ovens, whichwere partly baking tools and partlyantiques.

The bakery products available in theNapa Valley in the early 1980s wereSan Francisco sourdough breads, oftenmade from mixes. There were almost noartisan breads. Having traveledthroughout Europe, I had fallen in lovewith European baking and wasdetermined to bring European artisanbaking techniques to the Napa Valley—using those wonderful brick ovens. Ilonged to create naturally fermentedsourdoughs and wonderful European-

style croissants and pastries. At the time,I had no idea how big the project wouldbecome. I never stopped to realize that Inow had the only bakery in the entireupper Napa Valley, nor did I dream thatthe bakery might grow into what it istoday.

The hundred-year-old brick buildingwas charming in an old-world way, withtiled windows, high ceilings, and evenskylights. Our plan was to keep thehistorical details intact and create anenvironment that had the feeling of a1930s café. At the same time, we had tomake the bakery functional and wantedto maintain an open feeling by keepingthe two areas, retail and production,

visible from the entry all the way to theback door.

Starting a bakery from the bottom up isan expensive and demanding endeavor.Bakery equipment is unique and twice ascostly as basic restaurant machinery. Iwas fortunate that my husband is abuilding contractor with an MBA,because without his direction, I nevercould have taken on the renovation. Johnand his crew constructed the worktables,installed refrigeration and plumbing,updated the electrical system, built thebread displays and cabinetry, and did allthe painting. Everything seemed to fallinto place, except for one major hurdle—we had no idea how to fire and

operate the bakery’s old brick ovens,and we had to learn by trial and error.

Each oven was formidable—approximately 18 ft/5.5 m wide, 14ft/4.3 m deep, and 16 in/40.5 cm high.The bricks on the floor were set in a bedof sand, and the oven ceiling wasmortared into an arch. The ovens wereheated by huge natural-gas “guns”attached to the walls on a swivel ofgalvanized pipe. Like the ovens, the gasguns with blower fans were probablymanufactured in the 1920s. To light anoven, the gas guns were inserted into themouth of the oven through a steel door.As the gas valve was opened and theblowers forced air in, the mixture was

ignited by a propane torch. At full force,the guns resembled giant flamethrowersand made a deep growling noise thatshook the windows all the way to thefront of the building. The heat was aimedalternately at the center and then to theleft and right sides of each oven to heatthe brick surfaces evenly.

It was an enormous challenge to figureout the correct firing techniques and theoven temperatures. Our first tries werealmost comical, and we had occasionalmishaps, such as the time when a flash offlame caught John’s sweater on fire.

We learned that the specially designedheat sink—a 3-ft-/1-m-deep layer of

solid dry sand—in the attic directlyabove the ovens could hold most of theoven heat from day to day. It was soeffective that an oven fully heated to abaking temperature of around600°F/315°C would take three weeks tocool down to 90°F/32°C. Bringing theovens up to baking temperature took oneto two hours. If we baked right away,everything burned on the bottom. As wecontinued to experiment, we discoveredthat we could do our baking in stageswithout having to refire the oven.

First, the sourdough breads would go in,and the steam heat, at full strength,would allow the loaves to rise. Thesteam, produced from a boiler connecteddirectly to the original pipes in the ovenwalls, would come billowing out of themouth of the oven, almost like a fire-breathing dragon. After perhaps fiveminutes, the steam would be shut off, andthe ovens would revert to dry heat,which crisped the crusts of the bread.The aromas were incredible. After thefirst bake, as the ovens cooled slightly,we could continue with French loavesand finally with our more delicate, thin-crusted loaves. Later in the shift, wewould refire the ovens and bake our

morning pastries, muffins, and scones. Ina modern bakery, the power would beleft on all night to heat the electricovens. Our method was moreeconomical—natural gas being muchcheaper than electricity—and theproducts were exceptional.

During the six months of renovation andexperimentation with the brick ovens, Ibefriended Pascal, a French baker whohad worked in a small bakery insouthern France from his apprenticeshipat age fourteen until he reached themaster baker level in his late twenties.He was a huge source of knowledge andpractical experience, and all his bakinghad been done in ovens similar to ours. I

hired him, and we began to develop ourline of baked goods.

We were thrilled to open the doors justbefore Thanksgiving of 1984. Theinterior of the retail area was like that ofa small bakery in the countryside ofProvence. The walls were goldenmustard and the wooden trim a deepforest green, colors taken from theceramic tiles in the windows (and alsofrom the local wild mustard fields andverdant vineyards). When customerswalked in the door, they saw the bakedgoods displayed in wicker baskets andglass-front wood cabinets. Initially weoffered simple sweet French andsourdough breads and a couple of

flavored breads, along with somepastries and cookies. A stand-up counteralong one wall was for coffee and teaservice.

All along, my goal was to provide thearea with the kind of smalltown bakerythat was fast disappearing, a placewhere kids would stop by on the wayhome from school for a cookie, or wherea customer could pick up a deliciousbirthday cake at a moment’s notice.There was a time when every communityhad a bakery like this, but theconvenience of buying baked goods(usually of dubious quality) at asupermarket had lured customers away,and many of these establishments closed.

I believed that if our food proved to beas good as I wanted it to be, customerswouldn’t be able to resist.

How the bakery got its name is acomplete coincidence. One day duringconstruction, a good friend who hadgrown up in St. Helena stopped by tocheck our progress. As he walkedthrough the bakery, he mumbledsomething like “Ah . . . the ModelBakery.” We asked him what he meant.He explained that the bakery was knownas the Model Bakery during hischildhood in the 1930s. We adopted thename instantly.

In the first years we owned the bakerywe were still catering, and many of ourfirst customers were the local vintnerswho hired us to cater events. In this waywe became familiar with the new,burgeoning wineries and the peoplebehind them. We experimented withrecipes a lot in those days, and welearned by doing. In fact, many people inthe town, including Isabel Mondavi

(Michael Mondavi’s wife and a memberof the famous winemaking family),joined us in baking and cooking all kindsof recipes as we found our way.

Every year the Robert Mondavi Wineryorganized the Great Chefs of France,during which the world’s most famouschefs gathered to teach classes to theirfans. Some of these superstars includedJulia Child, Gaston Lenôtre, MichelGuérard, Paul Prudhomme, JacquesPépin, and Alain Chapel. The Mondavishired us to cater the breakfast, and I gotto attend the classes in return. I wouldget up at 5:00 A.M., bake off thecroissants, squeeze orange juice, deliverthe goods, and then run home to change

and return in time for classes. Beingaround these chefs, who represented alevel of professionalism that would bethe dream of any young baker, helpedexpand my view of what was possiblewith my little bakery. Our reputationgrew, and we had a lot of chefs stoppingby, including Julia (who signed my firstedition of Mastering the Art of FrenchCooking). One time, a couple came inthe back door to check us out. They wereWolfgang Puck and beloved dessertcookbook author Maida Heatter. “Wehear you are doing a great job,”Wolfgang said. It was music to my ears.

We were also in on the ground floor ofanother well-known local event. Auction

Napa Valley started in the 1980s andwas organized by wine country dynamoMolly Chappellet to promote localwineries and as a benefit for the region’shospitals. It has become one of thelargest charity events in the country, andlast year it had more than two thousandattendees and raised seven milliondollars. It began as a lunch atMeadowood, our area’s top golf courseand a top-notch country hotel, cooked byBay Area celebrity chef Narsai David.For that first meal for three hundredguests, we filled beautiful grapevinebaskets with fresh pâtés, salads, andsweets. We’ve been a part of the auctionevery year since.

Charitable giving is a huge part of ourmission, and we donate to many localcauses. Being part of the community issuch an important part of what we do,whether we’re supplying bread forschool lunches or making iced cookiesin the shape of fire hydrants for the firedepartment. I’ve seen many kids grow up—I’ve baked wedding cakes for thesame young women for whom I used tobake birthday cakes. We now hireexterns from the nearby CulinaryInstitute of America at Greystone, whocome work with us while earning theirdegrees. Being part of the community,learning, and giving back have beenamong the great joys of running the

bakery. They are the reasons I have beenable to maintain my passion for it.

HOW IT ALL BEGAN

I am often asked how I got started in thefood business. The easiest answer is thatcooking has been in my blood sincechildhood.

I grew up in Portland, Oregon, in afamily of good cooks of Norwegiandescent. My mother and grandmotherswere among the best cooks of their time.All of our food was made from scratch.We grew our own vegetables and fruits,and my father was a seriousoutdoorsman who fished and hunted. My

father’s Auntie Emma operated aprestigious dining room in Portlandcalled Berg’s Chalet, an old brickmansion turned into a restaurant, whereJames Beard often dined when he was intown (Beard was an Oregonian). Asyoung girls, my sister and I would visitfor family celebrations and end up in thekitchen watching the cooks fry chickenand steaks. We especially liked beingallowed to make our own icecreamsundaes. Emma was a skilled baker. Herbuttermilk cake with strawberry creamfrosting was featured in the restaurant,and it was the centerpiece of everyFourth of July picnic. I saved her oldrecipes and continue to use them in mybakery.

Fruit was so abundant in Oregon that itseemed as if everyone was an expert atmaking pies. On my mother’s side, myAunt Lou was the town baker inEnterprise, Oregon. She had a bakingkitchen in the back of her home, whereshe produced all the pies for the generalstore (owned by her sister), the localcafé, and the lumber mill. In those days,pie was served at every meal, includingbreakfast. My sister and I would sit ontall stools in her kitchen and watch herwork. Sometimes she would let us peelfruit or sift flour. She made little pies forus as a treat. Little did I know that Iwould someday be doing the same withmy own daughter, Sarah.

When I attended Willamette Universityin Salem, Oregon, I organized Sundaynight dinners at our sorority, where Iwas house manager. It was the cook’snight off and, rather than serve cold cuts,I decided we would have theme dinners,such as Italian feasts and French picnics.Back then, in the mid-1960s, theshopping possibilities were slim, but thesorority girls adored the dinners, and Ibegan to enjoy feeding my friends.

After marrying and moving around thecountry with John, my Marine Corpspilot husband, I was exposed to manydifferent culinary flavors. We lived inPensacola, Florida, where I happily ateoysters and Gulf shrimp. We moved to

Southern California and I got to knowMexican food. When I finished graduateschool in Los Angeles, we decided totravel before settling down. After sellingmost of our belongings, we flew toGermany, where we bought a new VWbus. Thus began a two-year odyssey:Europe on five dollars a day.

As we went from country to country, weexplored the local street markets,bakeries, pubs, and wine bars. Wecooked many of our meals in the bus, soI shopped and experimented with food,and became more and more enamoredwith European ways. We headed first toScandinavia, where my ancestors hadlived, and then we went south to Paris,

which was to become perhaps ourfavorite place in the world. Weexperienced the thrill of buyingbaguettes just out of the oven andsavoring buttery croissants and briochesin the morning. The pastries wereexquisite. There was nothing like this athome. How could I ever eat soft, squishyAmerican bread again? Naturally, I fellin love with real Italian food as well. Iscoured the markets, bakeries, andpizzerias for new tastes and collectedideas for the growing list of foods Iwanted to make when I got back to theStates. While in the British Isles, Idiscovered wonderful cheeses, darkbreads, smoked salmon, and scones. Iwanted to bring these new friends home

with me.

When we returned after our trip aroundthe world, we were changed people, andit was difficult to imagine working inserious jobs in a city. After a few falsestarts, we moved to the Napa Valley. Inthe early 1970s, the wine business wasjust starting to expand. New winerieswere being built, and existing winerieswere upgrading their vineyards. Thefocus was on European-stylewinemaking. The old-world influence onwine started to trickle down to the styleof food served in the Napa Valley. Morerestaurants were opening that offeredsophisticated, European-inspired food.

My husband, a dedicated wineenthusiast, worked the crush at BurgessCellars and began to meet people in theValley. In 1975, we encountered twoEuropean friends who were running asmall French-style bistro in Calistoga.After many shared meals, they asked meto help them cook for special parties.The next spring we helped them open arestaurant in St. Helena called La BelleHélène. I cooked lunches and theycooked dinners. It was a dauntingexperience for someone with norestaurant experience. I worked fromearly morning through the afternoon,while John watched our new baby. Thenhe went to work nights at a winery.

Bitten seriously by the restaurant life, Icooked with friends for various wineryclients I met while at La Belle. Therapid growth of wineries had generateda big demand for entertaining, but therewere no high-end restaurants or marketsin the Napa Valley. I decided to open acommercial kitchen in St. Helena and putall our friends to work. We had the mostsophisticated servers anywhere. Thebusiness was hectic and exciting andlucrative. I cooked lunch for JosephPhelps and his staff every Tuesday,when they would entertain restaurateursand wine writers. My first guests wereAlice Waters and Jeremiah Tower fromChez Panisse. I was petrified but

received compliments from everyone.

A FAMILY BAKERY

Two decades after the Model Bakeryopened, my daughter, Sarah, who hadgone to work in the corporate world,realized that she missed life in the winecountry. She decided to move back toNapa and join the bakery business. Sheand her fiancé, Chris, worked together atthe bakery for a year, until he was luredaway by the wine industry. After a grandwedding and honeymoon, Sarah took onmore responsibilities at the bakery.

The introduction of young talent andtheir new marketing ideas enabled us to

take the bakery to a whole new level.There was a great demand from localrestaurants and hotels for us to supplytheir baking needs, but the brick ovens inSt. Helena could not accommodate thevolume. We had reached capacity inboth oven space and storage space, andby 2007 we clearly needed a bigger andmore up-to-date facility. The old brickovens were wearing down, especiallythe steam machine system—essential forcrusty bread—with its corroded andinaccessible piping in the walls. Wejuggled and coped with our limited workspace.

In 2007, we were approached by a localdeveloper planning a food hall in

downtown Napa, called Oxbow PublicMarket, a project from the same teamthat started the Ferry BuildingMarketplace in San Francisco. He waslooking for local food businesses tocome together under one roof and offerthe finest products in the Napa Valley.Our problem was space—we needed atleast 2,000 square feet/186 squaremetres to set up a production bakery.

The solution was to move the breadoperation to a facility in Napa with newovens and mixing equipment. Wecontacted the San Francisco BakingInstitute and planned a complete bakery.The building we chose was formerly anauto-tire store. We hired Howard

Backen, a well-known local architect, totransform it into a modern bakery. Herewe go again, I thought—we had toremodel the entire facility. In it weinstalled state-of-the-art brick deckovens from Italy. The project tookalmost one year from design to opening.

In the middle of the project, our headbaker informed us he was going to movecloser to his family in Tennessee. Mydaughter, ever the optimist, found anexperienced boulanger in Lyon, France(through the Internet, we were taking abig chance!). We brought him toCalifornia with his wife and new babyand incorporated his experience andskills into our new baking operation.

That was a nerve-wracking time, butthrough the process, we found severalother talented bread bakers who were asexcited as we were to open our bakeryin the Oxbow Public Market in thewinter of 2008.

We operate around the clock, seven daysa week, with a staff of more than fifty.Our baking team is truly a sight tobehold. (Actually it is two teams, as wedo the sweet pastries in St. Helena, andthe yeasted breads in Napa.) They arededicated to their work and proud ofwhat they accomplish each day. Ourdelivery truck makes two or three tripsdaily from St. Helena to Napa and back.

Our baked goods are intentionallysimple, with familiar old-fashionedflavors. “Homespun” is another way todescribe their comforting taste andvisual appeal. I have amassed a goldmine of recipes. They began as simpleworking recipes and have been refinedand improved over the years. We startedwith small-kitchen methods and workedcarefully to develop them for acommercial scale. For this cookbook,we went backward, reducingcommercial formulas to the small scalewe began with more than thirty years agoso that they can be reproducedsuccessfully in the home kitchen.

I am always pleased when customers

remark, “This is the best cookie I’veever eaten,” because their palates showhow hard we’ve worked on refining ourrecipes. The bakery’s Chocolate Rads(page 173), English Muffins (page 35),and Almond Macaroons (page 176) areitems that people come miles to enjoy,even though they could buy similar itemselsewhere. Occasionally, we will give anod to more contemporary flavors, aswe do with our Chocolate and CaramelTartlets with Fleur de Sel (page 150).The book starts with an explanation ofimportant ingredients, equipment, andbaking techniques—without going intoexcruciating detail—because they areused again and again. Once youunderstand these basics, you are on your

way to being a great baker.

This book is a collection of my mosttreasured recipes. It is also the story ofour bakery, which is intertwined withthe vibrant culinary history of the NapaValley.

Karen MitchellST. HELENA, CALIFORNIA

INGREDIENTS

Any baker will tell you that fine bakingdepends on top-notch ingredients. ModelBakery is located in a world-famousagricultural region, and we have greatlocal sources for dairy products, eggs(some come from our pet chickens), andproduce. While our flour comes fromUtah, its distributor is only a short driveaway, and we have a long-standingrelationship with them. Here are somenotes on the ingredients we use everyday. Search out the best in your area, andyou will be well on your way to greatbaking.

CHOCOLATE ANDCOCOA

You will see a lot of potentiallyconfusing information on chocolatelabels. Unsweetened is self-explanatory.According to the U.S. Department ofAgriculture (USDA), semisweet andbittersweet chocolate are in the samecategory, with anywhere from 35 to 88percent cacao (pure ground cacaobeans). The remaining ingredients inchocolate are sweetener (usually sugar),vanilla flavoring (not always purevanilla and often artificial vanillin), andlecithin, an emulsifier. The higher thecacao content, the more bitter the

chocolate.

While some people like bittersweetchocolate with a high cacao content, wetake a middle-of-the-road approach forour everyday baking. Our chocolate ofchoice is Guittard French Vanilla, whichhas a cacao content of 54 percent. It isn’tsold in bars, but some markets in the BayArea sell it in bulk as chunks. (Guittardis based in Burlingame, California, andhas been in operation since 1868.) Anysemisweet chocolate with similar cacaocontent, such as Lindt Excellence SweetDark or Callebaut Semisweet, will dovery well.

CHOCOLATE CHIPS. There are a lot of

good chocolate chips out there, so justuse your favorite brand. We likeGuittard semisweet chocolate chips.When buying white chocolate chips forthe White Chocolate Chip and HazelnutCookies (page 182), look carefully at theingredients, as the main fat should becocoa butter. Skip brands that usecoconut oil or palm oil.

COCOA. Essentially ground cacao beans,natural cocoa powder is very acidic. Itneeds to be neutralized by including analkali (usually baking soda) in the batter.The reaction between the acid and alkalimake carbon dioxide, which helps thebatter rise. Hershey’s, in the browncontainer, is a widely available brand of

natural cocoa powder; Scharffen Bergeris a fine boutique product. Most of ourrecipes use natural cocoa.

In the nineteenth century, a Dutchchocolatier developed a process toalkalize the cocoa, thereby reducing itsacidity, and at the same time changing itscolor to a reddish brown. This is calledDutch-process or alkalized cocoa. It isnot interchangeable with natural cocoa.It may not be clear from the label if thecocoa is Dutched or alkalized, so lookfor alkali on the ingredients list.

DAIRY PRODUCTS

Always use whole-fat dairy products in

your recipes so you don’t throw off thefat balance and risk a flop. This isespecially true for sour cream, milk, andcream cheese (we prefer Philadelphiabrand as its flavor and texture areperfect for baking). Heavy cream andwhipping cream are interchangeable, butjust be sure the whipping cream isn’tflavored or stabilized.

EGGS

As a leavening, emulsifier, binder, andprovider of moisture and flavor, eggsplay many roles in baking. We usewhole eggs most often, but sometimesthe eggs are separated and the whites arebeaten alone and folded into the batter to

incorporate air.

Use large grade A eggs, and make surethey are not cracked. Size may not seemlike much of an issue, but if your recipecalls for a lot of eggs, there is a bigdifference between the volume of sixjumbo eggs and six large eggs.

Store eggs in their carton in therefrigerator, and not the eggcompartment on the door, which can betoo warm for efficient chilling.However, eggs have the most elasticityand emulsifying properties when at roomtemperature. (If you add cold eggs toroom-temperature creamed butter andsugar, the mixture may curdle because of

the discrepancy in temperature betweenthe ingredients.) Let the eggs stand atroom temperature for 30 minutes beforeusing, or place the eggs in their shells ina bowl of warm tap water and let themstand for 5 minutes to lose their chill. Tobring reserved egg whites to roomtemperature, put the whites in a heat-proof bowl and let the bowl stand in alarge bowl of warm tap water, stirringthe egg whites occasionally, just untilthey lose their chill, about 5 minutes.

FATS

Fat gives baked goods tenderness,moisture, and, in most cases, flavor. Itcomes from both animal and vegetable

sources.

BUTTER. Beloved by bakers (and pastryeaters) for its unsurpassable flavor,unsalted butter allows the baker tocontrol the amount of salt in the recipe.Use grade AA or A butter, which has thebutterfat content (about 80 percent) andmoisture for good elasticity duringcreaming and the best flavor. In ourcroissant dough, we use high-butterfatbutter (more than 83 percent), which isusually labeled European-style butter.Croissant dough is rolled out repeatedlyand needs the flexibility provided by theextra butterfat. Plugrá is a well-distributed high-butterfat butter, but youmay find a local producer.

VEGETABLE OIL. You can use any kind ofoil with a light body and neutral flavor:canola, corn, safflower, or a genericvegetable oil blend.

VEGETABLE SHORTENING. Made fromsolidified vegetable oil, it makes ourpastry dough extra-flaky. Until recentlythe oil was hydrogenated to solidify it, aprocess that formed trans fats, which areknown to have adverse health effects.Shortening has been reformulated and isno longer hydrogenated.

FLOUR

Wheat flour is the most importantingredient in baking, as it determines the

texture of the final product. You maythink of flour as a carbohydrate, and youwould be correct, but it also containstwo proteins, gliadin and glutenin, thatare responsible for the texturevariations. When these two aremoistened with water or other liquids,they combine to form gluten and createan invisible matrix, which traps thecarbon dioxide formed by the leaveningin the dough. The higher the proteincontent of the flour, the more potentialfor gluten, which makes baked goodschewy but can also make them tough.

Wheat flour is often designated by thevariety of wheat (soft or hard, areference to its potential finished texture

after baking) or growing season (springor winter, as the harshness of the seasonaffects the amount of protein in thewheat). Some flours are chemicallybleached to improve their shelf life. Weprefer unbleached flour for its superiorflavor and lack of unnecessary additives.

We buy our flour from Keith GiustoBakery Supply, in nearby Petaluma,which distributes Central Milling flourfrom Utah. (The Giusto family has beenthe premier flour supplier to the BayArea for generations.) Keith doesn’toffer mail order, but some Whole FoodsMarkets in Northern California carryCentral Milling flours as theirproprietary brand or offer them in bulk.

Buy organic flour whenever possible, asits flavor is superior. We recommendKing Arthur flour, which is availablethroughout the country.

Note that we measure flour by the dip-and-sweep method (see page 29).

BREAD FLOUR. As its name implies, thisunbleached flour with a high proteincontent is best reserved for yeastedgoods. Bread dough made with breadflour has a high gluten content; it canwithstand vigorous kneading as well asrising (from the yeast’s carbon dioxide).Bromated bread flour has been treatedwith potassium bromate, a possiblecarcinogen, and it should be avoided.

Most producers now use ascorbic acidas a substitute for the potassium bromateas it has similar properties. We usedKing Arthur bread flour for testingrecipes. It has no additives and a slightlyhigher protein content than most nationalbrands.

CAKE FLOUR. A soft-wheat flour withlow protein (and therefore low gluten)content, it makes tender cakes. Bleachedcake flour, under the brand namesSoftasilk and Swans Down, is availableat every supermarket. If you can find it,King Arthur’s unbleached cake flour is avery good product. Do not use self-rising cake flour, which includesleavening. Check the label carefully to

be sure you are buying regular cakeflour.

RYE FLOUR. Milled from whole ryekernels, rye flour should be stored in therefrigerator so it doesn’t turn rancid. Weuse it in our Wild Yeast Grape Starter(page 56) because it ferments morereadily than wheat flour.

SEMOLINA. Semolina is durum wheatground to a gritty, sandy texture. Think ofit as cornmeal, rather than flour(although it is often incorrectly labeledsemolina flour). While it can be used tomake bread (and pasta), we sprinkle iton bread peels to make a slipperysurface for sliding bread off the peel and

into the oven.

UNBLEACHED ALL-PURPOSE FLOUR.All-purpose flour means that it willwork well in a variety of baked goods,from cookies to pies. Standard all-purpose flour, made from a combinationof soft and hard flours, is bleached, aprocess that reduces the protein. Weprefer unbleached all-purpose, whichhas a relatively high protein count. Thebutter and sugar act as tenderizers tokeep the baked goods from getting toochewy. We used King Arthur all-purpose flour to test many of the recipesin this book.

WHOLE-WHEAT FLOUR. Milled from the

entire kernel, including the bran andgerm, this is a high-protein flour thatmakes a very sturdy bread. In fact, mostbakers add some white flour to whole-wheat dough to keep the baked breadfrom being too tough. Store whole-wheatflour in the refrigerator, as the fat in thebran and germ makes it turn rancid morequickly than white flour.

LEAVENINGS

When a dough or batter is beaten(especially when creaming butter andsugar for cakes and cookies), tiny airbubbles are formed. Leavenings areadded to create carbon dioxide, whichmakes these bubbles expand during

baking so the product rises and becomeslighter. The three most commonleavenings are baking powder, bakingsoda, and yeast.

BAKING POWDER. This leavening ismade from a combination of alkalinebaking soda and acidic cream of tartar,and when moistened, it forms carbondioxide. Unlike baking soda alone, itdoes not need additional acidicingredients to activate.

BAKING SODA. Also known asbicarbonate of soda, this alkalineingredient must be used with acidicingredients (such as natural cocoa,brown sugar, buttermilk, vinegar, or

molasses) to produce the chemicalreaction that forms carbon dioxide. Ifyou have ever mixed baking soda withvinegar for a science experiment, youcan visualize the process.

YEAST. We use only instant yeast. It isalso sold as quick-rising or bread-machine yeast. It has many advantagesover the familiar active dry yeast andcompressed fresh yeast. First of all,instant yeast can be mixed with coolwater, while active dry needs atemperature of about 110°F/43°C to meltthe yeast granules’ encapsulations. Whena bread dough is made using cool water,the yeast works at a slower pace, and thebaked bread’s flavor is deeper and more

complex. The popularity of this yeast isgetting to the point where somesupermarkets carry it exclusively anddon’t even bother with the othervarieties anymore. You can buy instantyeast in a strip of three 1/4-oz/7-genvelopes or a 4-oz/115-g glass jar.After opening, store the jar in therefrigerator. Do not buy yeast in largequantities unless you are sure you aregoing to use it up before it expires (thereis always a use-by date on the package).

NUTS

Bakers often use nuts to add flavor andcrunch to a recipe. For the most part,

almonds, walnuts, hazelnuts, and pecansare interchangeable, and you can chooseaccording to your palate. Almonds canbe processed by the producer indifferent ways. Natural almonds retaintheir brown skin; blanched almonds havehad the skins removed. Sliveredalmonds are cut into elongated strips,and sliced almonds are thin flakes.

For many years, walnuts were the maincrop in the Napa Valley. With the highdemand for wine grapes, most walnutorchards were converted to vineyards,and walnut production moved north toLake County. We still use them a lot inour baking. To toast nuts, see page 30.

SALT

Use fine sea salt in baking. Table salt,which is iodized, has additives thatsome palates can detect. We use flaky,coarse-grained sea salt, such as fleur desel de Guérande or Maldon, for thegarnish and flavoring on our Chocolateand Caramel Tartlets with Fleur de Sel(page 150).

SUGAR

In baking, sugar performs as a sweetenerand tenderizer and also provides bulk.We prefer the flavor and texture of purecane sugar to beet sugar; check the

package to be sure that you are buyingthe former.

BROWN SUGAR. Once a by-product ofsugar refining (like molasses), brownsugar is usually, these days, granulatedsugar sprayed with molasses.(Muscovado sugar is brown sugarmanufactured by the traditional method,and while it is pricey, some bakers loveit.) Whether brown sugar is light or darkmerely depends on how much molassesis added. They are interchangeable,although dark brown sugar does makedarker baked goods. Moist in texture,brown sugar is always measured bypacking it firmly into the measuring cupand leveling the top, or by weight. If

your brown sugar is lumpy, rub itthrough a coarse-mesh sieve beforeusing. Store brown sugar in an airtightcontainer to keep it from drying out andhardening.

CONFECTIONERS’ SUGAR. Also calledpowdered sugar, confectioners’ sugar ismainly used as an ingredient in frostingand as a garnish for baked goods. Itshould be stored in an airtight container,as it can absorb humidity and clump.Confectioners’ sugar is usually siftedbefore using to ensure a smooth texture.

GRANULATED SUGAR. Refined to apristine white color, this sugar hasmoderately sized crystals that blend well

with butter.

LIGHT CORN SYRUP. This clear syrupdiscourages crystallization in boiledsyrups. It also makes ganache glossy andgives it a softer texture. If you wish,substitute British golden syrup, availableat specialty stores and manysupermarkets, which is processed fromcane syrup, not corn.

MOLASSES. A by-product of sugarrefining, molasses is a dark brown syrupwith a strong flavor. Various brandshave different labels to indicate theflavor strength. You can use light, dark,or unsulfured molasses, but blackstrapmolasses, made from the final round of

processing, is too bitter.

SANDING SUGAR. This coarse-grainedsugar is used as a decoration on cookies.We call it “big sugar” at the bakery.

VANILLA

Vanilla is an essential flavoring. It isalways expensive because the flowersmust be pollinated by hand (and there isonly one day a year that the flowers openwide enough for the workers to reach thestamens and pistils), and vanilla beansare grown in only a few tropical regions.Pure vanilla extract is best, and let’s noteven discuss artificial vanilla flavoring.We love Singing Dog Vanilla (see

Resources, page 199), which has anamazingly full flavor and is made frombeans harvested by small family farms intropical regions.

EQUIPMENT

Have you ever heard someone say, “I’ma good cook, but I can’t bake”? Wehave. Upon further investigation, weoften find that the person has terriblebaking equipment—warped, flimsybaking sheets; an insufficient number ofmeasuring cups (too many people use asingle glass cup for measuringeverything, which is just wrong); anancient hand mixer (when they own amixer at all); and foil pie pans thatbuckle on the way to the oven. Supplyyour kitchen well, and prime yourself forbaking success.

APPLIANCES

ELECTRIC HAND MIXER. This is a veryhandy appliance when you want to whipa serving or two of cream or when thestand mixer is already in use. Some ofthem are strong enough to do just aboutanything a stand mixer can do, exceptknead bread.

FOOD PROCESSOR. A food processormakes short work of chopping nuts andother kitchen chores, and there are somejobs that almost require it. An exampleis processing the almond paste and sugarfor our Almond Macaroons (page176)—it can be done in batches in a

blender, but it is quicker to do it in asingle batch in the larger work bowl ofthe food processor.

OVEN. Allow at least 15 minutes for theoven to preheat for regular baking, andat least 30 minutes for it to reach thehigh temperature required for bakingartisan bread. A convection oven has afan that circulates the hot air and helpsfood brown more easily. We never useone. It’s not that we don’t recommend it;we just don’t use them in our homekitchens. If you want to use a convectionoven, follow the manufacturer’sinstructions. In general, reduce the oventemperature in a standard recipe by25°F/15°C, reduce the cooking time by

about one-third, and use the recipe’svisual and tactile tests to check fordoneness.

STAND MIXER. We don’t know anyprofessional baker or serious homebaker who doesn’t own a heavy-dutystand mixer. It is a great laborsavingmachine as well as a time-saver becauseit frees your hands to do something elsewhile the machine is creaming butter,whipping cream, or kneading breaddough. (That does not mean that youdon’t have to pay attention to themixing.) In short, if you love baking, geta stand mixer. We have suppliedinstructions for making the recipes witha spoon or hand mixer whenever

possible, but once you experience theefficiency of a stand mixer, you willnever go back. Stand mixers are aninvestment. Keep an eye out for sales orcoupons, and you can score a bargain.(We gave this advice recently to acustomer who wanted a stand mixer butbalked at the price. She bought a mixerwith a coupon at a department store, andshe has been thanking us ever since. Shewent from never baking to baking all thetime. Point taken?)

A model with a 51/2-qt/5.2-L bowl hasthe most versatility. Some models have5-qt/4.7-L bowls, and while 2 cups/480ml doesn’t seem like much of a

difference, it will be if you try to doublea buttercream recipe.

The paddle-shaped attachment for moststand mixer models isn’t too efficient, asit doesn’t reach the sides and bottom ofthe bowl, so you have to stop the mixeroften to scrape it down. BeaterBlade, anafter-purchase product replacement forthe paddle, does a great job of mixingand scraping at the same time.

BAKING PANS

Professional bakers buy equipment forefficiency, not looks. Most of our panslook pretty beat up from years of use, butthat is exactly why we keep them—we

know they work. Most of our bakingpans are made from heavy-gaugealuminum with a dull patina. Thismaterial soaks up the oven heat andpromotes even browning. Shiny metalpans reflect the heat.

CAKE PANS AND BAKING PANS. For ourlayer cakes, we use three cake pans,each 8 in/20 cm in diameter and 2 in/5cm deep. If you are going to make thewedding cake on page 128, you willneed a single 6-in/15-cm pan with thesame depth, too. Heavy-gauge aluminumpans, without a nonstick coating, are ourfirst choice. These pans need to bebuttered and floured before adding thebatter. The most useful baking pan size

is 13 by 9 by 2 in/33 by 23 by 5 cm.

FLUTED TUBE PANS. Most people callthese Bundt pans, but Bundt is atrademark. You could also use akugelhopf pan, as long as the capacity is12 cups/2.8 L. Always butter and flourthe pan, even if it’s nonstick.

HALF-SHEET PANS. A bakery can neverhave enough of these pans, which areall-purpose baking sheets. Measuring 18by 13 by 1 in/46 by 33 by 2.5 cm, theyare sturdy and hold up year after year.(A full sheet pan, which will not fit intohome ovens, is 26 in/66 cm long.) Wealso like quarter-sheet pans, whichmeasure 13 by 9 by 1 in/33 by 23 by 2.5cm, and are perfect for when you onlyneed to toast a small amount of nuts or

seeds. We use the generic term “largerimmed baking sheet” in some recipes,but your baking is sure to improve if youuse professional half-sheet pans.

The thin and shiny cookie sheets thatmany home bakers have encourageburned cookie bottoms. Because they areoften rimless, they are hard to hold. Wedon’t use them. Nor do we recommendinsulated double-thick cookie sheets—the extra air discourages browning, oftenat the expense of caramelized flavor.

LOAF PANS. Bread pans are available inthree basic sizes. To be sure that we getplenty of slices out of each loaf, we use9-by-5-by-3-in/23-by-12-by-7.5-cm loaf

pans.

MUFFIN PANS. Use standard muffin cupswith about a 1/2-cup/120-ml capacity.Each cup measures about 23/4 in/7 cmacross and is about 11/2 in/4 cm deep.

PIE PANS. We like standard pie pans, 9in/23 cm in diameter and 11/2 in/4 cmdeep, made from heavy-duty aluminumor Pyrex. Beware of deeper pans madefrom ceramic; they may look attractive,but you will not have enough filling orpie dough to fill them.

TARTLET PANS. We often make tartletsfor individual servings in 5-in-/12-cm-

diameter pans with removable bottoms.

TART PANS. These metal, two-piece panshave removable bottoms, so a tart can beeasily lifted from the pan for easyslicing. Do not use one-piece ceramicpans.

UTENSILS AND OTHERESSENTIALS

BAKER’S PEEL. This is a wide flatpaddle used to move bread into and outof the oven.

BAKING STONE. A necessity for bakingartisan breads, the stone provides a very

hot, flat surface, which encourages theformation of a crisp crust. Store thestone in the oven, and remove it whenyou need the oven for baked goods otherthan breads. It will get stained with use,but don’t worry about it.

BENCH SCRAPER. This square metal toolwill scrape the work surface clean ofdough remnants. You can also use it tocut dough into pieces.

BOWLS. Stainless-steel bowls are themost useful for baking because they aresturdy and heat-proof, an importantconsideration when you need a largebowl to melt chocolate over hot water.A large ceramic or glass bowl provides

the perfect insulated container forfermenting yeasted dough. Rubber orplastic bowls are not recommended, asthey retain the flavor and aroma of thedough.

BOWL SCRAPER. This is a flexible,curved utensil that lets the baker scrapeout every bit of batter from a mixingbowl.

CARDBOARD CAKE ROUNDS. Thesesturdy rounds, made from whitecorrugated cardboard, support cakelayers and make it easy to transport thecake.

KITCHEN SCALE. Battery-operated scales

are compact, inexpensive, and highlyaccurate. The scale should toggle easilybetween metric and U.S. or imperialweights, and have a capacity of at least10 lb/4.5 kg. Spring scales aren’t nearlyas accurate and take up more room onthe counter. Besides weighing dough, weuse scales to distribute equal amounts ofbatter into cake pans so each layer is thesame size after baking.

MEASURING CUPS, DRY-INGREDIENT.The set of squat cups, designed so theingredient can be leveled off at the top,come in 1/4-cup/60-ml, 1/3-cup/75-ml,1/2-cup/120-ml, and 1-cup/240-mlcapacities. If you do a lot of baking, you

will find it convenient to have more thanone set. There are also cups with 2/3-cup/165-ml and 3/4-cup/180-mlcapacities, but they are easy to confusewith the others and aren’t useful in thelong run.

MEASURING CUPS, LIQUID-INGREDIENT.These are made of transparent glass orplastic so you can read the measurement.The most useful sizes are 1 cup/240 mland 2 cup/480 ml, but the 4-cup/960-mlsize is helpful for some large-batchrecipes. Most of them provide bothmetric and U.S. or imperialmeasurements.

PARCHMENT PAPER. We go throughstacks of parchment paper every day,because we line our aluminum half-sheetand cake pans with it to make themnonstick. Look for flat, unrolledparchment paper at kitchen suppliers. Ifusing the rolled paper, lightly butter thepan first to help adhere the curled paperto the pan. Precut parchment rounds forlining cake pans are real time-saversbecause they spare you the trouble oftrimming rectangular paper to size. Wedon’t use silicone baking pads, whichsome bakers substitute for parchment,because they insulate the baking sheetsand inhibit some of our baked goodsfrom browning.

PASTRY BAGS AND TIPS. Used to holdicing for decorating, there are two kindsof bags. The traditional silicone-linedcloth bag must be used in conjunctionwith a pastry tip. If you use this kind ofbag, wash it well after each use and let itair dry. Never use it for savory foods, oryou could end up with garlic-scentedbuttercream. Disposable plastic pastrybags can also be used with pastry tips,but in some cases, the pointed end of theplastic pastry bag can work without atip. To pipe lines, just snip off the tip ofthe icing-filled bag with scissors tomake a 1/16- to 1/8-in-/2- to 3-mm-wideopening.

Metal pastry tips can make icingdecorations with a twist of the wrist.You can accomplish a lot with just a fewtips. The two main manufacturers areAteco and Wilton, who identify their tipsby number; note that the numbers are notuniversal. Some small tips must be usedin conjunction with a coupler to fit thepastry bag. We prefer tips with widebases that fit pastry bags withoutcouplers. This is a great convenience—just snip off the end of a plastic pastrybag, slip in the tip, fill, and decorateaway. Ateco makes a range of large tips,easily identified with the #8 as the firstdigit in the size number. A plain roundtip with a 3/8-in/1-cm opening and an

open star tip with a 3/8-in/1-cm opening(such as Ateco numbers 804 and 824)will let you do a number of simpledecorations.

PASTRY BLENDER. Used for cuttingchilled fats into pie, biscuit, and sconedough, it has an advantage overfingertips: it won’t warm the fats.

PASTRY BRUSHES. While there aresilicone brushes on the market now,natural bristle brushes are still best forbakers, as they distribute glazes and thelike in thin, even applications.

PIE WEIGHTS. These reusable aluminumor ceramic balls are used to hold a

dough in place in a pie or tart pan duringbaking. Be sure to line the dough firstwith parchment paper or aluminum foil,so the weights can be easily removed.Dried beans are an alternative to pieweights and can be reused a few times,but they will eventually go rancid.

PLASTIC WRAP. Buy a large, long (about18-in/46-cm) roll at a warehouse storeor restaurant wholesaler. There will bemany times (such as when proofingshaped croissants or Danish pastries)when you will need to cover a largesurface, and the long rolls are mucheasier to use than the shortersupermarket-size wrap.

PORTION SCOOPS. We use spring-loadedmetal portion scoops so much at thebakery that they sometimes feel likeactual extensions of our arms—a kind ofbaker Edward Scissorhands. Each sizeis identified by a seemingly crypticnumber, which, in the United States,refers to the number of scoops needed tofill a quart/litre. Especially when fillingmuffin cups, a portion scoop transfersthe batter cleanly and neatly from thebowl to the pan, and makes muffins of anequal size. For this job, a number-16scoop (with a capacity of 1/4 cup/60 mlis truly indispensable.

REAMER. Use this pointed, ridged tool to

easily extract juice from citrus fruit.

ROLLING PINS. We are fans of old-fashioned ball-bearing rolling pins, thetool we used when we learned to makepies. Some bakers prefer a taperedFrench pin or a hard plastic version, andit is their prerogative. A 12-in/30.5-cmpin is fine for rolling out pie dough for astandard pie pan, but for large-batchlaminated dough (such as croissantdough), use a heavy pin that is at least 18in/46 cm long.

SPATULAS, FLEXIBLE. We prefer sturdy,odor-resistant silicone spatulas forscraping down bowls and transferringbatters to pans, rather than the more

traditional rubber or hard plastic ones.Silicone spatulas are heat-proof, whichmakes them useful for stirring foods suchas lemon curd during cooking. A largespatula is the one to use for foldingbatters, a small one comes in handy forreaching into small jars, and a mediumspatula can be used for scraping hotmixtures from the sides of a saucepanduring cooking.

SPATULAS, METAL ICING. The largeoffset model is angled to smooth thebatter in a cake pan evenly before bakingand is also used for icing cakes. It isespecially helpful for spreading butter-cream on hard-to-reach places, such asthe cake’s sides. The typical straight

metal spatula works, too, but mostprofessional bakers prefer the versatileoffset spatula. A small icing spatula cancome in handy when working with smallcakes and cookies.

THERMOMETERS. An instant-readthermometer is useful for testing thetemperature of egg-based foods (such aslemon curd), which will curdle ifovercooked. Use a deep-frying or candythermometer to gauge the temperature ofsyrup for meringues and buttercream. Ina home kitchen, never bake without anoven thermometer to check thetemperature. An accurate oventhermostat is very rare. We don’t care ifyou use a spring-operated dial face or an

alcohol-loaded glass thermometer; justuse one. We admit that at the St. Helenabakery, we have learned to deal withgas-fired ovens that do not havethermostats. (How do we test the oventemperature? We put a piece of paper inthe oven and wait to see how long ittakes to brown. Is it ideal? No. And donot try it at home.)

TIMER. Always set a timer when baking,but also use visual and tactile tests tocheck when your baked goods are done.We like a digital multifunction timer thatallows you to time more than one item atonce.

TURNTABLE, DECORATING. A turntable

is very convenient when icing a cake, asthe cake can be rotated for easy access.

WHISKS. These are available in a varietyof sizes and shapes. For general mixing,use a medium-size whisk withmoderately thick wires. For whippingegg whites by hand, use a large balloonwhisk, which has more wires to beat airinto the whites.

WIRE COOLING RACKS. Baked goodswill cool most quickly if placed on wirecooling racks. It is best to have a fewlarge rectangular racks, which areespecially useful for cooling lots ofcookies at holiday time. Round wireracks are perfect for removing cake

layers from their pans.

WIRE SIEVE. We prefer a medium-meshwire sieve to a sifter for sifting becausethe sieve is larger and aerates the dryingredients more quickly than a canister-style sifter. This size sieve is also goodfor straining the cooked egg bits frompastry cream and lemon curd. Fine-meshsieves should be reserved for strainingseeds from berry purees.

ZESTER. Microplane zesters have small,sharp teeth to remove the zest from citrusfruit.

BASICTECHNIQUES

When we hear that some people areintimidated by baking, we can’tunderstand their trepidation. Anyactivity, from cutting a lawn to using asmartphone, is simply a matter oflearning and applying a few basics. And,of course, practice makes perfect. At thebakery, we use the same elementaltechniques over and over again to createour signature baked goods. Here are themost important ones to master at home.

CREAMING

Many recipes get their main leaveningnot from baking powder, baking soda, oryeast, but from the invisible bubblesbeaten into the butter and sugar duringthe creaming process. The chemicalleavening only increases the size of thebubbles during baking, and does notactually make them.

During creaming, butter temperature isvery important. It should be softened atroom temperature to a malleable, plastictexture. One of the most common bakingmistakes is softening butter too much. Ifit is soft and squishy, the bubbles won’tform and the baked goods won’t rise

well. Just cut the butter into 1-in/2.5-cmchunks and let stand for 15 minutes orso. (Never soften butter in themicrowave.) If you have a stand mixer,you can use chilled butter right from therefrigerator and let the friction createdby the paddle attachment in the bowl dosome of the softening. An electric handmixer works well, too. For centuries,butter and sugar were creamed with awooden spoon in a bowl, and you canstill do so, if you allow at least 7minutes for the procedure and you have astrong arm. Use a visual test for tellingwhen the butter and sugar have beencreamed long enough—the mixtureshould look very pale yellow and have a

light, if not truly fluffy, texture,indicating that sufficient air has beenincorporated into the mixture.

MEASURINGINGREDIENTS

There has been a lot of controversysurrounding the simple act of measuringbaking ingredients. People have beenbaking for years by the Americanvolume system and made perfectly goodbaked goods. The case for weighingingredients goes like this: There are toomany variables when the flour ismeasured in a cup, as it settles slightlydifferently every time. Flour is the

ingredient that is most affected by theweather (it soaks up humidity and can beheavier on wet days) and by the way ithas been packed in its bag for shipping.

At the bakery, we weigh our ingredientsbecause we are working with hugequantities. At home, Karen usually usesmeasuring cups because it is how shelearned to bake, and she has never had afailure based on how the flour wasmeasured. Sarah, on the other hand,prefers a scale. (Perhaps this is a tellinggenerational difference.) In this book weprovide both volume and metric weightmeasurements, so you can use yourpreferred method. One very importanttip: Stick with one measuring system

through the recipe, and do not mix them.

When measuring flour for the recipes inthis book, we used the dip-and-sweepmethod because it is the method thatmost home bakers seem to prefer. Tomeasure by this method, dip the cup intothe bag or container so the flour isoverflowing, and sweep off the excessflour with a knife so it is level with therim of the cup. If you are an adamantspoon-and-sweep adherent, meaning youlightly spoon flour into a cup (what amess) before leveling, your flour couldweigh less than ours. Check the weightof your flour against the metric weightwe provide, or subtract 1 Tbsp of flourper 1 cup.

MELTING CHOCOLATE

To melt chocolate, coarsely chop thechocolate with a large knife. Do notchop chocolate in a food processor, asthe friction can cause premature melting.Put the chocolate in the insert of adouble boiler. Bring water to a simmerin the bottom of the double boiler andreduce the heat until it’s as low as it willgo. (You can substitute a heat-proofbowl and any tall saucepan for thedouble boiler.) Put the insert into thedouble boiler, making sure the bottom ofthe insert does not touch the water. Letstand, stirring occasionally, until thechocolate is smooth and melted. Be

careful not to get any water into thechocolate, as even a drop of water willmake it seize and tighten. And watch outfor overheating (chocolate is consideredburned if heated above 130°F/54°C), orit will thicken and clump. In both cases,the chocolate will have to be discarded.

You can also melt chocolate in amicrowave. Put the chocolate in a heat-proof, microwave-safe bowl.Microwave at medium (50 percent)power for 20-second intervals, stirringthe chocolate after each interval, until itis smooth and melted. The chocolatemay not look melted until after it isstirred. It is easy to overheat chocolatein the microwave, so take care.

SCRAPING

When mixing cake batter, we have amantra: Scrape, scrape, scrape! A fewtimes during mixing, stop the mixer andscrape the batter clinging to the sidesand bottom of the bowl with a largerubber spatula. If you ignore this step,you will have a lumpy batter. Standmixers are especially guilty of leavingunmixed batter at the bowl’s bottom,although the BeaterBlade attachmentdoes help.

SIFTING

Some baking books don’t advise readers

to sift the dry ingredients, and assumethat it’s enough to just stir or whiskeverything together in a bowl. This is amistake. Sifting aerates the flour so itblends well with other ingredients in thebatter, and sifting also combines dryingredients for even distribution.Perhaps most important, it breaks uplumps of baking soda and similaringredients with a tendency to clump. Ifyou have ever come across a lump ofbaking soda in a muffin, you know howit can ruin your morning. So please,don’t skip the sifting.

We use a medium-mesh wire sieve forsifting because it is larger and quickerthan a canister-style sifter. Don’t use a

fine-mesh sieve, as the weave is tootight to allow the dry ingredients to passthrough. You can sift the ingredients intoa bowl, and then transfer them to thebatter with a large spatula or servingspoon. It is also useful to sift onto alarge piece of parchment or wax paper,which can be lifted like a sling to let theingredients slide into the mixing bowl.

TIMING

Just as you shouldn’t guess at the size ofpans or the length of croissant dough,don’t depend on your inner sense of timewhen a cake is in the oven. Use a timer!That being said, remember that a timer isa tool, but your senses are the best

indicators for telling when baked goodsare done. Your nose will let you knowthat the sugars have caramelized and set,and you will smell a rich, toasted aroma.Use your fingertips to lightly press thetop of a cake—if it springs back, it isfinished. Sometimes, sight alone (agolden brown color) can show youwhether the pastry is finished. Also, acake layer will be shrinking away fromthe sides of the pan slightly when fullybaked. Even our sense of hearing comesinto play—rap your knuckles on theunderside of a crusty loaf to hear thetelltale hollow sound, a donenessindicator.

TOASTING NUTS

To toast most nuts, spread them out on arimmed baking sheet and bake in apreheated 350°F/180°C/gas 4 oven,stirring occasionally, until they smellfragrant and have turned a slightly darkershade of brown, about 10 minutes.

To toast hazelnuts, bake until the skinsare cracked and the flesh underneath isgolden brown. Wrap the warm hazelnutsin a kitchen towel and let cool for 5minutes. Using the towel, rub off thehazelnut skins. Don’t worry if some ofthe skins stay attached.

WHIPPING EGG WHITES

Beaten egg whites have many uses in thebaker’s kitchen. They leaven batters, andare sweetened to make delicatemeringues and to form the base forbuttercream frosting. There are twothings to consider when using eggwhites: cleanliness and temperature.

Egg whites are protein and will not whipif the bowl contains the slightest bit offat to inhibit their structure. (We haveruined a batch of whipped whites byaccidentally flicking in a drop of cakebatter.) Plastic bowls will retain a thinfilm of fat, so only use stainless-steel,glass, or ceramic bowls for whipping

whites.

The whites will expand to their greatestcapacity if they are around 60°F/16°C,or cool room temperature. To quicklybring refrigerated egg whites to thecorrect temperature, separate the wholeeggs while they are still cold. (The yolkwill be firmer and less likely to breakduring separating.) Put the whites in avery clean, heat-proof bowl. Put thebowl in a larger bowl of hot water andlet stand, stirring the egg whitesoccasionally, just until they lose theirchill, 3 to 5 minutes.

If you are whipping more than fivewhites, you can use a stand mixer fitted

with the whisk attachment set on highspeed. Less than five whites won’t reachthe bottom of the whisk, and a handmixer or wire balloon whisk (with thinwires and a bulbous shape to beat themost air into the whites) is a betterchoice.

Egg whites are usually beaten to formeither soft or stiff peaks. For soft peaks,whip the whites until the whisk orbeaters leave a visible trail in thewhites. Stop the mixer and lift the whiskor beaters; the whites in the bowl shouldform a peak with a drooping tip. This isthe stage used in most batters. Be carefulnot to beat the whites to the point wherethey become dry-looking and clumpy.

Stiffly beaten egg whites usually includesugar to help stabilize the mixture. Forstiff peaks, beat the whites until themixture is thick and shiny. When thewhisk or beaters are lifted, the tip of thepeak will stand straight up withoutdrooping.

WHEN IN DOUBT,MEASURE

A ruler and a yardstick may not seemlike common kitchen tools, but relyingon the size marked on the pan can bedicey because some manufacturers givethe dimensions of the top of the pan andothers measure the bottom, which can

make for significant differences,especially when a pan has sloping sides.So take out the ruler and measure yourpans.

A ruler is also handy to determine thethickness of a pie dough or how large toroll out a round of pastry to fit a tart pan.A yardstick will be needed to measurethe doughs for the baked goods in theYeasted Sweets chapter in order to cutthem into precise shapes for even baking—a ruler would be too small.

Our artisan breads established thereputation of the Model Bakery, aswe were offering these crusty,tangy loaves before anyone else inthe Valley. There was no moredriving ninety minutes into SanFrancisco to get “real” bread,although the options there werefew and far between, too. Breadmaking has changed a lot sincethose early years, and our bakersoften utilize new techniques—forexample, they will pull and foldwet dough by hand over a longerperiod of time to build flavor andtexture instead of using the

familiar method of kneading drierdough in a machine. However,there are still some doughs(usually for sandwich breads witha tight crumb) that are best madeby kneading. We want to simplifythe process of making bread asmuch as possible for you. Therecan be a lot of steps to makingbread, but very little actualphysical labor. Most of the time isspent waiting.

THE MODELBAKERY’SENGLISHMUFFINS

Even though the bakery’s doors hadbeen open for over eighty years,these muffins put us on the nationalradar when they were featured onthe Food Network’s The BestThing I Ever Ate. We used to makethese the old-fashioned way,

shaped in ring molds (actually, wemade ours in old tuna cans, whichyou cannot do any more because thesizes have changed). When werealized we could shape them byhand, it changed our lives—literally—as everyone for milesaround wanted to try this “new”free-form version. Our Englishmuffins are quite large whencompared to the supermarketvariety, which makes themwonderful sandwich rolls as wellas breakfast treats. A couple ofnotes: You will need a heavyskillet or griddle (preferably cast-iron) to make these. And be sure tomake the biga at least 12 hours

before making the dough. Since youwill probably be toasting themuffins, they don’t have to be freshfrom the griddle; so make them aday or two ahead (or freeze them)if you wish.

MAKES 12 ENGLISH MUFFINS

BIGA

1/2 cup/75 g bread flour

1/4 cup/60 ml water

1/4 tsp instant (also called quick-risingor bread machine) yeast

DOUGH

11/3 cups/315 ml water

3/4 tsp instant (also called quick-risingor bread machine) yeast

1 Tbsp plus 1 tsp extra-virgin olive oil

11/2 tsp fine sea salt

31/2 cups/510 g unbleached all-purposeflour, as needed

1/4 cup/35g yellow cornmeal, preferablystone-ground

6 Tbsp/90 ml melted Clarified Butter(page 37), as needed

1. TO MAKE THE BIGA: At least 1 daybefore cooking the muffins, combine theflour, water, and yeast in a small bowlto make a sticky dough. Cover tightlywith plastic wrap and refrigerate for atleast 12 hours or up to 24 hours. Thebiga will rise slightly.

2. TO MAKE THE DOUGH: Combine thebiga, water, yeast, olive oil, and salt inthe bowl of a stand mixer. Affix thebowl to the mixer and fit with the paddleattachment. Mix on low speed until themixture looks creamy, about 1 minute.Mix in 3 cups/435 g of the flour to makea soft, sticky dough. Turn off the mixer,cover the bowl with plastic wrap, and

let stand for 20 minutes. (To make byhand, combine the water, biga, yeast, oil,and salt in a large bowl and break up thebiga with a wooden spoon. Stir until thebiga dissolves. Mix in enough flour tomake a cohesive but tacky dough. Coverand let stand for 20 minutes.)

3. Mix in enough of the remaining flourto make a soft dough that barely cleansthe mixer bowl. Replace the paddle withthe dough hook. Knead on medium-lowspeed (if the dough climbs up the hook,just pull it down) until the dough issmooth and elastic, about 8 minutes.Turn out the dough onto a lightly flouredwork surface to check its texture. Itshould feel tacky but not stick to the

work surface. (To make by hand, kneadon a floured work surface, adding moreflour as necessary, until the dough issmooth and feels tacky, about 10minutes.)

4. Shape the dough into a ball. Oil amedium bowl. Put the dough in the bowland turn to coat with oil, leaving thedough smooth-side up. Cover withplastic wrap. Let stand in a warm placeuntil almost doubled in volume, about 2hours. (The dough can also berefrigerated for 8 to 12 hours. Let standat room temperature for 1 hour beforeproceeding to the next step.)

5. Using a bowl scraper, scrape thedough out of the bowl onto a lightlyfloured work surface. Cut into twelveequal pieces. Shape each into a 4-in/10-cm round. Sprinkle an even layer ofcornmeal over a half-sheet pan. Placethe rounds on the cornmeal about 1in/2.5 cm apart. Turn the rounds to coatboth sides with cornmeal. Loosely coverthe pan with plastic wrap. Let stand in awarm place until the rounds haveincreased in volume by half and a fingerpressed into a round leaves animpression for a few seconds beforefilling up, about 1 hour.

6. Melt 2 Tbsp of the clarified butter in a

large, heavy skillet (preferably cast-iron) over medium heat until melted andhot, but not smoking. In batches, add thedough rounds to the skillet. Cook,adjusting the heat as needed so themuffins brown without scorching, addingmore clarified butter as needed. Theundersides should be nicely browned,about 6 minutes. Turn and cook until theother sides are browned and the muffinsare puffed, about 6 minutes more.Transfer to a paper towel–lined half-sheet pan and let cool. (It will betempting to eat these hot off the griddle,but let them stand for at least 20 minutesto complete the cooking with carry-overheat.) Repeat with the remaining muffins,wiping the cornmeal out of the skillet

with paper towels and adding moreclarified butter as needed.

7. Split each muffin in half horizontallywith a serrated knife. Toast in a broileror toaster oven (they may be too thickfor a standard toaster) until lightlybrowned. Serve hot. (The muffins can bestored in an airtight container at roomtemperature for up to 2 days.)

CLARIFIEDBUTTER

Our decadent English muffinsare cooked in butter, a greatcooking medium with onemajor drawback—the milksolids in butter burn easily.Clarifying the butter is aneasy process that removesthe milk solids. Leftoverclarified butter can be usedlike oil for sautéing food. Itkeeps for a few weeks in a

refrigerated coveredcontainer.

MAKES ABOUT 3/4 CUP/180 ML

1 lb/455 g unsalted butter, cut up

1. Melt the butter in a smallsaucepan over medium heat untilcompletely melted and boiling.Cook until the butter stopssputtering, about 1 minute.Remove from the heat and letstand for 5 minutes. Skim the foamfrom the surface of the butter.

2. Line a wire sieve withdampened, wrung-out cheeseclothand place over a medium bowl.Carefully pour the clear, yellowmelted butter through the sieve,leaving the milky residue behindin the saucepan. (Discard theresidue.) Pour into a smallcontainer and cover. Refrigerateuntil ready to use.

DINNER ROLLS

At Thanksgiving it seems as ifevery family in the Valley places anorder for our old-fashioned dinnerrolls; we sell more than a thousandin one day. We’ve gotten to thepoint where we just don’t have thespace in our ovens for more rollsand we have to turn down orders,which any business owner hates todo. These are excellent shaped intohamburger buns, so see thevariations when you want to ratchetup the quality of your backyard

cookout with homemade buns.

MAKES 18 ROLLS

Butter, at room temperature, for the pans

1 recipe Pain de Mie dough, madethrough step 4 (see page 46)

Flour for sprinkling

1. Lightly butter two 9-in/23-cm roundcake pans that have 11/2-in/4-cm sides.Turn the dough out onto an unflouredwork surface and deflate it with yourfingertips. Cut the dough into eighteenequal pieces. Place them on the work

surface and cover loosely with plasticwrap.

2. Place a piece of dough in front of youon the work surface. Cup your dominanthand over the dough, letting your palmtouch the top of the dough. Quickly moveyour hand in a tight circle over the doughto shape it into a smooth ball. (It takes alittle practice, but once you get it down,you may even be able to roll two balls atonce, one under each hand.) Arrangenine balls in each pan, allowing roomfor expansion between the balls. Covereach pan loosely with plastic wrap. Letstand in a warm place until almostdoubled in volume, about 45 minutes.

3. Position a rack in the center of theoven and preheat to 350°F/180°C/gas 4.

4. Sprinkle the rolls with flour. Bakeuntil the rolls are golden brown, about25 minutes. Let cool in the pans for 5minutes. The rolls can be cooled,transferred to freezer storage bags, andfrozen for up to 1 month. Thaw thefrozen rolls for 1 hour. Wrap inaluminum foil and bake in a preheated350°F/180°C/gas 4 oven until warm,about 15 minutes.

HAMBURGER BUNS: Cut the dough intoeight equal pieces. Shape each pieceinto a ball. Press hard on the ball to

flatten into a disk about 4 in/10 cm indiameter. Place the disks about 2 in/5cm apart on a parchment paper–linedbaking sheet. Cover loosely with plasticwrap and let rise until almost doubled,about 45 minutes. Glaze, sprinkle withseeds, and bake as directed until goldenbrown.

SEEDED ROLLS: Omit the flour topping.Beat together 1 large egg yolk and 2 tbspheavy cream in a small bowl. Brush thetops of the rolls lightly with the eggmixture. Sprinkle each pan of rolls with2 tsp sesame or poppy seeds. Bake asdirected.

CIABATTA

In the San Francisco Bay Area, wehave a long-standing love for crustybread, but it took some time for therest of the country to catch up.Ciabatta’s wide, elongated shape(ciabatta means “slipper” inItalian) ensures lots of cracklycrust, and it is now sold in justabout every supermarket. Thedough is especially wet and sticky,so you will need a stand mixer tomake it. We are very proud of ourversion, which we supply to someof the best Italian restaurants in the

area. We make a customized recipefor Bottega Ristorante inYountville, using MichaelChiarello’s imported gray sea salt.It is the perfect bread for dipping inolive oil.

MAKES 1 LOAF

BIGA

3/4 cup plus 1 Tbsp/120 g bread flour

1/2 cup/120 ml water

1/8 tsp instant (also called quick-risingor bread machine) yeast

DOUGH

3/4 cup/180 ml water

11/4 tsp fine sea salt

1/2 tsp instant (also called quick-risingor bread machine) yeast

2 cups/290 g bread flour

Semolina for the parchment paper

1. TO MAKE THE BIGA: Combine theflour, water, and yeast in a small bowlto make a thick, lumpy batter. Coverwith plastic wrap and let stand in awarm place until the surface showsbubbles, about 2 hours.

2. TO MAKE THE DOUGH: Combine thebiga, water, salt, and yeast in the bowlof a stand mixer. Affix the bowl to themixer and fit with the paddle attachment.Mix on low speed until the mixture lookscreamy. Gradually add the flour and mixjust until the dough is cohesive, but verysticky. Turn off the mixer, cover thebowl with a kitchen towel, and let standfor 20 minutes.

3. Replace the paddle with the doughhook. Knead on medium-low speed (ifthe dough climbs up the hook, just pull itdown) until the dough is smooth andtacky, with a thick, batter-like texture,about 5 minutes.

4. Cover the bowl of dough with plasticwrap. Let stand in a warm place untilalmost doubled in volume, about 11/2hours.

5. Pull one-quarter of the dough up andover onto the top of the dough. Repeatwith the other three-quarters of thedough. Cover again and let stand untilalmost doubled, about 45 minutes.

6. Using a bowl scraper, turn out thedough onto a well-floured work surface.(Do not punch the dough down; you wantto retain as many of the air pockets aspossible.) Using floured hands, tuck thesides of the sticky dough under to shape

into a rectangle about 12 in/30.5 cm longand 6 in/15 cm wide. Place a sheet ofparchment paper on a baker’s peel orrimless baking sheet and sprinklegenerously with semolina. Lift andtransfer the loaf, smooth-side up, to theparchment paper and reshape the loaf asneeded. Flour the top of the dough well(to keep the rack from sticking to thedough) and cover loosely with plasticwrap. Let stand in a warm place until thedough looks inflated but not doubled,about 45 minutes.

7. Position two racks on the lowest tworungs of the oven. Put a baking stone onthe top rack and an empty broiler pan onthe lower one. Preheat the oven to

450°F/230°C/gas 8. When the oven ispreheated, using a kettle, pour about 2cups/480 ml hot water into the hotbroiler pan. Close the oven door and letit heat for 5 minutes more to fill the ovenwith steam (it may not be visible).

8. Slide the loaf with the parchmentpaper onto the baking stone in the oven.Bake for 20 minutes. Reduce the oventemperature to 400°F/200°C/gas 6. Bakeuntil the bread is deep golden brown andsounds hollow when tapped on thebottom, about 20 minutes more. Usingthe baker’s peel, transfer the ciabatta toa wire cooling rack and let cool for atleast 20 minutes before slicing. The

ciabatta can be wrapped in aluminumfoil and stored at room temperature forup to 1 day.

FOCACCIA

Like ciabatta, focaccia is a breadthat hardly anyone in the UnitedStates knew about a couple ofdecades ago. It should be light andairy, and thick enough to slicehorizontally to make intosandwiches. This is made without apre-ferment, so you can start in themorning and bake a batch for lunch.

MAKES 8 TO 12 PIECES

51/2 cups/800 g unbleached all-purpose

flour, as needed

21/3 cups plus 2 Tbsp/585 ml water

2 Tbsp extra-virgin olive oil, plus morefor the bowl and brushing

1 Tbsp instant (also called quick-risingor bread machine) yeast

21/2 tsp fine sea salt

11/2 tsp finely chopped fresh rosemary

11/2 tsp finely chopped fresh flat-leafparsley

Kosher salt for sprinkling

1. Combine 4 cups/580 g of the flourwith the water, olive oil, yeast, and sea

salt in the bowl of a stand mixer. Affixthe bowl to the mixer and fit with thepaddle attachment. Mix on low speedjust until the dough is cohesive. Turn offthe mixer, cover the bowl with plasticwrap, and let stand for 10 minutes. (Tomake by hand, combine the water, yeast,oil, and sea salt in a large bowl. Mix inenough of the flour to make a cohesive,tacky dough. Cover and let stand for 20minutes.)

2. Replace the paddle with the doughhook. Knead on medium-low speed,adding enough of the remaining flour asnecessary to make a soft dough thatdoesn’t stick to the bowl. Continue

kneading until the dough is smooth andslightly tacky, about 6 minutes, scrapingthe dough down off the hook asnecessary. Mix in the rosemary andparsley. Turn out the dough onto afloured work surface. (To make by hand,knead on a floured work surface, addingmore flour as necessary to make asmooth and elastic but slightly tackydough, about 10 minutes. Flatten thedough into a rectangle and sprinkle withthe rosemary and parsley. Roll up thedough and knead briefly to distribute theherbs.)

3. Shape the dough into a ball. Lightlyoil a medium bowl. Put the dough in thebowl and turn to coat with oil, leaving

the dough smooth-side up. Cover tightlywith plastic wrap. Let stand in a warmplace until doubled in volume, about 11/2hours.

4. Lightly oil a half-sheet pan. Turn thedough out onto the pan. Using oiledhands, stretch and pat the dough to fillthe pan. If the dough is too elastic fromthe activated gluten and retracts (and itprobably will), cover the dough with akitchen towel and let stand for about 10minutes to relax the gluten. Be sure thedough fills the corners of the pan. Coverwith a kitchen towel and let stand untilthe dough rises to the top of the pan,about 1 hour.

5. Position a rack in the center of theoven and preheat to 400°F/200°C/gas 6.Dimple the top of the dough with yourfingertips. Lightly brush the dough witholive oil and sprinkle with kosher salt.

6. Bake until the focaccia is goldenbrown, about 30 minutes. Let cool in thepan for at least 5 minutes. Cut into largerectangles and serve. Focaccia is bestthe day of baking.

STRUAN

Struan was popularized by masterbaker Peter Reinhardt, who had abakery in Santa Rosa, California,not too far from us. (Now he ispassing on his deep knowledge ofbread making to students at Johnson& Wales University in Charlotte,North Carolina.) This multigrainbread, which Peter says originatedin Scotland, is as delicious as it isversatile. Our version is a tad lesssweet than Peter’s. We use it forour all-purpose bread—perfect for

sandwiches and excellent as toast.Begin the night before you bake bysoaking the grains and making abiga (a simple starter). Struancould become your go-to bread.

MAKES 1 LOAF

SOAKER

1/4 cup/60 ml water

3 Tbsp coarse cornmeal (polenta)

3 Tbsp old-fashioned (rolled) oats orwheat or rye flakes

2 Tbsp wheat or oat bran

BIGA

1/2 cup/75 g bread flour

1/4 tsp instant (also called quick-risingor bread machine) yeast1/2 cup/120 ml water

DOUGH

1/2 cup/120 ml buttermilk

1/4 cup/60 ml water

11/2 Tbsp honey

23/4 tsp instant (also called quick-risingor bread machine) yeast

21/2 cups/365 g bread flour, as needed

3 Tbsp cooked brown rice (see Note)

11/2 tsp fine sea salt

Vegetable oil for the bowl and pan

2 Tbsp poppy seeds

1. TO MAKE THE SOAKER: Combine thewater, cornmeal, oats, and bran in asmall bowl. The water will barelymoisten the grains. Cover and let standat room temperature for 12 to 16 hours.

2. TO MAKE THE BIGA: Combine theflour, yeast, and water in a small bowluntil well blended. Cover with plastic

wrap and let stand at room temperaturefor 12 to 16 hours. The mixture will bebubbly.

3. TO MAKE THE DOUGH: Combine thesoaker, biga, buttermilk, water, honey,and yeast in the bowl of a stand mixer.Add 21/4 cups/325 g of the flour and therice and salt. Affix the bowl to the mixerand fit with the paddle attachment. Mixon low speed just until the dough iscohesive. Turn off the mixer, cover thebowl with a kitchen towel, and let standfor 20 minutes. (To make by hand,combine the soaker, biga, buttermilk,water, honey, yeast, and rice in a largebowl. Stir in enough of the flour to make

a soft dough. Cover and let stand.)

4. Replace the paddle with the doughhook. Knead on medium-low speed,adding enough of the remaining flour tomake a soft, smooth, and tacky doughthat cleans the bowl, about 6 minutes.Turn out the dough onto a lightly flouredwork surface. (To make by hand, kneadon a floured work surface, adding moreflour as necessary, for about 10minutes.)

5. Shape the dough into a ball. Lightlyoil a medium bowl. Put the dough in thebowl and turn to coat with oil, leavingthe dough smooth-side up. Cover tightlywith plastic wrap. Let stand at room

temperature until doubled in volume,about 90 minutes.

6. Lightly oil a 9-by-5-by-3-in/23-by-12-by-7.5-cm loaf pan. Turn out thedough (it will be quite soft) onto anunfloured work surface. Pat into a thickrectangle 9 in/23 cm long. Roll up andpinch the seam closed. Turn the loafseam-side down and spray all over withwater. Sprinkle the top and sides withpoppy seeds. Fit into the prepared pan,seam-side down, and pat the dough tofill the pan evenly, especially into thecorners. Cover loosely with plasticwrap and let stand at room temperaturejust until the dough begins to dome over

the top of the pan, about 90 minutes.

7. Position a rack in the center of theoven and put a baking stone on the rack.Preheat the oven to 350°F/180°C/gas 4.

8. Bake, rotating the pan 180 degreesafter 20 minutes, until the loaf is goldenbrown and the bottom sounds hollowwhen rapped with your knuckles(remove the loaf from the pan to check),about 45 minutes. Let cool in the pan for5 minutes. Remove from the pan and letcool on a wire cooling rack for at least30 minutes before slicing. The bread canbe wrapped in aluminum foil and storedat room temperature for up to 1 day.

NOTE: Rather than make just 3 Tbsp ofcooked brown rice for this bread, makeenough to serve for a meal. Reserve 3Tbsp until ready to use. It will keep inan airtight container in therefrigerator for up to 3 days and in thefreezer for up to 3 months. Thaw beforeusing.

PAIN DE MIE

For a crusty loaf with what bakerscall an open crumb, all you need isflour, water, yeast, and salt. Takethe same ingredients and enrichthem with eggs, butter, milk, and alittle sugar, and you’ll get a tenderloaf with a cakelike crumb, perfectfor slicing. The French go so far asto call this kind of loaf pain de mie,which literally means “crumb loaf.”(However, our French baker,Pascal, christened it “insidebread,” because it is a loaf that is

all about the inside of the bread.)As the bread cools, you can play agame with yourself: How long canyou wait before you cut into it andspread a warm slice with butter?

MAKES 1 LOAF

POOLISH

1/3 cup/50 g bread flour

1/3 cup/75 ml water

1/8 tsp instant (also called quick-risingor bread machine) yeast

DOUGH

1/3 cup/75 ml whole milk

1/3 cup/75 ml water

2 large eggs

1 Tbsp plus 1 tsp sugar

21/8 tsp instant (also called quick-risingor bread machine) yeast

11/2 tsp fine sea salt

31/2 cups/510 g bread flour, as needed

3 Tbsp unsalted butter, at roomtemperature

1. TO MAKE THE POOLISH: Combine theflour, water, and yeast in a small bowl

to make a thick, lumpy batter. Coverwith plastic wrap and let stand in awarm place until the top looks foamy,about 11/2 hours.

2. TO MAKE THE DOUGH: Scrape thepoolish into the bowl of a stand mixerand add the milk, water, eggs, sugar,yeast, and salt. Affix the bowl to themixer and fit with the paddle attachment.Mix on low speed until the mixture lookscreamy. Gradually add 3 cups/435 g ofthe flour and mix just until the dough iscohesive. Turn off the mixer, cover thebowl with a kitchen towel, and let standfor 10 minutes. (To make by hand, mixthe poolish, milk, water, eggs, sugar,

yeast, and salt together in a large bowl.Mix in enough of the flour to make acohesive, tacky dough. Cover and letstand.)

3. Replace the paddle with the doughhook. With the machine on medium-lowspeed, add the butter, 1 Tbsp at a time,letting the dough absorb each additionbefore adding more. Knead on medium-low speed, adding more flour asnecessary, to make a soft, supple, andslightly tacky dough, about 8 minutes.Turn out the dough onto a lightly flouredwork surface. (To make by hand, cut thebutter into small cubes and sprinkle one-third of it over the dough. Working in thebowl, using floured hands, pull up about

one-quarter of the dough, stretching itabout 10 in/25 cm, and fold over the topof the dough. Repeat, one-quarter at atime. Using your knuckles, knead thedough in the bowl until the butter isabsorbed. Repeat two more times withthe remaining butter. Turn the dough outonto a floured work surface. Knead,adding more flour as necessary, until thedough is smooth, soft, and slightly tacky,about 10 minutes.)

4. Lightly butter a large bowl. Shape thedough into a ball, put in bowl, and turnto coat with butter, leaving the doughsmooth-side up. Cover with plasticwrap. Let stand in a warm place until

doubled in volume, about 11/2 hours.

5. Lightly butter a 9-by-5-by-3-in/23-by-12-by-7.5-cm loaf pan. Turn out thedough onto the work surface. Press andshape into a rectangle 9 in/23 cm long.Fold the top and bottom edges over tomeet in the middle of the rectangle andpinch the seam closed. Fit into the pan,seam-side down, pressing the doughgently so it fills the corners. Coverloosely with plastic wrap and let standin a warm place until the dough justbegins to peek over the top of the pan,about 45 minutes.

6. Position a rack in the center of the

oven and preheat to 350°F/180°C/gas 4.

7. Bake until the loaf is golden brownand sounds hollow when rapped withyour knuckles (remove the loaf from thepan to check), about 45 minutes. Let coolin the pan for 10 minutes. Remove fromthe pan and let cool on a wire coolingrack for at least 20 minutes beforeslicing. The bread can be wrapped inaluminum foil and stored at roomtemperature for up to 1 day.

PAIN AULEVAIN

Our flavorful, crusty, chewy painau levain and its variations areserved at many events at variousNapa wineries throughout the year.When Karen first learned to bake,there was only one way to makeartisan bread at home—knead thestarter-leavened dough by hand ormachine and bake it, uncovered, ona baking stone. Thanks to thedetailed instruction in cookbooksby Chad Robertson, Jim Lahey,

Karen’s old friend Peter Reinhart,and others, there have been manyadvances in how home bakers makebread, resulting in baked goods thattruly seem like they came from thebest bakeries in the world. At theModel Bakery, our lead baker, EliColvin, developed a modern recipefor the home baker that replicatesthe levain bread (and its threevariations) that we deliverthroughout the Valley. Note that youwill need two 8-in/20-cm roundbannetons (see page 61) orcolanders.

MAKES 2 LOAVES

LEVAIN

1/2 cup/120 ml water

1 Tbsp Wild Yeast Grape Starter (page56)1/3 cup/50 g bread flour

1/3 cup/50 g whole-wheat flour

DOUGH

31/3 cups/795 ml water

53/4 cups plus 2 Tbsp/850 g bread flour,plus more as needed2/3 cup/95 g whole-wheat flour

11/2 Tbsp fine sea salt

Semolina for the baker’s peel

1. TO MAKE THE LEVAIN: The nightbefore baking, mix the water and startertogether in a small bowl. Add the breadflour and the whole-wheat flour and stirto make a thick batter. Cover tightly withplastic wrap and refrigerate for 8 to 12hours.

2. TO MAKE THE DOUGH: The nextmorning, combine the water and levainin the bowl of a stand mixer. Mix withthe paddle attachment on low speed untilcombined. Gradually add the flours to

make a sticky dough. Do not remove thepaddle. Cover the bowl with plasticwrap and let stand for 20 minutes. (Tomake by hand, stir the water and levaintogether in a large bowl. Gradually stirin the flours to make a wet, sticky dough.Cover and let stand for 20 minutes.)

3. With the mixer on low speed, mix thesalt into the dough. Remove the paddle.(Or, to make by hand, sprinkle the saltover the dough. Using wet hands,squeeze the dough well to mix in thesalt.) Cover the bowl with plastic wrapand let stand for 20 minutes.

4. As the flour absorbs the liquid, thedough will look a bit firmer and less

wet. Using wet hands, pull up about one-quarter of the dough, stretching it about10 in/25 cm, and fold over the top of thedough. Repeat, one-quarter at a time.Cover with plastic wrap and let standfor 20 minutes.

5. The dough will continue to firm up. (Ifyou are making one of the variations,add the additional ingredients at thispoint.) Repeat the pulling and foldingprocess, cover with plastic wrap, and letstand for 20 minutes.

6. The dough will be somewhat firmerand will have risen slightly, but notdoubled. Repeat the pulling and folding

process a third time.

7. Using a bowl scraper to release thedough from the bowl, turn out the doughonto a well-floured work surface. Thedough will be very tacky, but that iswhat you want. The flour on the worksurface will keep the dough fromsticking. Do not punch the dough down;you want to retain as many of the airpockets as possible. Cut the dough inhalf. Place one portion of dough in frontof you on a lightly floured work surface.Cupping your hands slightly, place themon either side of the dough. Tuck thesides of the dough underneath the mass,gently stretching the surface of the doughto make it taut. Repeat with the

remaining dough.

8. Generously dust the insides of two 8-in/20-cm round bannetons with flour. Orline each of two 8-in/20-cm colandersor bowls with linen or cotton (but notterry cloth) towels and coat with flour.Be sure the banneton or cloth is wellfloured so the dough won’t stick. Turneach ball upside down and place,smooth-side down, in a banneton. Pinchthe loose ends of the loaf together.Sprinkle more flour over each. Looselycover each banneton with plastic wrap.Let stand in a warm place until the doughlooks slightly inflated but not doubled(when poked with a fingertip, the hole

left will fill in slowly), about 2 hours.

9. Position a rack in the lower third inthe oven and place a baking stone on therack. Put a metal pot (with heat-proofhandles) with about a 6-qt/5.7-Lcapacity, and at least 9 in/23 cm indiameter, upside down on the stone.Preheat the oven, with the stone and pot,to 500°F/260°C/gas 10.

10. Sprinkle a baker’s peel withsemolina. Carefully turn out one loafonto the peel. The dough will be soft andwill spread slightly on the peel. Using aserrated knife, quickly cut a shallow 4-in/10-cm square in the top of the ball. Ifthe kitchen is very warm, refrigerate the

remaining loaf while baking the first.

11. The next set of steps will happenquickly; read over the directions acouple of times so you understand theprocess and can move with confidence.Put on oven mitts or equip yourself withthick pot holders. Open the oven, grabthe hot pot by its sides and put the pot,still upside down, on top of the stove.Slide the rack with the stone out of theoven slightly. Slip the loaf off the peelonto the stone. Replace the pot, upsidedown, over the loaf so that the potdoesn’t touch the dough. Slide the rackback into the oven and close the ovendoor. Bake for 20 minutes.

12. Using the pot holders, remove thepot, leaving the bread in place. Reducethe oven temperature to450°F/230°C/gas 8. Continue bakinguntil the bread is deep golden brown andsounds hollow when tapped on thebottom, about 20 minutes more. If youhave any concerns about whether thebread is done, you can take itstemperature through the bottom crustwith an instant-read thermometer; itshould read at least 190°F/88°C.

13. Using the baker’s peel, transfer thebread to a wire cooling rack. Repeatwith the remaining dough. Let cool for atleast 20 minutes before slicing. The

bread can be wrapped in aluminum foiland stored at room temperature for up to1 day.

TOASTED WALNUT AND SAGE BREAD:Add 2 cups/230 g coarsely choppedtoasted walnuts (see page 30) and 2Tbsp chopped fresh sage to the dough instep 5 and fold as directed.

AUTUMN PAIN AU LEVAIN: Add 1cup/170 g dried cranberries and 1cup/115 g coarsely chopped toastedwalnuts (see page 30) to the dough instep 5 and fold as directed.

COUNTRY OLIVE PAIN AU LEVAIN WITH

ROSEMARY: Add 1 cup/155 g pitted andcoarsely chopped black and green olives(we use an herbed Provençal mix fromFrance) and 2 Tbsp chopped freshrosemary in step 5 and fold as directed.

WHOLE-WHEATHARVEST

BREAD

Here is a whole-wheat bread witheverything going for it. It gets alittle tang from the starter, a bit ofsweetness (but not too much) fromthe honey, and a tender crumb fromthe vegetable oil. Where manywhole-wheat breads are, in reality,mostly white flour with somewhole wheat tossed in as anafterthought, this loaf reverses the

proportions. It is another bread thatyou will cherish when it comestime to make your lunchtimesandwich. Take care not to add toomuch flour during kneading. Thedough should be tacky (on the edgeof sticky); it will firm up duringfermentation.

MAKES 1 LOAF

12/3 cups/405 ml water

1/2 cup/160 g Wild Yeast Grape Starter(page 56)

11/2 Tbsp honey

21/2 tsp fine sea salt

2 tsp vegetable oil, plus more for thebowl

11/4 tsp instant (also called quick-risingor bread machine) yeast

3 cups/435 g whole-wheat flour

1 cup/145 g bread flour, plus more asneeded

1 large egg yolk

1 Tbsp heavy cream or milk

2 tsp wheat bran

1. Combine the water, starter, honey,salt, vegetable oil, and yeast in the bowl

of a stand mixer. Affix the bowl to themixer and fit with the paddle attachment.Mix on low speed until the mixture lookscreamy. Gradually add the whole-wheatflour and 1/2 cup/75 g of the bread flourto make a cohesive but sticky dough.Turn off the mixer, cover the bowl witha kitchen towel, and let stand for 20minutes. (To make by hand, combine thewater, starter, honey, salt, oil, and yeastin a large bowl. Stir in the whole-wheatflour and enough of the bread flour tomake a cohesive but sticky dough. Coverand let stand.)

2. Replace the paddle with the doughhook. Knead on medium speed, adding

enough of the remaining bread flour tomake a somewhat tacky dough thatcleans the bowl, about 8 minutes. Turnout the dough onto a floured worksurface. (To make by hand, knead on afloured work surface, using a benchscraper to help lift the dough and addingmore flour as necessary to form a soft,tacky dough that barely sticks to thework surface, about 10 minutes.)

3. Shape the dough into a ball. Lightlyoil a medium bowl. Put the dough in thebowl and turn to coat with oil, leavingthe dough smooth-side up. Cover thebowl with plastic wrap. Let stand in awarm place until doubled in volume,

11/2 to 2 hours.

4. Lightly oil a 9-by-5-by-3-in/23-by-12-by-7.5-cm loaf pan. Using a bowlscraper, scrape the dough out of thebowl onto a lightly floured worksurface. Shape the dough into a 9-in/23-cm square. Starting from the bottom, rollup the dough and pinch the seams closed.Transfer to the pan, long-seam-sidedown. Lightly press the dough into thepan, being sure it fills the corners. Coverloosely with plastic wrap and let standin a warm place until the dough hasdoubled and risen to the top of the pan,about 1 hour.

5. Position a rack in the center of theoven and put a baking stone on the rack.Preheat the oven to 400°F/200°C/gas 6.

6. Beat the egg yolk and cream togetherin a small bowl. Lightly brush the top ofthe loaf with the glaze. Sprinkle with thebran.

7. Bake for 15 minutes. Reduce the heatto 350°F/180°C/gas 4 and bake until thebottom of the loaf sounds hollow whenrapped with your knuckles (remove theloaf from the pan to check), about 35minutes more. Let cool in the pan for 10minutes. Remove from the pan. Transferto a wire cooling rack and let cool for at

least 20 minutes before slicing. Thebread can be wrapped in aluminum foiland stored at room temperature for up to1 day.

AMBER ALEBREAD

Just north of St. Helena stands agorgeous stone building that oncehoused Silverado BrewingCompany. A few years ago, theowners, Michael Fradelizio andKen Mee (a former student ofKaren’s when she was a highschool teacher!), asked us todevelop a recipe using their amberale. One of our lead bakers, EliColvin, created this sturdy,flavorful loaf, which makes terrific

sandwiches. Make a corned beefsandwich with it, and you maynever go back to regular rye again.In this recipe, we set up a hot panto create steam in the oven toencourage a crisp crust.

MAKES 1 LARGE LOAF

2 cups/480 ml amber ale (see Note)

11/4 tsp instant (also called quick-risingor bread machine) yeast

41/4 cups/615 g unbleached all-purposeflour, as needed

3/4 cup/110 g whole-wheat flour

1/3 cup/50 g rye flour

2 tsp fine sea salt

Olive oil for the bowl and pans

Semolina for the baker’s peel

1 large egg yolk

1 Tbsp heavy cream or milk

2 tsp wheat bran

1. Combine the ale and yeast in the bowlof a stand mixer. Add 2 cups/290 g ofthe all-purpose flour, the whole-wheatflour, rye flour, and salt. Affix the bowlto the mixer and fit with the paddle

attachment. Mix on low speed, graduallyadding enough of the remaining all-purpose flour to make a shaggy mass.Turn off the mixer, cover the bowl withplastic wrap, and let stand for 10minutes. (To make by hand, combine theale and yeast in a large bowl. Stir in thewhole-wheat flour, rye flour, salt, andenough of the all-purpose flour to make ashaggy mass. Cover and let stand.)

2. Replace the paddle with the doughhook. Knead on medium-low speed,adding more all-purpose flour asnecessary to make a smooth dough thatcleans the sides of the bowl, about 6minutes. Turn out the dough onto afloured work surface. (To make by hand,

knead on a floured work surface, addingmore flour as necessary to make asmooth, slightly tacky dough, about 10minutes.)

3. Lightly oil a large bowl. Shape thedough into a ball, put in the bowl, andturn to coat with oil, leaving the doughsmooth-side up. Cover with plasticwrap. Let stand in a warm place untildoubled in volume, about 2 hours. (Orrefrigerate for up to 16 hours. Let thedough stand at room temperature for 2hours before proceeding.)

4. Turn out the dough onto a lightlyfloured work surface. Pat the dough into

a thick rectangle about 12 in/30.5 cmlong. Bring the long sides up to meet inthe center and pinch the long seamclosed. Turn the loaf over so the seamfaces down. Tuck the sides of the loafunder to make a taut surface and taperthe ends to make a torpedo-shaped loaf(bâtard) about 12 in/30.5 cm long and41/2 in/11 cm across at the widest point.Sprinkle a baker’s peel generously withsemolina. Transfer the loaf to the peel.Cover with a kitchen towel and let standin a warm place until the dough looksinflated but not doubled, about 45minutes.

5. Position two racks on the lowest two

rungs of the oven. Put a baking stone onthe top rack and an empty broiler pan onthe lower one. Preheat the oven to450°F/230°C/gas 8. When the oven ispreheated, using a kettle, pour about 2cups/480 ml hot water into the broilerpan. Close the oven door and let it heatfor 5 minutes to fill the oven with steam(it may not be visible).

6. Beat the egg yolk and cream togetherin a small bowl. Starting about 2 in/5 cmfrom one end of the loaf, brush a strip ofegg glaze about 1 in/2.5 cm wide acrossthe width of the loaf. Repeat on the otherside. Sprinkle each strip with about 1 tspof the wheat bran. Using a serrated knife,

cut a slash about 1/4 in/6 mm deep alongthe edge of each bran-covered strip thatis closest to the middle of the loaf.

7. Slip the loaf off the peel onto thebaking stone. Bake for 20 minutes.Reduce the oven temperature to425°F/220°C/gas 7. Continue bakinguntil the top is golden brown and thebottom sounds hollow when rapped withyour knuckles (remove the loaf from thepan to check) about 20 minutes more.Transfer to a wire cooling rack. Let coolfor at least 20 minutes before slicing.The bread can be wrapped in aluminumfoil and stored at room temperature forup to 1 day.

NOTE: When measuring the ale, stir itwell to dissipate the foamy head so youget an accurate measurement. If youhave the time, open the bottle a coupleof hours before measuring so the alegoes flat, which will make for foam-free measuring and won’t affect thedough.

WILD YEASTGRAPE

STARTER

We base many of our artisan breadson a fermented culture made fromthe local wine grapes. The firstbatch was created in the early yearsof the bakery. Many strains of wild

yeast thrive on the fruit, so Karenknew that it wouldn’t be difficult to“catch” the yeast. She simplycrushed Gamay grapes in a bigcontainer, stirred in flour to make abatter, covered the mixture withcheesecloth to keep out fruit flies,and came back in a few days to aterrific goo that could be used tomake bread rise. At home, it iseasier to use freshly made grapejuice. You can use any grapes, butwe certainly recommend localorganic fruit, if available, and if thegrapes are a wine variety, so muchthe better. The amount of yeast andbacteria in your personal micro-climate (to be specific, your

kitchen) and the ambienttemperature affect the process, soplan on at least a week forfermentation and aging to allow forvariables.

If a translucent brown or grayliquid forms on top of the starter atany time during the process, don’tbe alarmed. It is just the alcoholcreated during fermentation. Simplystir it in before using the starter. Ifthe liquid is pink or if the startersmells unappetizingly funky, youhave captured unwanted bacteria.Throw out the starter and startagain.

MAKES ABOUT 3 CUPS/960 G

DAY ONE

9 oz/255 g grapes on the stem (anyvariety), preferably organic wine grapes1/2 cup/120 ml water, plus more asneeded3/4 cup/110 g bread flour, plus more asneeded1/4 cup/35 g whole-wheat flour

2 Tbsp rye flour

DAY TWO

1/2 cup/75 g bread flour

1/3 cup/75 ml water

DAY THREE

1/2 cup/75 g bread flour

1/3 cup/75 ml water

DAY FOUR

1/2 cup/75 g bread flour

1/3 cup/75 ml water

TO MAINTAIN THE STARTER

1 cup plus 2 Tbsp/165 g bread flour3/4 cup/180 ml water

DAY ONE: Remove the grapes from thestems and put the grapes in a bowl.Mash and crush with a potato masher orpestle to extract the juice. Strain througha wire sieve and discard the seeds andskins. Measure 1/4 cup/60 ml anddiscard (or drink) the remaining juice.

Combine the grape juice, water, breadflour, whole-wheat flour, and rye flourin a 3-qt/2.8-L transparent bowl orcontainer with a rubber spatula to makea sticky, wet dough (almost a batter).Scrape down the sides of the bowl.Cover the bowl loosely with plasticwrap to let in some air, and let stand atroom temperature for 24 hours.

DAY TWO: The mixture should showsome small bubbles breaking on thesurface and have a sharp aroma. (If not,let the mixture stand for another 24hours.) Stir the bread flour and waterinto the mixture. Scrape down the sidesof the bowl. Cover tightly this time toentrap the fermenting yeast and bacteria,and let stand for 24 hours.

DAY THREE: At this point, you should seemore active bubbling and the mixtureshould smell like tart apples. Stir thebread flour and water into the mixture.Scrape down the sides of the bowl,cover tightly, and let stand for 24 hours.

DAY FOUR: The mixture should look likethick pancake batter, and if yourcontainer is clear, you will see atransparent network of bubbles throughthe side of the container. Stir in thebread flour and water. Mark the level ofthe starter on the outside of the bowl orcontainer with a marker or a piece ofmasking tape so you can check howmuch the starter rises. Scrape down thesides of the bowl, cover tightly, and letstand until the starter doubles, deflates,and rises again, about 24 hours. (Let thestarter stand for another 12 hours if therising and deflating doesn’t occur.)

DAY FIVE: The culture is almost fully

developed and will smell appetizinglysour, with an aroma reminiscent ofyogurt or cheese. Stir the starter todeflate it. Cover the bowl tightly andrefrigerate for 2 days to age andstrengthen the culture before using.

TO MAINTAIN THE STARTER: The startermust be refreshed once a week. Stir wellto mix in the liquid that has formed onthe surface. Discard (or use or give to afellow baker) about half (around 11/2cups/480 g) of the starter. Stir in thebread flour and water to feed theremaining starter. Cover loosely and letstand at room temperature until doubled,about 4 hours. Refrigerate until ready to

use. If you aren’t able to feed the starteronce a week (let’s say that you will beon vacation), then have someone do itfor you. You can occasionally extend theperiod between feedings to 2 weeks, butdon’t make a habit of it, or the startercould become too sour to use.

STARTER AND LEVAIN

Levain is a mixture of flour, water,and starter (also called culture) thatis used to make a dough rise. Itcreates bread with an open, moistcrumb.

You can make the starter in a glassor ceramic bowl and cover it withplastic wrap. However, you want apermanent and convenient home foryour starter, and a plastic storagecontainer, available at restaurantsupply shops, is perfect. Choose acontainer that’s relativelytransparent, so you can see how the

starter is behaving by checking itslevel for rising and by the networkof bubbles visible through thecontainer’s sides.

To keep unwanted yeast andbacteria out of your culture, usevery clean utensils, containers, andhands when mixing. In spite of yourbest efforts, you may catch someunpleasant yeast or bacteria in theculture. Signs are a funky aroma (asopposed to a sharp, tart, orcheeselike aroma, similar toyogurt), pink liquid on the culture’ssurface, or signs of mold. If youhave any of these indicators, throwout the culture and start again with

very clean utensils and hands.

The perfect temperature forfermenting starter is 70°F/21°C. Ifyour kitchen is cooler or warmer,put the dough in a warm space (seepage 61) or refrigerate for an houror two, as needed. The ideal timingfor feeding is in 24-hour incrementsso the culture has a chance todevelop flavor before you feed itagain. Feed the culture at the sametime every day.

As the refrigerated starter is stored,it will give off a grayish liquid as aby-product of fermentation. Oftencalled hooch, it should be stirred

into the starter before feeding.

Our recipe makes about 3 cups/960g of starter, and if you love bakingartisan breads as much as we do, itmay not be an excessive amount.While the Pain au Levain (page 49)uses only 1 Tbsp, the Whole-WheatHarvest Bread (page 52) takes 1/2cup/160 g. If the starter containersimply takes up too much room inyour refrigerator, discard (or share)half, store the remaining starter, andfeed with 2/3 cup/95 g flour and 1/3cup/75 ml water to maintain thissmaller amount.

THE MODEL BAKERY ONBREAD

There are two importantcomponents of great bread:The first is high-qualityorganic bread flour (see page21); the second is time. Mostof this time doesn’t includeactual labor, only waiting. Aslow rise encourages enzymeand bacterial growth, whichdevelop flavor.

Temperature is anotherimportant factor in bread

making. The idealtemperature for bread doughfermentation is 77°F/25°C.(Fermentation is another wayto say “dough rising.” It’s amore accurate term becausenot all dough rises to avisibly puffed state, but in allcases, the dough createscarbon dioxide andferments.) That means thedough should be about77°F/25°C after mixing. Youcan establish the temperatureof your dough with aninstant-read thermometer—the flour will probablyalready be about this

temperature, but water isusually colder.

Note that we do not usewarm water (around110°F/43°C), which isusually the recommendedtemperature, to make ourdough. Tepid tap waterworks fine. But if yourkitchen is cold or hot, adjustthe temperature of the doughby manipulating thetemperature of the mixingwater. If the kitchen is cold(around 60°F/16°C), uselukewarm water. If the

kitchen is hot (over80°F/27°C), you can use ice-cold water, which is whatwe often do when the Valleyweather is hot and the ovensare blasting.

In some cases, a pre-ferment(a previously mixed andfermented dough) is added tothe dough for extra flavorand improved shelf life.Depending on the texture, apreferment can also becalled a biga (when stiff, likea dough) or a poolish orsponge (thinner and morebatter-like). Be sure to allow

the necessary time to makethe pre-ferment.

Some home bakers may beunfamiliar with the new “pulland wait” technique, whichprofessional bakers are usingwith more frequency to makeartisan breads. Here’s a briefexplanation of how it works:Gluten is the component inflour that gives the doughstructure, and it activateswhen moistened. In the past,traditional bread recipesneeded to be about 60percent hydration so thedough was dry enough to be

kneaded by hand or with amixer. (The percentage ofwater in the dough is calledits hydration.) Wet doughs,with closer to 80 percenthydration, bake into crustyloaves with chewy, airyinteriors, but they are too wetto knead in the traditionalmanner. It was discoveredthat pulling at the dough afew times over the course ofan hour works as well fordeveloping gluten as 10minutes of kneading by hand.And as the wet dough rests,the flour absorbs the water,

so that the dough can beshaped into a loaf. We utilizethis method to make our painau levain.For drier doughs, we use amixer. When using a standmixer, attach the paddleblade and mix the doughingredients just until they arecombined. Hold back someof the flour to allow forvariations in the ambienthumidity. Cover the mixerbowl with a kitchen toweland let the dough rest forabout 20 minutes. This iscalled the autolyse; it allows

the dry ingredients to absorbthe water, so you don’t haveto add too much flour at thenext step. Now mix in enoughadditional flour to make adough with the consistencydescribed in the recipe. Atthis point, switch from thepaddle to the dough hook andmix on medium-low speed,adding a sprinkle of flour ifthe dough sticks excessivelyto the bowl. In most cases,you want a smooth finisheddough that remains tacky butisn’t sticky to the touch.

During kneading, some softdoughs will “climb” up thedough hook. If allowed tostay there, the texture of thedough will be compromised.Just stop the machine, pullthe dough down and backinto the bowl, and resumekneading. You may have todo this three or four times.If you prefer to knead doughby hand, stir the doughingredients in a large bowl,adding just enough flour sothe dough becomes too denseto stir. Cover and let standfor 10 minutes. Turn the

dough out onto a flouredwork surface and knead,adding more flour asnecessary, to make a doughof the desired consistency.Kneading is simple: Fold aquarter of the dough over tothe center of the mass andpress it down. Rotate thedough a quarter turn, foldanother quarter of the doughover, and press again.Repeat the process—youwill get into a relaxingrhythm—until the dough issmooth, tacky to the touch,and springs back into placewhen pulled gently (this is

what is meant by “elasticdough”), 8 to 10 minutes.

If you are not sure if yourhand- or machine-kneadeddough has been kneaded longenough, use the windowpanetest. This simple techniqueindicates that the gluten hasbeen sufficiently activatedand strengthened. Tear off agolf ball–size piece of doughand flatten it into a square.Gently pull the dough on allfour sides to make a larger,thinner square. If you canpull the dough into a

membrane-like thicknesswithout tearing, the dough isready. If it tears readily,knead longer.

Once the dough is mixed, itoften requires a warm placeof about 77°F/25°C toferment, the period when thedough’s flavor develops. Inmost houses, warm placesinclude a spot near a radiatoror hot water heater (but noton them, which would be toohot). A turned-off gas ovenwith a light bulb burningworks well. If you have an

electric oven, turn the ovenon for no more than a minute,and then turn it off beforeputting the container of doughinside. A large microwaveoven with a glass of steaminghot water placed next to thecontainer of dough alsoworks. If the dough isfermenting in an oven,remember not to turn on theoven while it is holding thedough!

Proofing is the period afterfermentation when theshaped dough is allowed toexpand before baking. (Some

people also use the term todescribe the process ofdissolving yeast in warmliquid to check—or prove—its potency, but with instantyeast, that process is goingthe way of the dinosaur.)Depending on the recipe, thedough may or may not doublein volume. To check whetherthe dough has proofedenough, push a flouredfingertip about 1 in/2.5 cminto the dough. It shouldleave an impression that fillsin very slowly.

A banneton is a cloth-linedwicker (or sometimesplastic) basket used to holdthe dough during its finalfermentation. (It issometimes called a breadmold or basket, or by itsGerman name, Brotform.)Wet dough, such as pain aulevain, would spread withoutthe basket to contain it. Ifyou’re a serious home baker,you will want to own abanneton or two, but you caneasily improvise with asmallish (about 8 in/20 cm indiameter) colander. The

colander holes simulate theopen weave of the wickerbanneton.Many bread cookbooks nowrecommend baking theshaped loaf on a baking stonecovered by a hot pot. The pottraps the steam given off bythe baking bread, and theextra moisture helps create athick crust. The proximity ofthe hot pot to the doughsimulates the intense, closeheat of a professional ovenand encourages deepbrowning, yielding a crustyloaf. That’s all good, but a

cast-iron pot is very heavyand difficult to handle,especially when heated to500°F/260°C/gas 10. Forbaking at home, we use a 6-qt/5.7-L aluminum metal pot(the one we use to boil waterfor pasta), and it works verywell. Even a roasting panwill work. Be sure the pothas metal handles and canwithstand high heat(500°F/260°C/gas 10). Use arelatively heavy pot, but aninexpensive one, andcertainly one with heat-resistant handles. You maywant to reserve a pot for

baking bread, as the ovenheat may eventually discolorthe surface. If you want touse a cast-iron pot, it’s yourchoice.

On Karen’s first trip to Europe, ofall the things she ate that werenew experiences, the flaky yeastedpastries of France impressed herthe most. Hardly any Americanbakeries were making croissants,much less ones filled with almondpaste or chocolate, and Danish(called viennoiserie in French,because it was Viennese bakerswho popularized these bakedgoods in Europe) were restrictedto just a few shapes. She sworethat one day she would learn howto make these fabulous creations,and when she did, it was with an

enormous sense ofaccomplishment. You will havethe same satisfaction when youbring these homemade delights,freshly baked in your own oven, tothe breakfast table.

CROISSANTS

One of the joys of home baking isbeing able to make some of yourfavorites from your local bakery,and even improve on them. Thereare many commercially madecroissants that resemble dinnerrolls and even cakes instead of theflaky French masterpieces. But thisrecipe makes croissants identical tothe ones you would get at a finebakery in Paris (or St. Helena!)—shatteringly crisp on the outside,pleasantly chewy and buttery on the

inside.

MAKES 16 CROISSANTS

1 recipe Croissant Dough (page 80)

Unbleached all-purpose flour for rollingthe dough

1 large egg yolk

1 Tbsp heavy cream or milk

1. Place the dough on a lightly flouredwork surface with the long open seamfacing you (look carefully) and the foldfacing away from you. Cut the dough inhalf vertically, so you end up with two

portions with open seams. Leave one ofthem, long side facing you, on the worksurface, and lightly flour the top of thedough. Refrigerate the other portion ofdough.

2. Using a large, heavy rolling pin, rollout the dough into a 12-by-8-in/30.5-by-20-cm rectangle, with the long sidefacing you. If the dough retracts, cover itwith a kitchen towel and let it relax for 5minutes before rolling again. Pull thelower left corner of the dough out about2 in/5 cm to the left to make a 45-degreeangle. Pull the upper right corner out tomake a 45-degree angle on that side ofthe dough, creating a parallelogram withtwo 14-in-/35.5-cm-long sides.

3. Starting at the bottom left corner of thedough, mark the dough with the tip of aknife at 31/2-in/9-cm intervals along thebase (see photo 1, page 66). Starting atthe upper left corner of the dough,repeat, making notches along the top at31/2-in/9-cm intervals as well. Using aruler, starting at the upper left corner ofthe dough, connect the top and bottomnotches with diagonal lines, and scorelightly with the tip of the knife. Using asharp knife, cut along the lines to makeeight triangles, 8 in/20 cm high and 31/2in/9 cm wide at the base (see photo 2,page 66). Cut a 1-in/2.5-cm verticalnotch in the center of each triangle base

(see photo 3, page 66). Set the trianglesaside. Repeat with the remaining dough.

4. Line two half-sheet pans withparchment paper. To shape eachcroissant, gently stretch the base of thetriangle until it is about 5 in/12 cm wide.Holding the triangle at its base, stretchthe triangle from its tip until the triangleis about 10 in/25 cm tall.

5. Starting from the base, roll up thetriangle (see photo 4, page 66). Curvethe croissant into a tight crescent andpress the pointed ends together. Placethe croissant, with the tip of the triangleunderneath the pastry, on one of the linedpans. Repeat with the remaining

triangles, putting eight croissants on eachpan and spacing them well apart. Covereach pan loosely with plastic wrap andlet stand in a warm place until thecroissants look puffed, about 11/2 hours.

6. Position racks in the top third andcenter of the oven and preheat to400°F/200°C/gas 6.

7. Beat the egg yolk and cream togetherin a small bowl. Brush the tops of thecroissants lightly with the glaze.

8. Bake until golden brown, about 20minutes, switching the pans from top tobottom and front to back halfway through

baking. Transfer to a wire cooling rackand let cool for at least 20 minutes.Serve warm or at room temperature.(Cooled croissants can be stored in anairtight container at room temperaturefor up to 1 day.)

ALMONDCROISSANTS

A variation on the croissant theme,these pastries are rolled aroundalmond filling before baking.Unlike classic croissants, we donot curve these into crescents, butbake them into straight pastries.When buying almond paste, don’tmix it up with marzipan, which ismuch sweeter.

MAKES 16 CROISSANTS

ALMOND FILLING

1/3 cup plus 1 Tbsp/115 g packedalmond paste, crumbled

2 tsp sugar

Pinch of fine sea salt

4 Tbsp/55 g unsalted butter, at roomtemperature

1 large egg yolk

1 Tbsp plus 1 tsp unbleached all-purpose flour

1 recipe Croissant Dough (page 80)

1 large egg yolk

1 Tbsp heavy cream or milk

1/4 cup/30 g sliced almonds

Confectioners’ sugar for dusting

1. TO MAKE THE FILLING: Process thealmond paste, sugar, and salt in a foodprocessor fitted with the metal bladeuntil the almond paste is very finelychopped. Add the butter, egg yolk, andflour and pulse until smooth. Transfer toa bowl, cover with plastic wrap, andrefrigerate until firm enough to spread, atleast 1 hour or up to 1 day.

2. Line two half-sheet pans withparchment paper. Follow the recipe forcroissants through step 3, but do not cuta slit in the triangle base. About 1/4 in/6

mm from the bottom of the triangle,spread about 21/2 tsp of filling in a widestrip. Starting from the base, roll up thetriangle, enclosing the filling. Place thecroissant, with the tip of the triangleunderneath the pastry, on one of the linedpans. Repeat with the remainingtriangles, putting eight croissants on eachpan and spacing them well apart. Covereach pan loosely with plastic wrap andlet stand in a warm place until thecroissants look puffed, about 11/2 hours.

3. Position racks in the top third andcenter of the oven and preheat to400°F/200°C/gas 6.

4. Beat the egg yolk and cream togetherin a small bowl. Brush the tops of thecroissants lightly with the glaze andsprinkle with the sliced almonds.

5. Bake until golden brown, about 20minutes, switching the pans from top tobottom and front to back halfway throughbaking. Transfer to a wire cooling rackand let cool for at least 20 minutes. Dustwith confectioners’ sugar and servewarm or at room temperature. (Cooledcroissants can be stored in an airtightcontainer at room temperature for up to 1day.)

PAINS AUCHOCOLAT

Any day that starts out withchocolate is bound to be a goodone, and pain au chocolat,chocolate-stuffed croissant pastry,lives up to this premise. Bakeriesbuy specially made chocolate stickscalled batons to put inside thedough. They are available online,but standard chocolate bars canalso be cut into strips for the samepurpose. This is one case where thecacao content is immaterial, so just

use your favorite brand.

MAKES 12 CROISSANTS

Three 31/2-oz/100-g semisweet orbittersweet chocolate bars

1 recipe Croissant Dough (page 80)

Unbleached all-purpose flour for rollingout the dough

1 large egg yolk

1 Tbsp heavy cream

1. Let the chocolate bars stand in a warmplace for 10 minutes or so. They must beslightly warm so they cut cleanly and do

not shatter. Cut each bar crosswise intoeight equal strips for a total of twenty-four.

2. Line two half-sheet pans withparchment paper. Place the dough on alightly floured work surface. Lightlyflour the top of the dough. Using a large,heavy rolling pin, roll out the dough intoa 20-by-15-in/50-by-38-cm rectangle. Ifthe dough retracts, cover it with akitchen towel and let it relax for 5minutes before rolling again.

3. Using a yardstick and a sharp knife,cut the dough into twelve 5-in/12-cmsquares. For each pain au chocolat,

place a square in front of you. Place achocolate strip about 1/2 in/12 mm upfrom the bottom of the square. Fold thebottom of the square over the chocolatestrip to enclose it. Place a secondchocolate strip above the first one androll up the square. Pinch the long seamclosed. Place on one of the lined pans,seam-side down. Continue with theremaining dough squares and chocolatestrips, putting six pastries on each pan,about 2 in/5 cm apart. Cover each panloosely with plastic wrap and let standin a warm place until the pastries lookpuffed, about 11/2 hours.

4. Position racks in the top third and

center of the oven and preheat to400°F/200°C/gas 6.

5. Beat the egg yolk and cream togetherin a small bowl. Brush the tops of thepastries lightly with the glaze. Bake untilgolden brown, 20 to 25 minutes,switching the pans from top to bottomand front to back halfway throughbaking. Transfer to a wire cooling rackand let cool for at least 20 minutes.Serve warm or at room temperature.(Cooled pains au chocolat can be storedin an airtight container at roomtemperature for up to 1 day.)

BEAR CLAWS

One doesn’t see many recipes forbear claws, a Danish pastry classicthat we bake daily. The almond-flavored filling uses cake crumbsfor the base, so gather them up fromyellow or white cake trimmings, orbuy a couple of unfrosted cupcakesat your local bakery. We canguarantee that your friends will besurprised when they find out thatthese were baked in your oven.

MAKES 12 BEAR CLAWS

FILLING

3/4 cup/85 g sliced almonds

2/3 cup/55 g sweetened shreddedcoconut1/3 cup/65 g sugar

1/3 cup/105 g packed almond paste,crumbled

1 cup/100 g vanilla-flavored cakecrumbs

3 Tbsp unsalted butter, at roomtemperature

1 large egg yolk

1 recipe Croissant Dough (page 80)

Unbleached all-purpose flour for rollingout the dough

1 large egg yolk

1 Tbsp heavy cream or milk1/4 cup/30 g sliced almonds

Confectioners’ sugar for dusting

1. TO MAKE THE FILLING: Process thealmonds, coconut, and sugar in a foodprocessor fitted with the metal bladeuntil the almonds are very finelychopped. Add the almond paste and

pulse until processed into fine crumbs.Add the cake crumbs, butter, and eggyolk and pulse until combined. Transferto a bowl, cover with plastic wrap, andrefrigerate until firm enough to shape, atleast 2 hours or up to 1 day.

2. Shape the filling into twelve logsabout 5 in/12 cm long; set aside.

3. Line two half-sheet pans withparchment paper. Place the dough on alightly floured work surface. Lightlyflour the top of the dough. Using a large,heavy rolling pin, roll out the dough intoa 20-by-15-in/50-by-38-cm rectangle. Ifthe dough retracts, cover it with akitchen towel and let it relax for 5

minutes before rolling again.

4. Using a yardstick and a sharp knife,cut the dough into twelve 5-in/12-cmsquares. Place a dough square in front ofyou. Place one of the filling logs 3/4 in/2cm up from the bottom of the square.Fold the top of the square over just toenclose the log, leaving about 1/2 in/1.25cm of dough exposed beneath the seam,and press the seam closed. Cut threeequally spaced slits in the exposed flapof dough to make four tabs for the“toes.” Place the pastry on one of thelined pans, curving it into a U shape toopen space between the tabs. Repeatwith the remaining dough and filling.

Place six pastries on each pan, spacingthem well apart. Cover each pan looselywith plastic wrap and let stand in awarm place until the pastries lookpuffed, about 11/2 hours.

5. Position racks in the top third andcenter of the oven and preheat to375°F/190°C/gas 5.

6. Beat the egg yolk and cream togetherin a small bowl. Brush the tops of thepastries lightly with the egg mixture andsprinkle with the almonds.

7. Bake until golden brown, about 20minutes, switching pans from top to

bottom and front to back halfway throughbaking. Transfer to a wire cooling rackand let cool for at least 20 minutes. Dustwith confectioners’ sugar. Serve warmor at room temperature. (Cooled bearclaws can be stored in an airtightcontainer at room temperature for up to 1day.)

CLASSICCHEESEDANISH

Cheese Danish has its fans at thebakery, probably because it is notas sweet as many of our othermorning treats. Some customershave a ritual of Danish and coffee,and if the Danish is cheese and thenewspaper is the New York Times,then you can be sure the customer isfrom the East Coast!

MAKES 12 DANISH

CREAM CHEESE FILLING

8 oz/225 g cream cheese, at roomtemperature

3 Tbsp sugar

Pinch of fine sea salt

1 egg yolk1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract

Grated zest of 1/2 lemon

Grated zest of 1/4 orange

1 recipe Croissant Dough (page 80)

Unbleached all-purpose flour for rollingout the dough

1 large egg yolk

1 Tbsp heavy cream or milk

APRICOT GLAZE

2/3 cup/200 g apricot jam or preserves

2 Tbsp water

1. TO MAKE THE FILLING: Mash thecream cheese, sugar, and salt together ina small bowl with a rubber spatula untilsmooth. Add the egg yolk, vanilla, andlemon and orange zests and mash untilcombined.

2. Line two half-sheet pans withparchment paper. Place the chilleddough on a lightly floured work surface.Lightly flour the top of the dough. Usinga large, heavy rolling pin, roll out thedough into a 20-by-15-in/50-by-38-cmrectangle. If the dough retracts, cover itwith a kitchen towel and let it relax for 5minutes before rolling again.

3. Using a yardstick and a sharp knife,cut the dough into twelve 5-in/12-cmsquares. Place a dough square in front ofyou with the points facing up, down,right, and left. Place a heaping 1 Tbsp ofthe filling in the center of the square.Fold the right and left points to meet

over the center of the filling and pinchthem together. Place the pastry on one ofthe lined pans. Repeat with theremaining dough and filling. Place six oneach pan, spacing them well apart.Cover each pan loosely with plasticwrap and let stand in a warm place untilthe pastries look puffed, about 11/2hours.

4. Position racks in the top third andcenter of the oven and preheat to350°F/180°C/gas 4.

5. Beat the egg yolk and cream togetherin a small bowl. Lightly brush theexposed dough of the pastries with the

egg mixture. Bake until golden brown,20 to 25 minutes, switching the pansfrom top to bottom and front to backhalfway through baking. Transfer to awire cooling rack and let cool for atleast 20 minutes.

6. TO MAKE THE GLAZE: Bring theapricot jam and water to a brisk simmerin a small saucepan over medium heat,stirring often. Cook, continuing to stiroften, until thickened, about 1 minute.When you drop some of the glaze fromthe spoon, the last drops should be verythick and slow to fall. Strain through awire sieve into a small bowl.

7. Brush the pastries with the warmapricot glaze. Serve warm or at roomtemperature. (Cooled pastries can bestored in an airtight container at roomtemperature for up to 1 day.)

CHEESE ANDBERRY DANISH

These look plain on the outside, butthere is a surprise filling of creamcheese and seasonal berries. Youcan use just about any berry,although strawberries lose theircolor when cooked and raspberriescan be a bit tart with cream cheese.The pastries are baked in muffincups to hold their shapes.

MAKES 16 DANISH

1 recipe Croissant Dough (page 80)

Unbleached all-purpose flour for rollingout the dough

Butter, at room temperature, for themuffin cups

Cream Cheese Filling (facing page)

48 fresh berries, such as blueberries,blackberries, or huckleberries

1 large egg yolk

1 Tbsp heavy cream or milk

Confectioners’ sugar for dusting

1. Place the dough on a lightly flouredwork surface. Lightly flour the top of thedough. Using a large, heavy rolling pin,

roll out the dough into a 16-in/40.5-cmsquare. If the dough retracts, cover itwith a kitchen towel and let it relax for 5minutes before rolling again.

2. Using a yardstick and a sharp knife,cut the dough into sixteen 4-in/10-cmsquares.

3. Lightly butter sixteen muffin cups. Fita dough square in a muffin cup, lettingthe corners of the square extend beyondthe cup. Fill with about 2 tsp of thefilling and 3 berries. Fold the doughover to enclose the filling and pinch theseams closed. Repeat with the remainingsquares of dough, filling, and berries.

When all of the pastries are formed, turnthem seam-side down inside the muffincups. Cover the pans loosely withplastic wrap. Let stand in a warm placeuntil the pastries look puffed, about 11/2hours.

4. Position a rack in the center of theoven and preheat to 375°F/190°C/gas 5.

5. Beat the egg yolk and cream togetherin a small bowl. Brush the tops of thepastries lightly with the egg mixture.

6. Bake until golden brown, 20 to 25minutes. Let cool in the pans for 5minutes. Invert the pans and unmold the

pastries. Transfer to wire cooling racksand let cool for 15 minutes. Dustconfectioners’ sugar over the pastries.Serve warm or at room temperature.(Cooled pastries can be stored in anairtight container at room temperaturefor up to 1 day.)

MORNING BUNS

What could be better than freshlybaked croissants? How about if weroll up the dough with a littlebrown sugar, slice it into buns, and,after baking, roll the warm buns incinnamon-sugar? These havebecome one of the Bay Area’sfavorite ways to start the day, andjustifiably so.

MAKES 12 BUNS

Butter, at room temperature, for themuffin cups

1 recipe Croissant Dough (page 80)

Unbleached all-purpose flour for rollingout the dough

6 Tbsp/85 g light brown sugar

2 tsp ground cinnamon1/2 cup/100 g granulated sugar

1. Butter twelve muffin cups. Place thedough on a lightly floured work surfacewith the long open seam facing you (lookcarefully) and the fold facing away fromyou. Cut the dough in half vertically soyou end up with two portions with open

seams. Working with one portion at atime, with the long side still facing you,lightly flour the top of the dough.

2. Using a larger heavy rolling pin, rollout the dough into a 16-by-8-in/40.5-by-20-cm rectangle, with a long side facingyou. If the dough retracts, cover it with akitchen towel and let it relax for 5minutes before rolling again.

3. Mix the brown sugar and 1 tsp of thecinnamon together in a small bowl.Lightly brush the dough with water.Sprinkle half of the brown sugar mixtureover the dough, leaving a 1-in/2.5-cmborder of dough along the bottom edge.

4. Starting at this edge, roll up the doughlike a jelly roll. Using a sharp knife, cutcrosswise into six equal pieces. Placeeach one with the cut side facing up in amuffin cup and press the dough downslightly to fit into the cup. Repeat withthe remaining dough and brown sugarmixture. Cover the pan loosely withplastic wrap and let stand in a warmplace until the buns look puffed but notquite doubled, about 1 hour.

5. Position a rack in the center of theoven and preheat to 350°F/180°C/gas 4.

6. Bake until the buns are golden brownand the dough in the center looks dry, 25

to 30 minutes. Let cool in the pan for 3minutes.

7. Whisk the granulated sugar andremaining 1 tsp cinnamon together in alarge bowl. Carefully turn out the bunsonto the work surface. One at a time, puta bun in the bowl, carefully turn it tocoat all over with the sugar mixture, andtransfer to a large baking sheet. Sprinkleany remaining cinnamon-sugar over thetops of the buns. Let cool slightly. Servewarm. (Cooled buns can be stored in anairtight container at room temperaturefor up to 1 day. The sugar coatingdoesn’t freeze well, so don’t freezethese.)

STICKY BUNS

Some bakers know these asPhiladelphia cinnamon rolls,because the recipe supposedlyoriginated with German immigrantsin that city in the 1700s. They arepretty popular in California, too.Every morning we put out tray aftertray of the caramelized buns, andevery morning we sell out. We alsosell these as whole rings during theholiday season.

MAKES 12 BUNS

1 cup/225 g unsalted butter, plus morefor the pans

12/3 cup/330 g packed light brown sugar

1 Tbsp ground cinnamon

1 recipe Schnecken Dough (page 82)

Unbleached all-purpose flour for rollingout the dough

21/2 cups/235 g chopped walnuts orpecans

1. Generously butter two 8-in/20-cmcake pans. Beat the brown sugar, butter,and cinnamon together in a medium bowl

with an electric mixer on medium speeduntil combined.

2. Roll out the chilled dough on a lightlyfloured work surface into an 18-by-10-in/46-by-25-cm rectangle. Spread half ofthe butter mixture on the dough in a thinlayer, leaving a 1/2-in/12-mm border onall sides. Sprinkle 11/2 cups/175 g of thewalnuts over the butter mixture. Startingat a long side, roll up the dough andpinch the long seam closed. Cut thedough into twelve equal slices.

3. Divide and spread the remainingbutter mixture in the prepared pans.Sprinkle the remaining walnuts into the

bottoms of the pans. Arrange the slices,cut-side down, in the baking pans. Coverloosely with plastic wrap. Let stand in awarm place until the buns look puffed,about 11/2 hours.

4. Position a rack in the center of theoven and preheat to 350°F/180°C/gas 4.

5. Bake until the buns are golden brownand the dough near the crevices looksdry, 30 to 35 minutes. Let cool in thepans for 5 minutes. Invert the pans onto alarge rimmed baking sheet to unmold thebuns. Scrape any of the “sauce” from thepans over the rolls. Serve warm or atroom temperature. (The buns are best the

day they are baked, but may be wrappedin aluminum foil and stored at roomtemperature for up to 2 days. Reheat thewrapped buns in a preheated300°F/150°C/gas 2 oven until warm, 10to 15 minutes. The topping doesn’tfreeze well, so don’t freeze these.)

CINNAMONROLLS

Everyone loves cinnamon rolls, butimagine your family and friends’reactions to homemade rolls, fillingthe kitchen with tantalizing, spicyaromas. We top ours with a slatherof cream cheese icing. This is theclassic recipe, made with raisinsand walnuts, but you can mix thingsup with dried cranberries orcurrants and pecans.

MAKES 12 ROLLS

ROLLS

1 cup/225 g unsalted butter, at roomtemperature, plus more for the pans1/2 cup/100 g packed light brown sugar

2 tsp ground cinnamon

1 recipe Schnecken Dough (page 82)

Unbleached all-purpose flour for rollingout the dough1/2 cup/85 g dark raisins

1/2 cup/55 g chopped walnuts

CREAM CHEESE ICING

2 oz/55 g cream cheese, at roomtemperature

2 Tbsp unsalted butter, at roomtemperature1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract

11/2 cups/175 g confectioners’ sugar,sifted

2 Tbsp whole milk, as needed

1. TO MAKE THE ROLLS: Lightly buttertwo 8-in/20-cm round cake pans. Beatthe butter, brown sugar, and cinnamontogether in a small bowl with an electricmixer at medium speed until combined.

2. Roll out the chilled dough on a lightlyfloured work surface into an 18-by-10-in/46-by-25-cm rectangle. Spread thebutter mixture over the dough, leaving a1/2-in/12-mm border on all sides.Sprinkle the raisins and walnuts over thebutter mixture.

3. Starting at a long side, roll up thedough and pinch the long seam closed.Cut the dough into twelve equal slices.Arrange the six slices, cut-side down, ineach of the cake pans. Cover looselywith plastic wrap and let stand in awarm place until the rolls look puffed,about 11/2 hours.

4. Position a rack in the center of theoven and preheat to 350°F/180°C/gas 4.

5. Bake until the rolls are golden brownand the dough near the crevices looksdry, 30 to 35 minutes. Let cool on thepan for 10 minutes.

6. TO MAKE THE ICING: Beat the creamcheese, butter, and vanilla together in amedium bowl with an electric mixer seton medium speed, scraping down thesides of the bowl often with a rubberspatula, until smooth. Reduce the mixerspeed to low. Gradually mix in theconfectioners’ sugar. Mix in enough ofthe milk to give the icing a spreadable

consistency.

7. Spread the icing over the warm rolls.Let cool for at least 30 minutes. Servewarm or at room temperature. (The rollsare best the day they are baked, but maybe wrapped in aluminum foil and storedat room temperature for up to 2 days.Reheat the wrapped rolls in a preheated300°F/150°C/gas 2 oven until warm, 10to 15 minutes. The icing doesn’t freezewell, so don’t freeze these.)

CROISSANTDOUGH

It’s true—you can make croissants(and other breakfast goodies basedon the same dough) at home. This isan example of laminated dough:The dough is folded several timesto create tissue-thin layers of doughand butter, which give the bakedgoods their famous flakiness.European-style butter is best forlayering, as its higher butterfatcontent makes the dough morepliable and easier to roll into thin

sheets without breaking. Weprovide you with lots of tips alongthe way, so you can have freshlybaked croissants and other flakymorning time treats chez vous.

MAKES ABOUT 21/2 LB/1.2KG

32/3 cups/530 g unbleached all-purposeflour, plus more as needed3/4 cup/180 ml water

1/2 cup/120 ml whole milk

3 Tbsp sugar

2 Tbsp European-style or regular

unsalted butter, at room temperature,thinly sliced, plus 1 cup/225 g coldbutter

2 tsp instant (also called quick-rising orbread machine) yeast

11/4 tsp fine sea salt

1. At least 6 hours and up to 24 hoursbefore baking, put the flour, water, milk,sugar, 2 Tbsp room-temperature butter,yeast, and salt in the bowl of a standmixer. Affix the bowl to the mixer and fitwith the paddle. Mix on low speed justuntil the dough is cohesive, adding moreflour as needed. The dough should besoft and tacky to the touch, so do not add

too much flour. Also, the dough will beworked during the rolling and foldingprocess, so it is not necessary to knead itat this point. (To make by hand, combinethe flour, water, milk, sugar, 2 Tbspbutter, yeast, and salt in a large bowland mix, adding more flour as necessary,to make a rough, tacky dough.)

2. Gather up the dough and turn out ontoa lightly floured work surface. Pat andshape into a 1-in-/2.5-cm-thickrectangle. Wrap the dough tightly inplastic wrap. Refrigerate for at least 2and up to 4 hours. The dough will notrise much.

3. Beat the 1 cup/225 g cold butter in the

bowl of a stand mixer fitted with thepaddle attachment until it is smooth andpliable but still cool, about 2 minutes.(Or work the butter in a bowl, squeezingit between your fingers just until it ispliable; then beat with a wooden spoonor electric mixer until smooth.) The ideahere is to have the dough and the butterat about the same cool temperature, asthe butter must retain its texture duringthe rolling and folding process. If thebutter is too warm, it will ooze out of thedough, and the baked croissants will begreasy and heavy.

4. Unwrap the dough and place on alightly floured work surface. Using a

long rolling pin, pummel the chilleddough to coax it into a larger rectanglemeasuring about 12 by 6 in/30.5 by 15cm, with a long side facing you. Flourthe top of the dough and roll it into an18-by-10-in/46-by-25-cm rectangle. Usea lot of upper body strength to do therolling; this isn’t pie dough. Brush offthe excess flour with a pastry brush.

5. Using your fingertips, starting at theleft side of the dough, smear theprocessed butter over two-thirds of thedough, leaving the right one-thirdunbuttered. Fold the dough into thirdslike a business letter: Fold theunbuttered section over the middlesection, and then fold the buttered

section over the unbuttered third. This iscalled a turn. Rotate the dough so thelong open seam faces you. Roll out thedough again into an 18-by-10-in/46-by-25-cm rectangle. If at any time some ofthe butter oozes through the dough (itshouldn’t, unless the kitchen is warm),sprinkle some flour over the area to sealit. Repeat the folding into thirds for asecond turn, brushing excess flour off thedough as needed. Place on a smallbaking sheet, cover with plastic wrap,and refrigerate for 20 to 30 minutes.This brief resting period will relax thegluten and lightly chill the butter, makingthe dough easier to roll and keeping thebutter layers from softening.

6. Unwrap the dough and place on thelightly floured work surface with thelong open seam facing you. Repeat therolling and folding for a third turn,brushing excess flour off the dough asneeded. Rewrap the dough andrefrigerate for at least 30 minutes or upto 18 hours before using.

SCHNECKENDOUGH

This butter-rich sweet dough isused to create familiar spiral“snail” pastries (Schnecken means“snails” in German), but we use itfor a lot of our other Danish-stylesweets, too. The idea behindschnecken dough is to make it thenight before, so you can assembleand bake fresh rolls the nextmorning. Like croissant dough, it ismuch easier to handle when it ischilled, and you get great results

without the lamination process thatcroissant dough requires.

MAKES ABOUT 2 LB/910 G

SPONGE

1/2 cup/75 g unbleached all-purposeflour1/4 cup/60 ml water

1/4 tsp instant (also called quick-risingor bread machine) yeast

DOUGH

2/3 cup/165 ml whole milk

2 large eggs

2 tsp instant (also called quick-rising orbread machine) yeast

1 tsp fine sea salt

3 cups/435 g bread flour, as needed1/4 cup/50 g sugar

6 Tbsp/85 g unsalted butter, at roomtemperature

1. TO MAKE THE SPONGE: The daybefore baking, combine the flour, water,and yeast in a small bowl. Cover withplastic wrap. Let stand in a warm placeuntil the surface shows bubbles, about11/2 hours.

2. TO MAKE THE DOUGH: Combine thesponge, milk, eggs, yeast, and salt in thebowl of a stand mixer. Affix the bowl tothe mixer and fit with the paddle. Mix onlow speed until the sponge hasdissolved. Gradually mix in 21/2cups/365 g of the flour to make a stickydough. Turn off the mixer, cover thebowl with a kitchen towel, and let standfor 20 minutes. (To make by hand, stirthe sponge, milk, eggs, yeast, and salt ina large bowl. Stir in enough of the flourto make a shaggy dough. Cover and letstand.)

3. Mix the dough on medium-low speed,gradually adding the sugar. Mix in

enough of the remaining flour to make asoft dough that cleans the sides of thebowl. Replace the paddle with the doughhook. Knead on medium-low speed untilsmooth and elastic, about 8 minutes. Addthe butter, 1 Tbsp at a time, letting thedough absorb each addition beforeadding the next. Knead until the dough isshiny, about 1 minute more. Turn out thedough onto a lightly floured worksurface. (To make by hand, sprinkle 1Tbsp of the sugar over the dough in thebowl. Using floured hands, pull up aboutone-third of the dough, stretching it about10 in/25 cm, and fold over the top of thedough. Flip the dough over and repeatwith another 1 Tbsp sugar. Repeat twicemore, flipping the dough and working in

the remaining sugar. Turn the dough outonto a floured work surface. Knead,adding more flour as necessary, until thedough is supple, about 8 minutes. Dot thedough with 1 Tbsp of butter and continuekneading until the butter is absorbed.The dough will feel sticky, but do notadd too much flour to compensate.Repeat with the remaining butter,kneading until the dough is smooth andshiny.)

4. Shape the dough into a thick rectangle.Wrap well in plastic wrap andrefrigerate for at least 8 hours or up to24 hours before using. The dough willlook puffy, but not doubled.

THE MODEL BAKERY ONYEASTED SWEETS

These recipes are shaped abit smaller than the ones atthe bakery. This way, youcan make a batch of thecroissant or schneckendough, make them intoassorted shapes with variousfolds and fillings, and offer awonderful selection at aspecial brunch or holidaybreakfast.

Do not try to make the basic

croissant or schnecken doughin smaller amounts. Eachrecipe makes between 21/4

lb/1.3 kg and 21/2 lb/1.2 kgof dough. It is better to makethe pastries and freeze them,unbaked, and then defrostand bake as needed. You canalso freeze baked pastries(see Freezing Baked Goods,page 112).

These are sturdy doughs, soallow plenty of room forrolling, and use a long (16in/40.5 cm or more), heavyrolling pin and lots of upper

body strength. If you have anaveragesize kitchen counter,clear off all of the appliancesto give yourself elbow room.Or you may want to work ona large pastry board set on atable. To measure and cut thedough into precise portions,a yardstick and a sharp knifewill come in handy.

The croissant and schneckendoughs are easiest to workwith when chilled. If youwant to bake these pastriesfor breakfast or brunch, roll,cut, and shape the chilleddough in the morning and

allow it to rise beforebaking. Do not refrigerate thedough for longer than 24hours, or it could develop afermented, slightly sourflavor. Both doughs can bedouble-wrapped in plasticwrap and aluminum foil andfrozen for up to 2 weeks.Defrost for about 18 hours inthe refrigerator before using.

You will also need plenty ofspace for the pastries to riseon their pans. A warm oven(see page 61) is a good placeto get them out of your way,

but don’t forget to removethem before you preheat theoven for baking.

Here is a collection of some ofour bestselling baked goods; theywill be just as popular in yourhome as they are at the bakery.While the yeasted sweets in thisbook are masterpieces of thebaker’s art and admittedly requirea bit of practice, the recipes inthis chapter are ones that you canmake when you are half awake inthe morning. They require noadvance planning. The commonname for this category of bakedgoods is quick breads, and theyare, indeed, quick to make, and todisappear from the breakfast

table!

THE MODELBAKERY’SGRANOLA

Our granola has become one of oursignature items; it is knownthroughout the Valley for itsgenerous spicing, rich honey flavor,and abundant nuts. The beauty ofmaking granola at home ispersonalizing it to your taste. If youdon’t like coconut, leave it out. Orsubstitute cashews for the walnuts,

and other dried fruits (such aschopped apricots or dates) for theraisins. Consider giving a big jar ofyour homemade granola to somelucky recipient as a thank-you orholiday gift. If you wish, serve itlike we do at the bakery, layered asa parfait with fresh berries andplain yogurt.

MAKES ABOUT 31/2 QT/1.6 KG

6 cups/510 g old-fashioned (rolled) oats

11/3 cups/150 g sliced almonds

2/3 cup/90 g shelled sunflower seeds

2/3 cup/70 g shelled pumpkin seeds

2/3 cup/75 g coarsely chopped walnuts

2/3 cup/75 g coarsely chopped pecans

1 tsp ground allspice

1 tsp ground cinnamon

1 tsp ground cloves

1 tsp freshly grated nutmeg

1 tsp fine sea salt1/2 cup/120 ml vegetable oil

1/2 cup/120 ml honey, such as amber,orange blossom, or eucalyptus

11/2 cups/255 g golden or dark raisins

1 cup/85 g sweetened shredded coconut

1 cup/170 g dried cranberries

1. Position racks in the top third andcenter of the oven and preheat to325°F/165°C/gas 3.

2. Combine the oats, almonds, sunflowerseeds, pumpkin seeds, walnuts, andpecans in a very large bowl. Mix theallspice, cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg, andsalt together in a small bowl. Sprinkleover the oat mixture and mix. Whisk thevegetable oil and honey together in amedium bowl, drizzle over the oatmixture, and mix again.

3. Divide the oat mixture between twohalf-sheet pans and spread out evenly.Bake, stirring occasionally andswitching pans from top to bottom andfront to back halfway through baking,until the granola is fragrant and justbeginning to toast, about 30 minutes.

4. Remove from the oven. Divide theraisins, coconut, and cranberries amongthe baking sheets and stir to combine.Let cool completely. The granola can bestored in airtight containers at roomtemperature for up to 2 weeks.

BUTTERMILKBISCUITS

It was Karen’s grandmother Stellawho taught her how to make theseflaky biscuits, which fly out of thebread basket. She said that hersecret was a touch of sugar. Thatmay be true, but handling the doughwith a light hand is also essential,as is the combination of buttermilkas a tenderizer and half-and-half asan enrichment. Stella would beproud to know that, every day,

dozens of her biscuits grace manytables in the Valley. One year, weserved miniature biscuits withhomemade jams at Auction NapaValley. Their wholesome goodnessmade them a hit, even though theywere offered alongside fancier farefrom the best restaurants around.

MAKES ABOUT 12 TO 14 BISCUITS

3 cups/435 g unbleached all-purposeflour, plus more for rolling out the dough

21/2 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp sugar

1/2 tsp fine sea salt

3/4 cup/170 g cold unsalted butter, cutinto 1/2-in/12-mm pieces

3/4 cup/180 ml buttermilk

1/2 cup/120 ml half-and-half, plus morefor brushing the biscuits

1. Position a rack in the center of theoven and preheat to 400°F/200°C/gas 6.Line a large rimmed baking sheet withparchment paper.

2. Sift the flour, baking powder, baking

soda, sugar, and salt together into amedium bowl. Add the butter and toss tocoat with the flour mixture. Using apastry blender or two knives, cut in thebutter until the mixture is crumbly, withsome pea-size pieces of butter. Whiskthe buttermilk and half-and-half together.Make a well in the center of the flourmixture and add the buttermilk mixture.Stir to thoroughly moisten the dryingredients, including any crumbly bitsin the bottom of the bowl. (You may notuse all of the liquid.) Knead the dough inthe bowl just a few times, until it comestogether into a moist dough.

3. Turn out the dough onto a flouredwork surface. Dust the top with flour.

Pat or roll the dough about 3/4 in/2 cmthick. Using a biscuit cutter 21/2 in/6 cmin diameter, cut out biscuits and placethem 1 in/2.5 cm apart on the linedbaking sheet. Gather up the scraps,gently knead together, and repeat, cuttingout more biscuits until the dough is usedup. Brush the tops of the biscuits lightlywith half-and-half.

4. Bake until the biscuits are goldenbrown on the top and bottom (lift up abiscuit to check), 20 to 25 minutes.Serve warm. (The biscuits are best theday they are baked.)

CRANBERRYBUTTERMILK

SCONES

In Britain, a scone is a scone is ascone. There isn’t much gilding ofthe lily. Leave it to Americaningenuity to flavor scones. Thisversion’s citrus goes well with ahot cup of Earl Grey tea. We lovethe way the slightly tart driedcranberries contrast with thesweetness of the scone.

MAKES 8 LARGE SCONES

3 cups/380 g unbleached all-purposeflour, plus more for the pan1/2 cup/100 g granulated sugar

21/2 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp baking soda

3/4 tsp fine sea salt

1 cup/225 g cold unsalted butter, cut into1/2-in/12-mm cubes

2/3 cup/115 g dried cranberries

Grated zest of 1 orange

1 cup plus 2 tbsp/270 ml buttermilk, plusmore for brushing (optional)

2 Tbsp fresh orange juice

2 Tbsp heavy cream or milk

1 Tbsp coarse sanding sugar orgranulated sugar (optional)

1. Position a rack in the center of theoven and preheat to 400°F/200°C/gas 6.Flour the bottom of an 8-in/20-cm roundcake pan. Line a half-sheet pan withparchment paper.

2. Sift the flour, granulated sugar, bakingpowder, baking soda, and salt into alarge bowl. Add the butter and toss to

coat with the flour mixture. Using apastry blender or two knives, cut in thebutter until the mixture is crumbly, withsome pea-size pieces of butter. Add thecranberries and orange zest and stir tocoat. Whisk the buttermilk and orangejuice together. Make a well in the centerof the flour mixture and add thebuttermilk mixture. Stir to thoroughlymoisten the dry ingredients, includingany crumbly bits at the bottom of thebowl. Knead the dough in the bowl just afew times, until it comes together into amoist dough.

3. Transfer the dough to the preparedpan. Using floured hands, pat the doughevenly into the pan. Invert the dough onto

a floured work surface. Using a sharpknife, cut the dough into eight equalwedges. Transfer the wedges, floured-side down, to the lined pan, placing them2 in/5 cm apart. Lightly brush each sconewith the cream or additional buttermilkand sprinkle with the sanding sugar.

4. Bake until the scones are goldenbrown, about 25 minutes. Let cool for 5minutes. Serve warm. (The scones canbe stored in an airtight container at roomtemperature for up to 2 days.)

APRICOT-PECAN SCONES

These are the tender, melt-in-your-mouth scones of yore. One reasonfor their light texture is that they arecut from a single round intowedges, so there are no scraps toreroll, as is common with cut-outround scones. (The second batch,made from the scraps, is alwaystougher than the first one.) Whencutting in the butter, keep itsomewhat chunky, and don’toverhandle the dough.

MAKES 8 LARGE SCONES

3 cups/380 g unbleached all-purposeflour, plus more for the pan1/3 cup/65 g sugar

21/2 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp baking soda

3/4 tsp fine sea salt

1 cup/225 g cold unsalted butter, cut into1/2-in/12-mm cubes

2/3 cup/110 g diced dried apricots (1/2-in/12-mm dice)

1/2 cup/55 g coarsely chopped pecans,plus 2 Tbsp finely chopped pecans

Grated zest of 1 orange

11/4 cups/300 ml cold buttermilk, plusmore for brushing (optional)

2 Tbsp heavy cream

1. Position a rack in the center of theoven and preheat to 400°F/200°C/gas 6.Flour the bottom of an 8-in/21-cm roundcake pan. Line a half-sheet pan withparchment paper.

2. Sift the flour, sugar, baking powder,baking soda, and salt into a large bowl.Add the butter and toss to coat with the

flour mixture. Using a pastry blender ortwo knives, cut in the butter until themixture is crumbly, with some pea-sizepieces of butter. Add the apricots,coarsely chopped pecans, and orangezest and stir to coat. Make a well in thecenter of the flour mixture and pour inthe buttermilk. Stir to thoroughly moistenthe dry ingredients, including anycrumbly bits at the bottom of the bowl.Knead the dough in the bowl just a fewtimes, until it comes together into a moistdough.

3. Turn out the dough onto a lightlyfloured work surface. The dough maylook a little rough, but try to resist thetemptation to knead it unless it is really

shaggy. In that case, use just a few foldsto smooth it out. Using floured hands, patthe dough into the prepared pan. Invertthe dough onto a floured work surface.Using a sharp knife, cut the dough intoeight equal wedges. Transfer thewedges, floured-side down, to the linedpan, spacing them 2 in/5 cm apart.Lightly brush each scone with the creamor additional buttermilk and sprinklewith the finely chopped pecans.

4. Bake until the scones are goldenbrown, about 25 minutes. Let cool for 5minutes. Serve warm. (The scones canbe stored in an airtight container at roomtemperature for up to 2 days.)

NOTE: If you have a busy weekendcoming up and it includes houseguests,freeze the unbaked scones. Place thewedges on a parchment paper–linedbaking sheet, cover tightly with plasticwrap, and freeze for up to 2 weeks.When you’re ready to bake, transfer thefrozen wedges to another parchmentpaper–lined baking sheet and bake in apreheated 425°F/220°C/gas 7 ovenuntil golden brown, about 30 minutes.

CREAMCURRANT

SCONES

These are the classic cream sconesthat are served at teatime in Britain.Heavy cream makes them so richthat you don’t need to serve themwith clotted cream or butter, whichleaves more room for our house-made lemon curd (page 162). Likeour other scones, these areespecially tender and flaky. Try to

serve them while they’re still warmfrom the oven.

MAKES 8 LARGE SCONES

33/4 cups/545 g unbleached all-purposeflour, plus more for the pan

13/4 cups/420 ml heavy cream, plus 2Tbsp for brushing the scones

1 large egg1/3 cup/65 g granulated sugar

2 Tbsp baking powder3/4 tsp fine sea salt

9 Tbsp/130 g cold unsalted butter, cutinto 1/2-in/12-mm cubes

1 cup/170 g dried currants

1 Tbsp coarse sanding sugar orgranulated sugar (optional)

1. Position a rack in the center of theoven and preheat to 400°F/200°C/gas 6.Flour an 8 in-/20-cm round cake pan.Line a half-sheet pan with parchmentpaper.

2. Whisk the 11/2 cups/360 ml heavycream and egg together in a small bowl.Sift the flour, granulated sugar, bakingpowder, and salt together into a large

bowl. Add the butter and toss to coatwith the flour mixture. Using a pastryblender or two knives, cut in the butteruntil the mixture is crumbly, with somepea-size pieces of butter. Add thecurrants and stir to coat. Make a well inthe center of the flour mixture and addthe cream mixture. Stir just until thedough holds together. Do not overmix.The dough will be sticky.

3. Transfer the dough to the preparedpan. Using floured hands, pat the doughevenly into the pan. Invert the dough ontothe floured work surface. Using a sharpknife, cut the dough into eight equalwedges. Transfer the wedges to the linedpan, placing them 2 in/5 cm apart.

Lightly brush each scone with theremaining cream and sprinkle with thesanding sugar. Bake until the scones aregolden brown, 20 to 25 minutes. Letcool in the pan for 5 minutes. Servewarm. (The scones can be stored in anairtight container at room temperaturefor up to 2 days.)

BLUEBERRYMUFFINS

Although blueberries are a summerfruit in California, frozen berriesare excellent, and we make thesemuffins throughout the year. Havinga tender, cakey blueberry muffin isa must for a successful bakery, andours do not disappoint. Rather thanfold the berries into the batter, it isbetter to sprinkle them into thebatter-filled cups, so you get areliable amount of fruit in each

muffin. Sprinkle the berries in thecenter of the dough, because if theytouch the metal pan during baking,they can discolor or burst.

MAKES 12 MUFFINS

21/2 cups/365 g unbleached all-purposeflour

2 tsp baking powder3/4 tsp fine sea salt

1 cup plus 3 Tbsp/235 g sugar

5 Tbsp/70 g unsalted butter, at roomtemperature

1/4 cup/60 ml vegetable oil

2 large eggs, at room temperature

11/2 tsp pure vanilla extract

1/2 cup/120 ml buttermilk

11/4 cups/170 g fresh or frozenblueberries

1. Position a rack in the center of theoven and preheat to 375°F/190°C/gas 5.Line twelve standard muffin cups withpaper liners.

2. Sift the flour, baking powder, and salttogether into a medium bowl. Beat thesugar and butter together in a medium

bowl with a hand-held electric mixer seton high speed until sandy and light incolor, about 2 minutes. Gradually beat inthe vegetable oil, scraping down thesides of the bowl with a rubber spatula.One at a time, beat in the eggs, followedby the vanilla. (To make by hand, beatthe sugar and butter together in a largebowl with a wooden spoon until sandyand light in color, about 5 minutes.Gradually whisk in the oil. One at atime, whisk in the eggs, followed by thevanilla.) Reduce the mixer speed to low,add the flour mixture in thirds,alternating them with two equaladditions of the buttermilk and mixinguntil just combined after each addition.

3. Using a number-16 food-portionscoop with about a 1/4-cup/60-mlcapacity, transfer half of the batter to thelined muffin cups, filling each cup onlyhalf full. Place 3 or 4 blueberries intoeach muffin cup. Divide the remainingbatter among the cups, and top each onewith 3 or 4 more blueberries.

4. Bake until the muffins are goldenbrown and the tops spring back whenpressed lightly with a finger, 25 to 30minutes. Let cool in the pan for 5minutes. Remove from the pan, transferto a wire cooling rack, and let cool. Themuffins can be stored in an airtightcontainer at room temperature for up to 1

day.

BANANA-WALNUTMUFFINS

When you don’t know what to dowith leftover bananas, these muffinswill come to the rescue. Useyellow bananas with some brownspots on the skin; the bananasshould yield easily to squeezing.Bananas that are too green will betoo bland, while black-ripe oneswill give the muffins an off flavor.You can mash the bananas and

freeze to use later, if you prefer.

MAKES 9 MUFFINS

11/2 cups/220 g unbleached all-purposeflour3/4 tsp baking soda

1/4 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp fine sea salt

1 cup/200 g sugar1/4 cup/60 ml vegetable oil

1/2 tsp fresh lemon juice

1 large egg, at room temperature

1 cup/225 g mashed ripe bananas1/2 cup/55 g chopped walnuts, plus 2Tbsp

1. Position a rack in the center of theoven and preheat to 375°F/190°C/gas 5.Line nine standard muffin cups withpaper liners.

2. Sift the flour, baking soda, bakingpowder, and salt together into a mediumbowl. Beat the sugar, vegetable oil, andlemon juice together in a medium bowlwith a hand-held electric mixer set onhigh speed until pale, about 1 minute.

Beat in the egg. (To make by hand,whisk the sugar, oil, and lemon juicetogether in a medium bowl until verypale, about 3 minutes. Whisk in the egg.)Reduce the mixer speed to low. Add theflour mixture in thirds, alternating themwith two equal additions of the mashedbananas. Scrape down the sides of thebowl as needed and mix until smooth.Stir in the 1/2 cup/55 g walnuts.

3. Using a number-16 food-portionscoop with about a 1/4-cup/60-mlcapacity, transfer the batter to the linedmuffin cups, filling them about three-quarters full. Divide the remaining 2Tbsp walnuts over the tops.

4. Bake until the muffins are goldenbrown and a wooden toothpick insertedin the center of a muffin comes out clean,about 25 minutes. Let cool in the pan for5 minutes. Remove from the pan, transferto a wire cooling rack, and let cool. Themuffins can be stored in an airtightcontainer at room temperature for up to 1day.

MULTIGRAINMUFFINS

These are muffins that stick to yourribs, hearty with whole wheat, oats,walnuts, and dried fruits. Whilethese have the robust appearance oftypical “health food” muffins, theydo include some butter for flavor.But the applesauce replaces someof the fat normally used in muffins,bringing the total fat content down.

MAKES 10 MUFFINS

3/4 cup/95 g cake flour (not self-rising)

1/2 cup/75 g whole-wheat flour

1 tsp baking soda

1 tsp ground cinnamon1/2 tsp fine sea salt

3/4 cup/45 g coarsely crushed bran flakebreakfast cereal

6 Tbsp/85 g unsalted butter, at roomtemperature1/3 cup plus 1 Tbsp/85 g packed lightbrown sugar

2 large eggs, at room temperature

3/4 tsp pure vanilla extract

3/4 cup/210 g unsweetened applesauce

1/2 cup/55 g coarsely chopped walnuts

1/3 cup/55 g diced dried apricots (1/2-in/12-mm dice)1/2 cup/85 g dried cranberries

1/4 cup/20 g old-fashioned (rolled) oats,plus 2 Tbsp

1. Position a rack in the center of theoven and preheat to 400°F/200°C/gas 6.Line ten standard muffin cups with paperliners.

2. Sift the cake flour, whole-wheat flour,baking soda, cinnamon, and salt togetherinto a medium bowl. Stir in the branflakes. Beat the butter and brown sugartogether in a large bowl with a hand-held electric mixer set on high speeduntil light in color, about 2 minutes. Oneat a time, beat in the eggs, followed bythe vanilla. (To make by hand, beat thebutter and brown sugar together in alarge bowl with a wooden spoon untilsandy and light in color, about 5 minutes.One at a time, whisk in the eggs,followed by the vanilla.) Reduce themixer speed to low. Add the flourmixture in thirds, alternating them withtwo equal additions of the applesauce,

and mixing just until combined after eachaddition. Stir in the walnuts, apricots,cranberries, and the 1/4 cup/20 g oats.

3. Using a number-16 food-portionscoop with about a 1/4-cup/60-mlcapacity, transfer the batter to the linedmuffin cups. Sprinkle the remaining 2Tbsp oats over the tops.

4. Bake until the muffins are goldenbrown and the tops spring back whenpressed lightly with a finger, about 20minutes. Let cool in the pan for 5minutes. Remove from the pan, transferto a wire cooling rack, and let cool. Themuffins can be stored in an airtight

container at room temperature for up to 1day.

MORNINGGLORY

MUFFINS

Morning Glory Muffins are aflavor-packed way to start the day,with carrots, apples, coconut, andraisins all playing a part. We haveto make sure to have a fresh-bakedbatch on weekend afternoons atabout two, when a cycling clubstops in for a midpoint muffinbreak.

MAKES 16 MUFFINS

21/2 cups/365 g unbleached all-purposeflour

1 tsp baking powder

1 tsp baking soda3/4 tsp fine sea salt

1/2 tsp ground cinnamon

11/2 cups/210 g shredded carrots

1 Granny Smith apple, peeled, cored andshredded

1 cup/240 ml vegetable oil

11/2 cups/300 g sugar

3 large eggs, at room temperature

1 tsp pure vanilla extract2/3 cup/80 g sweetened shreddedcoconut, plus 1/4 cup/30 g

1/2 cup/85 g dark raisins

1. Position a rack in the center of theoven and preheat to 400°F/200°C/gas 6.Line sixteen standard muffin cups withpaper liners.

2. Sift the flour, baking powder, bakingsoda, salt, and cinnamon together into amedium bowl. Combine the carrots and

apple in a small bowl. Beat thevegetable oil and sugar together in alarge bowl with a hand-held electricmixer set on high speed until light incolor, about 2 minutes. (Or whisk byhand for 2 minutes.) One at a time, addthe eggs, beating well after eachaddition. Beat in the vanilla. Reduce themixer speed to low. Add the flourmixture in thirds, alternating them withtwo equal additions of the carrot mixtureand mixing just until combined after eachaddition. Mix in the 2/3 cup/80 g coconutand all of the raisins.

3. Using a number-16 food-portionscoop with about a 1/4-cup/60-ml

capacity, transfer the batter to the linedmuffin cups. Sprinkle the remaining 1/4cup/30 g coconut over the tops.

4. Bake until the muffins are goldenbrown and a wooden toothpick insertedin the center comes out clean, about 25minutes. Let cool in the pan for 5minutes. Remove from the pan, transferto wire cooling racks, and let cool. Themuffins can be stored in an airtightcontainer at room temperature for up to 1day.

IRISH SODABREAD

Irish soda bread is a seasonal treat—we bake hundreds of loavesaround St. Patrick’s Day—but itdeserves to be served year-round,and we do! The traditionalleavening is a combination ofbaking soda and buttermilk, but youget a better result by using bakingpowder, too. This bread will be outof the oven in less than an hour. Sowhile it is commonly served with acorned beef dinner, it is also great

for breakfast with jam and butter.Purists will like the plain version,but if your taste is like Sarah’s, addthe currants and caraway.

MAKES 1 LOAF

21/3 cups/340 g unbleached all-purposeflour, plus more for the pan and top ofthe loaf

3 Tbsp sugar

11/2 tsp baking powder

1 tsp baking soda

1 tsp fine sea salt

3 Tbsp cold unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-in/12-mm pieces1/2 cup/70 g dried currants (optional)

1 tsp caraway seeds (optional)

1 cup plus 2 Tbsp/270 ml buttermilk, asneeded

1. Position a rack in the center of theoven and preheat to 400°F/200°C/gas 6.Dust the bottom of an 8-in/20-cm roundcake pan with flour.

2. Sift the flour, sugar, baking powder,baking soda, and salt together into alarge bowl. Add the butter and stir tocoat with the flour mixture. Using a

pastry blender or two knives, cut in thebutter until the mixture is crumbly, withsome pea-size pieces of butter. Stir inthe currants and caraway seeds (ifusing). Stir in enough of the buttermilk tomake a moist, soft dough, being sure tomoisten all of the dry bits on the bottomof the bowl. Knead in the bowl just afew times to be sure the dough comestogether—this is not a smooth dough.

3. Turn out the dough onto a lightlyfloured work surface and shape into aball. Sprinkle the top with at least 1Tbsp flour to give the loaf a rustic look.Transfer to the prepared pan. Using asharp knife, cut a shallow 4-in/10-cmwide X in the top of the dough. The X

will open during baking and help theloaf bake more evenly.

4. Bake until the top is deep goldenbrown and the bread sounds hollowwhen tapped on the bottom, 35 to 40minutes. Remove from the pan. Let coolon a wire cooling rack for 5 to 10minutes, and serve warm. (The bread isbest the day it is made.)

THE MODEL BAKERY ONBREAKFAST FAVORITES

All of the muffins in thischapter use a standard muffinpan. Each cup measuresabout 23/4 in/7 cm indiameter and 11/2 in/4 cmdeep. Line the cups withpaper liners for easyremoval. We stronglyrecommend that you use afood-portion scoop totransfer the batter to the cupswithout a mess. The standard“blue handle” (also called

number-16 in the UnitedStates) with about a 1/4-cup/60-ml capacity is theright size and will fill eachcup with the perfect amountof batter. Leave the battermounded in the muffin cup,rather than leveling it, as thatwill give the muffin top anattractive dome shape.

Many muffins are made bystirring the ingredientstogether to make a batter.This makes a good, but notgreat muffin. We prefer tocream the butter and sugar

together, like a cake. Theexception is the MorningGlory Muffins (page 99),which use vegetable oil asthe main fat. Because of therelatively small volume ofingredients in these muffinbatters, it is most convenientto whip them up with a hand-held electric mixer. Thebutter and sugar don’tprovide enough bulk tocream properly in a largestand mixer.

Scones and biscuits have thefat cut into the flour to give

them a flaky texture. You canuse a pastry blender or twoknives to do the job, or youcan rub in the cold butterwith your fingertips until themixture looks crumbly, withsome pea-size pieces ofbutter. The important thinghere is to work quickly, asthe butter should not warmup and soften.

At the Model Bakery, our layercakes have a very particular look.We like a triple-layer cake, as itsheight gives the most humble cakea celebratory appearance, and youcan get more servings than fromthe typical double-layer version.They are based on the favoritecakes of our childhood—chocolaty devil’s food, delicatewhite, yellow buttermilk, chunkycarrot, and vibrant red velvet. Ourfrostings are as mouthwatering asthe cakes and are loaded with thebest cream cheese and butter.Unless we have a special request,

we don’t bake a lot of sponge orgenoise cakes. They get most oftheir moisture and flavor fromsoaking in syrup, and we preferthe cake layers to be tastythemselves. We’ve also includedsome easy unfrosted cakes toserve when a simpler dessert is inorder.

In this chapter, you will find ourthree core cakes: pastel yellowbuttermilk, dark chocolate devil’sfood, and pristine white cake.These are the three basic cakesthat we use time and again forbirthday and other celebrationcakes. If you like, you can use the

cakes with your own favoritefrosting for the special occasions(and even the not-so-specialevents) in your life. Each recipemakes three 8-in/20-cm layers.

ESPRESSOBUNDT CAKE

We have customers who can’t getenough coffee. Even though Karenis a tea lover, and is rarely withouta glass of iced tea within reach, wepay a lot of attention to the qualityof our coffee beans and theirpreparation. This caffeinated Bundtcake is great any time of day, but itis especially good with a morningcup of freshly brewed coffee.

MAKES 12 SERVINGS

CAKE

1 cup/225 g unsalted butter, at roomtemperature, plus more for the pan

Unbleached all-purpose flour for the pan

3 cups/390 g cake flour (not self-rising)

11/2 tsp baking powder

11/2 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp fine sea salt

2 cups/400 g granulated sugar

3 large eggs, at room temperature

1 tsp pure vanilla extract

2 cups/480 ml sour cream, at roomtemperature1/2 cup/120 ml cold brewed espresso orItalian roast coffee (or 1 Tbsp instantespresso dissolved in 1/2 cup/120 mlboiling water)

GLAZE

1 cup/115 g confectioners’ sugar, sifted

3 Tbsp brewed espresso (or 1 tsp instantespresso dissolved in 3 Tbsp boilingwater), as needed

1. TO MAKE THE CAKE: Position a rackin the center of the oven and preheat to350°F/180°C/gas 4. Butter the inside of

a 12-cup/2.8-L fluted tube pan. Dustwith all-purpose flour and tap out theexcess.

2. Sift the cake flour, baking powder,baking soda, and salt together into abowl. Beat the butter and granulatedsugar together in a large bowl with anelectric mixer on medium-high speeduntil light in color and texture, about 3minutes (or beat by hand with a woodenspoon for about 10 minutes). Beat in theeggs, one at a time, and then the vanilla.Reduce the mixer speed to low. Add theflour mixture in thirds, alternating themwith two equal additions of the sourcream, and scraping down the sides ofthe bowl as needed, mixing until smooth.

3. Transfer one-third of the batter to amedium bowl. Whisk in the coldespresso. Spoon half of the plain batterinto the prepared pan. Top with theespresso batter, and then the remainingplain batter. Smooth the batter with aspatula.

4. Bake until a long bamboo skewerinserted in the center of the cake comesout clean, 50 minutes to 1 hour. Let coolin the pan on a wire cooling rack for 15minutes.

5. Run a dinner knife around the insideof the pan to loosen the cake. Invert and

unmold onto a wire cooling rack and letcool completely.

6. TO MAKE THE GLAZE: Put theconfectioners’ sugar in a small bowl.Whisk in enough of the espresso to makea glaze about the thickness of heavycream.

7. Put the cake, while still on the coolingrack, over a large plate. Drizzle theglaze over the cake, letting the excessglaze drip down the sides. Let stand untilthe glaze sets. The cake can be stored,wrapped in plastic wrap, at roomtemperature for up to 3 days.

LEMON POUNDCAKE

Every baker needs a homespun,almost plain cake that is easy tomake, transport, and serve. Thiscake fills all of these requirementsbeautifully, and has the refreshinglytart flavor of lemon, to boot. Wesometimes make it with lemonsfrom Karen’s backyard, usually thehuge, very sour Eureka variety, andother times the floral-scented andmilder Meyer lemons.

MAKES 12 SERVINGS

CAKE

11/2 cups/340 g unsalted butter, at roomtemperature, plus more for the pan

Unbleached all-purpose flour for the pan

3 cups/390 g cake flour (not self-rising)

1 Tbsp baking powder1/2 tsp salt

7 large eggs, at room temperature

3 Tbsp whole milk

2 cups/400 g sugar

Grated zest of 3 lemons

1 Tbsp fresh lemon juice

LEMON SYRUP

1/2 cup/120 ml fresh lemon juice

1/2 cup/100 g sugar

1. TO MAKE THE CAKE: Position a rackin the center of the oven and preheat to350°F/180°C/gas 4. Butter the inside ofa 12-cup/2.8-L fluted tube pan. Dustwith all-purpose flour and tap out theexcess.

2. Sift the cake flour, baking powder,and salt together into a medium bowl.Whisk the eggs and milk together in a

large glass measuring cup or pitcher.Beat the sugar, butter, lemon zest, andlemon juice together in a large bowlwith an electric mixer on medium-highspeed until light in color and texture,about 3 minutes (or beat by hand forabout 10 minutes). Reduce the mixerspeed to low. Add the flour mixture inthirds, alternating them with two equaladditions of the egg mixture, mixing aftereach addition until smooth and scrapingdown the sides of the bowl as needed.Spread evenly in the prepared pan.

3. Bake until the cake is golden brownand a long bamboo skewer inserted inthe center of the cake comes out clean,50 minutes to 1 hour. Let cool in the pan

on a wire cooling rack for 15 minutes.

4. TO MAKE THE SYRUP: While the cakeis cooling, bring the lemon juice andsugar to a boil in a nonreactive saucepanover medium heat, stirring often until thesugar dissolves.

5. Run a dinner knife around the insideof the pan to loosen the cake. Pierce thetop of the cake all over with the skewer.Brush the top of the cake with about one-fourth of the syrup. Invert and unmold thecake onto a wire cooling rack. Place thecake, still on the rack, over a rimmedbaking sheet. Gradually brush theremaining syrup over the warm cake. Let

cool completely. The cake can be stored,wrapped in plastic wrap, at roomtemperature for up to 3 days.

PUMPKINGINGERBREAD

CAKE

There are a lot of pumpkin“breads” out there, although, likethis one, they are actually cakes.The flavors are downright patriotic(just try finding canned pumpkin,maple syrup, and molasses outsideof the United States), and theyreally add up to a special autumndessert. If you wish, stir 1 cup/170g dried cranberries or 1 cup/115 g

chopped walnuts into the finishedbatter, but we usually make itwithout any add-ins. Whippedcream flavored with a little brandyor rum is a nice accompaniment.When you are asked to bringdessert to an autumn party, this is agood option because it can be madea couple of days ahead and travelswell.

MAKES 12 SERVINGS

3/4 cup/170 g unsalted butter, at roomtemperature, plus more for the pan

Unbleached all-purpose flour for the pan

31/2 cups/455 g cake flour (not self-rising)

1 Tbsp baking soda

2 tsp ground ginger

1 tsp ground cinnamon3/4 tsp ground allspice

3/4 tsp fine sea salt

3/4 cup/150 g packed light brown sugar

3 large eggs, at room temperature

One 15-oz/430-g can solid-packpumpkin3/4 cup/180 ml grade B maple syrup (see

Note)

3 Tbsp molasses (not blackstrap)

1 tsp pure vanilla extract

1. Position a rack in the center of theoven and preheat to 350°F/180°C/gas 4.Butter the inside of a 12-cup/2.8-L flutedtube pan. Dust with all-purpose flourand tap out the excess.

2. Sift the cake flour, baking soda,ginger, cinnamon, allspice, and salttogether into a medium bowl. Beat thebutter and brown sugar together in alarge bowl with an electric mixer onmedium-high speed until light in colorand texture, about 3 minutes (or beat by

hand for about 10 minutes). Beat in theeggs, one at a time. Gradually beat in thepumpkin, maple syrup, molasses, andvanilla and beat well. Don’t worry if themixture curdles. Reduce the mixer speedto low. Add the flour mixture in thirds,scraping down the sides of the bowl asneeded. Spread evenly in the preparedpan.

3. Bake until the cake is nicely brownedand a long bamboo skewer inserted inthe center of the cake comes out clean,50 minutes to 1 hour. Let cool in the panon a wire cooling rack for 15 minutes.

4. Run a dinner knife around the insideof the pan to loosen the cake. Invert and

unmold onto a wire cooling rack and letcool completely. The cake can be stored,wrapped in plastic wrap, at roomtemperature for up to 3 days.

NOTE: Grade B maple syrup is darkerand more strongly flavored than gradeA, which makes it perfect for baking.(The grading system for maple syrup isby color, not quality, so B is notinferior to A.) It is easy to find atnatural foods markets and manysupermarkets and warehouse stores.

CLASSICCARROT CAKE

Many extraneous ingredients areoften added to carrot cake,including pineapple and coconut,but at the bakery, we are purists. Itis one of the few cakes we makewhere vegetable oil, instead ofbutter, is the ingredient that makesthe result so moist—and one of theonly ones we make in double, andnot triple, layers. With the creamcheese frosting, a triple-layer cakewould be overkill. We decorate the

top of the cake with piped carrots,created from orange- andgreentinted frosting. Because thebatter doesn’t have butter (whichhardens when refrigerated), carrotcake can be served chilled.

MAKES 10 TO 12 SERVINGS

CAKE

Butter, at room temperature, for the pans

2 cups/290 g unbleached all-purposeflour, plus more for the pans

2 tsp baking powder

2 tsp baking soda

2 tsp ground cinnamon1/2 tsp fine sea salt

4 large eggs, at room temperature

11/2 cups/300 g sugar

11/2 cups/360 ml vegetable oil

3 cups/385 g shredded carrots

1 cup/115 g finely chopped walnuts

1 recipe Cream Cheese Frosting (page136)

11/2 cups/170 g finely chopped walnuts

Frosting Carrots (see facing page) ormarzipan or candy carrots for decoration

1. TO MAKE THE CAKE: Position a rackin the center of the oven and preheat to350°F/180°C/gas 4. Lightly butter two8-in/20-cm round cake pans that have 2-in/5-cm sides. Line the bottoms withparchment or wax paper rounds. Dust theinsides of the pans with all-purposeflour and tap out the excess.

2. Sift the flour, baking powder, bakingsoda, cinnamon, and salt together into amedium bowl. Beat the eggs in largebowl with an electric mixer set on highspeed until foamy. Gradually beat in thesugar and continue mixing until thick andlemon colored, about 3 minutes (orwhisk by hand for about 5 minutes).

Drizzle in the vegetable oil slowly. (Ifmaking by hand, whisk constantly as youadd the oil. The idea here is for the eggmixture to slowly absorb the oil to makean emulsion. If the oil separates from themixture, you are adding it too quickly. Itshould take you at least 3 minutes to addthe oil.) Reduce the mixer speed to low.Add the flour mixture in thirds, mixinguntil smooth and scraping down thesides of the bowl as needed. Using arubber spatula, fold in the carrots andwalnuts. Divide the batter equallybetween the prepared pans and smooththe tops.

3. Bake until the cakes are golden brownand a wooden toothpick inserted in the

center comes out clean, 40 to 45minutes. Let cool in the pans on wirecooling racks for 10 minutes. Invert andunmold onto the racks and peel off thepaper. Turn the cakes right-side up andlet cool completely.

4. Using a long serrated knife, trim thetops of the cake layers so they are flatand even. Place one cake layer on a 7-in/17-cm cardboard cake round. Spreadthe layer with about 1 cup/230 g of thefrosting. Top with the second cake layer,trimmed-side down. Transfer the cake toa decorating turntable. Frost the top, andthen the sides, with the remainingfrosting. (The sides will be covered

with walnuts, so don’t worry if thefrosting is thin in that area.) Working ona rimmed baking sheet, press the walnutsonto the sides and top of the cake, lettingthe excess fall onto the baking sheet andreapplying until the cake is covered. Ifyou like, decorate the top of the cakewith frosting carrots. Refrigerate for atleast 1 hour (or up to 2 days) beforeserving.

FROSTING CARROTS

At the bakery, we decorate ourcarrot cake with carrots made fromfrosting. Here’s how to do it: Put 8Tbsp/115 g of white frosting in asmall bowl and tint with orangefood coloring paste or gel. (It isbetter and easier to buy orangecoloring, rather than mix red andyellow to get the right hue.) Add thecoloring judiciously, as it is easy tomake the frosting too bright. Put 4Tbsp/60 g of white frosting in asecond small bowl and tint withleaf-green food coloring paste or

gel.

Transfer the orange frosting to apastry bag fitted with a 1/8-in/3-mmplain writing tip, such as Wiltonnumber 6. Pipe one or two practicecarrots onto a piece of wax paper:Holding the tip about 1/2 in/12 mmfrom the wax paper, squeeze thefrosting into an elongated, carrot-shaped squiggle with a pointed end.Scrape your practice carrot(s) backinto the orange frosting bowl.Spacing them evenly apart, startingabout 1 in/2.5 cm from the edge ofthe cake, pipe ten or twelve carrots,each about 1 in/2.5 cm long, around

the perimeter of the top of the cake.Discard the remaining orangefrosting. Wash, dry, and cool thepastry bag and tip. (If the bag andtip are hot, the frosting will melt.)Refill the bag with the greenfrosting. Now pipe a few greenlines on top of each carrot torepresent the greens. When you cutthe cake, cut the slices on eitherside of each carrot, so the top ofeach wedge sports one.

COCONUTCAKE

This all-American cake is aperennial favorite at the bakery. Wemake ours with coconut inside andout—in the batter and over theicing. If you are not overly fond ofvery sweet “boiled” icing (it isonly the syrup that is boiled, andnot the icing itself), frost the cakewith either Vanilla Buttercream(page 134) or Cream CheeseFrosting (page 136).

MAKES 10 TO 12 SERVINGS

1 cup/225 g unsalted butter, at roomtemperature, plus more for the pans

Unbleached all-purpose flour for thepans

3 cups/390 g cake flour (not self-rising)

2 tsp baking powder3/4 tsp fine sea salt

2 cups/400 g sugar

3 large eggs, separated, plus 2 large eggwhites, at room temperature

2 tsp pure vanilla extract

1 cup/240 ml canned coconut milk,shaken well before measuring

3 cups/210 g sweetened shreddedcoconut

1 recipe Old-Fashioned Boiled Icing(page 137)

1. Position a rack in the center of theoven and preheat to 350°F/180°C/gas 4.Lightly butter three 8-in/20-cm roundcake pans that have 2-in/5-cm sides.Line the bottoms with parchment or waxpaper rounds. Dust the insides of thepans with all-purpose flour and tap outthe excess.

2. Sift the cake flour, baking powder,

and salt together into a medium bowl.Beat the butter in a large bowl with anelectric mixer set on medium-high speeduntil the butter is smooth, about 1 minute(or by hand with a wooden spoon).Gradually beat in the sugar and mix,scraping down the sides of the bowloften, until light in color and texture,about 4 minutes (or about 10 minutes byhand). One at a time, add the egg yolks,beating well after each addition. Beat inthe vanilla. Reduce the mixer speed tolow. Add the flour mixture in thirds,alternating them with two equaladditions of the coconut milk, mixingafter each addition just until smooth andscraping down the sides of the bowl as

needed. Mix in 11/3 cups/115 g of theshredded coconut.

3. With clean beaters, beat the eggwhites in a grease-free medium bowluntil soft peaks form. Stir about one-fourth of the egg whites into the batter tolighten the mixture, and then use a rubberspatula to fold in the remaining whites.Divide the batter evenly among theprepared pans and smooth the tops.

4. Bake until the cakes are golden brownand a wooden toothpick inserted in thecenter comes out clean, 25 to 30minutes. Let cool in the pans on wirecooling racks for 10 minutes. Invert and

unmold onto the racks and peel off thepaper. Turn the cakes right-side up andlet cool completely.

5. Using a long serrated knife, trim thetops of the cake layers so they are flatand even. Place one cake layer on a 7-in/17-cm cardboard cake round. Spreadwith about 1 cup/80 g of the icing. Topwith a second cake layer and spreadwith another 1 cup/80 g of icing. Placethe final cake layer, trimmed-side down,on the stacked layers. Frost the top, andthen the sides, with the remaining icing.Working on a rimmed baking sheet,press the remaining coconut onto thesides and top of the cake, letting theexcess fall onto the baking sheet and

reapplying until the cake is covered. Thecake can be stored under a cake dome atroom temperature for up to 2 days.

FREEZING BAKED GOODS

It may be difficult to find the time toconstruct a frosted triple-layer cakein one day. We suggest baking andfreezing the cake layers ahead oftime, so that step is out of the way.Then, all you have to do is frost thelayers the day of serving. Freezingis a time-honored technique used byprofessional bakers to allow thecreation of cakes as they areneeded for sale. (Not all frostingsfreeze well, so it is best just tofreeze the un-iced layers.) Here aresome tips for freezing baked goods:

CAKE LAYERS Wrap the completelycooled cake layers tightly in plasticwrap, and slip them into plasticfreezer storage bags for extrasupport. Freeze the layers for up to2 months. Before using, unwrap andthaw at room temperature for about2 hours before frosting.

INDIVIDUAL PASTRIES Some bakersrecommend freezing unbakedpastries, such as Danish, croissants,muffins, and buns. We find that theytake up a lot of room in the freezer,and the time needed for thawingand rising becomes a guessinggame. It is much more convenient tofreeze baked pastries, and to thaw

or reheat the individual pastries fora quicker-than-quick breakfast.Loosely pack completely cooledpastries in plastic freezer storagebags and freeze for up to 2 months.Remove them, as needed, from thebag. Bake, unthawed, in apreheated 300°F/150°C/gas 2 oven(a toaster oven is perfect for bakingone or two pastries) until heatedthrough and thawed, for 10 to 15minutes, or let stand at roomtemperature until thawed, about 11/2hours.

BREADS Unsliced loaves of breadcan be cooled, wrapped in a double

layer of aluminum foil, and frozenfor up to 1 month. Unwrap and thawfor a few hours at room temperaturebefore serving. If you wish, bakethe loaf in a preheated350°F/180°C/gas 4 oven for about10 minutes to crisp the crust.

PIECRUSTS AND TART SHELLSThese can be frozen raw, anenormous help when you need tomake a bunch of freshly bakedThanksgiving pies. It is mostefficient to roll out the dough anduse it to line a freezer-safe (metal)pie pan. Freeze the lined pan,uncovered, for about 30 minutes, oruntil the dough is firm. Wrap the

lined pan in a double thickness ofplastic wrap, pressing the firstlayer of wrap directly onto thesurface of the dough. Freeze thelined pans for up to 1 month. (Youcan stack them on top of each otherto save space in the freezer.) Thepiecrust does not need to be thawedbefore filling and baking—just adda few extra minutes to the bakingtime. You can wrap and freezedisks of rolled dough and defrostthem overnight in the refrigeratorbefore using, but the lined pans arethe real time-savers. Also, freezingpiecrust is much better than freezingfilled pies because some pies takea long time to thaw. The same

technique can be used to freeze tartshells.

RED VELVETCAKE

When did red velvet cake elbow itsway into the forefront of belovedAmerican desserts? Southerners,Canadians, and New Yorkers claimit as their own, all with equalfervor. Our version stands up to anyversion you may have had. Itcontains oil, and not butter, as itsmain fat, which gives it a moisttenderness that other renditionslack. And with the rich cream

cheese frosting, you will not missthe butter. You can leave the foodcoloring out, but the cake will bebrown. Knowing how popular theseare at kids’ parties, we alsoprovide a cupcake variation.

MAKES 10 TO 12 SERVINGS

Butter, at room temperature, for the pans

Unbleached all-purpose flour for thepans

33/4 cups/485 g cake flour (not self-rising)

3 Tbsp natural cocoa powder

11/2 tsp fine sea salt

11/2 cups/360 ml buttermilk

1 Tbsp plus 1 tsp liquid red foodcoloring

11/2 tsp pure vanilla extract

21/4 cups/540 ml vegetable oil

21/4 cups/450 g sugar

3 large eggs, at room temperature

21/4 tsp distilled white vinegar

21/4 tsp baking soda

1 recipe Cream Cheese Frosting (page136)

1. Position a rack in the center of theoven and preheat to 350°F/180°C/gas 4.Lightly butter three 8-in/20-cm roundcake pans that have 2-in/5-cm sides.Line the bottoms with parchment or waxpaper rounds. Dust the insides of thepans with all-purpose flour and tap outthe excess.

2. Sift the cake flour, cocoa powder, andsalt together into a medium bowl. Stirthe buttermilk, food coloring, and vanillatogether in a glass measuring cup orpitcher. Combine the vegetable oil andsugar in the bowl of a stand mixer. Beaton high speed with the whisk attachmentuntil pale, about 3 minutes (or whisk by

hand for about 5 minutes). Reduce themixer speed to medium. Beat in the eggs,one at a time, beating well after eachaddition. Reduce the speed to low. Addthe flour mixture in thirds, alternatingthem with two equal additions of thebuttermilk mixture, mixing after eachaddition just until combined andscraping down the sides of the bowl asneeded. (Do not change to the paddleattachment, as the whisk does the bestjob of incorporating the coloring.) Pourthe vinegar into a ramekin or custard cupand stir in the baking soda. Add to thebatter and mix until thoroughlyincorporated. Divide the batter evenlyamong the prepared pans (it will be onthe thin side and will not need to be

spread out).

3. Bake until a wooden toothpickinserted in the center comes out clean,about 30 minutes. Let cool in the pans onwire cooling racks for 10 minutes. Run aknife around the inside of each pan toloosen the cake. Invert and unmold ontothe racks and peel off the paper. Turn thecakes right-side up and let coolcompletely.

4. Using a long serrated knife, trim thetops of the cake layers so they are flatand even. Crumble enough of the caketrimmings to make 1/2 cup/50 g crumbs.(The remaining cake trimmings are the

baker’s treat.)

5. Transfer 1/2 cup/115 g of the frostingto a pastry bag fitted with a 3/16-in/2-mmplain round tip; set aside for the finaldecoration. Place one cake layer on a 7-in/17-cm cardboard cake round. Spreadwith about 2/3 cup/155 g of the frosting.Top with a second cake layer and spreadwith another 2/3 cup/155 g of frosting.Place the final cake layer, trimmed-sidedown, on the stacked layers. Transfer thecake to a decorating turntable. Frost thetop and sides of the cake with a thinlayer of the frosting. Refrigerate until thefrosting is set, about 20 minutes. Returnto the turntable. Frost with the remaining

frosting.

6. Working on a rimmed baking sheet,press the cake crumbs into the frostingaround the bottom perimeter of the cake,a handful at a time, making a borderabout 1/2 in/12 mm high. (You will haveleftover crumbs.) Using the frosting inthe pastry bag, and starting in the centerof the top of the cake, pipe a spiral overthe cake top. Refrigerate for at least 1hour before serving. (The cake can berefrigerated, loosely covered withplastic wrap, for up to 2 days.) Let standat room temperature for about 30minutes before serving.

RED VELVET CUPCAKES: Line twenty-two standard muffin cups with paperliners. Using a number-16 food-portionscoop with about a 1/4-cup/60-mlcapacity, divide the batter evenly amongthe lined cups. Bake in a preheated350°F/180°C/gas 4 oven until a cupcakesprings back when pressed in the centerwith a fingertip, about 20 minutes. Letcool in the pan for 5 minutes. Removethe cupcakes from the pan, transfer towire cooling racks, and let coolcompletely. Half fill a pastry bag fittedwith a 3/8-in/1-cm star tip with thefrosting. Using your fingers, crumble twoof the cupcakes into fine crumbs. Swirlthe frosting on top of each cupcake,

refilling the pastry bag as needed, andsprinkle with the crumbs. Makes 20cupcakes.

AUNTIEEMMA’S

BUTTERMILKCAKE

This recipe is from our AuntieEmma, who owned a restaurant inPortland for many years. It wasforever impressed upon Karen thata from-scratch cake is always best.In fact, her mother wouldn’t allowcake mixes in the house. (Since theywere forbidden fruit, they had extra

allure, and Karen and her teenagegirlfriends would secretly bakecake mixes, tinted in crazy hueswith artificial food coloring.) Thisis the cake that Auntie Emma wouldalways bring to the annual familyreunions in Oregon. The Berriesand Cream Cake (page 120) wasinspired by those memories.

MAKES THREE 8-IN/20-CM CAKE LAYERS

1 cup/225 g unsalted butter, at roomtemperature, plus more for the pans

Unbleached all-purpose flour for thepans

23/4 cups/355 g cake flour (not self-rising)

1 tsp baking powder

1 tsp baking soda1/2 tsp fine sea salt

11/4 cups/300 ml buttermilk

1 tsp pure vanilla extract

13/4 cups/350 g sugar

4 large eggs, at room temperature

1. Position a rack in the center of theoven and preheat to 350°F/180°C/gas 4.Lightly butter three 8-in/20-cm roundcake pans that have 2-in/5-cm sides.

Line the bottoms with parchment or waxpaper rounds. Dust the insides of thepans with all-purpose flour and tap outthe excess.

2. Sift the cake flour, baking powder,baking soda, and salt together into amedium bowl. Stir the buttermilk andvanilla together in a glass measuring cupor small pitcher. Beat the butter in alarge bowl with an electric mixer set onmedium-high speed (or by hand with awooden spoon) until the butter issmooth, about 1 minute. Gradually beatin the sugar and mix, scraping down thesides of the bowl often, until very palein color and light in texture, about 4

minutes (or about 10 minutes by hand).Beat in the eggs, one at a time, beatinguntil absorbed after each addition.Reduce the mixer speed to low. Add theflour mixture in thirds, alternating themwith two equal additions of thebuttermilk mixture, mixing after eachaddition just until smooth and scrapingdown the sides of the bowl as needed.Divide the batter evenly among theprepared pans and smooth the tops. Rapthe cake pans on the work surface todisperse any air bubbles.

3. Bake until the cakes are golden brownand a wooden toothpick inserted in thecenter comes out clean, about 30minutes. Let cool in the pans on wire

cooling racks for 10 minutes. Invert andunmold onto the racks and peel off thepaper. Turn the cakes right-side up andlet cool completely. The cakes can bestored, wrapped in plastic wrap, at roomtemperature for up to 1 day.

DEVIL’S FOODCAKE

You’ll make this your go-tochocolate cake, just as we have;it’s in the Chocolate Mousse Cake(page 124) and Chocolate-Raspberry Cake (page 122). Youmight be surprised to see brewedcoffee providing the batter’s liquid,but coffee and chocolate are oldfriends and enhance each other’sflavor. Be sure the brewed coffeeis full-flavored and completelycooled to room temperature. (On a

personal note, John and Karen hada chocolate cake for their wedding,which was quite scandalous at thetime. Sarah and Chris followedsuit.)

MAKES THREE 8-IN/20-CM CAKE LAYERS

3/4 cup/170 g unsalted butter, at roomtemperature, plus more for the pans

Unbleached all-purpose flour for thepans

21/4 cups/295 g cake flour (not self-rising)

3/4 cup/75 g Dutch-processed cocoapowder

11/2 tsp baking soda

3/4 tsp fine sea salt

1/2 tsp baking powder

21/4 cups/450 g sugar

3 large eggs, at room temperature

11/2 cups/360 ml brewed coffee, at roomtemperature

1. Position a rack in the center of theoven and preheat to 350°F/180°C/gas 4.Lightly butter three 8-in/20-cm round

cake pans that have 2-in/5-cm sides.Line the bottoms with parchment or waxpaper rounds. Dust the insides of thepans with all-purpose flour and tap outthe excess.

2. Sift the cake flour, cocoa powder,baking soda, salt, and baking powdertogether into a medium bowl. Beat thebutter in a large bowl with an electricmixer set on medium-high speed (or byhand with a wooden spoon) until thebutter is smooth, about 1 minute.Gradually beat in the sugar and mix,scraping down the sides of the bowloften, until very pale in color and light intexture, about 4 minutes (or about 10minutes by hand). Beat in the eggs, one

at a time, beating until absorbed aftereach addition. Reduce the mixer speedto low. Add the flour mixture in thirds,alternating them with two equaladditions of the coffee, mixing after eachaddition just until smooth and scrapingdown the sides of the bowl as needed.Divide the batter evenly among theprepared pans and smooth the tops. Rapthe cake pans on the work surface todisperse any air bubbles.

3. Bake until the cakes spring back whengently pressed with a fingertip and awooden toothpick inserted in the centercomes out clean, about 25 minutes. Letcool in the pans on wire cooling racks

for 10 minutes. Invert and unmold ontothe racks and peel off the paper. Turn thecakes right-side up and let coolcompletely. The cakes can be stored,wrapped in plastic wrap, at roomtemperature for up to 1 day.

WHITE CAKE

There are many things to love aboutthis yolkless cake. Brides oftenprefer it for wedding cakes becausethe crumb is the traditional whitecolor. This is a moist, delicate cakefor any occasion.

MAKES THREE 9-IN/23-CM CAKE LAYERS

1 cup/225 g unsalted butter, at roomtemperature, plus more for the pans

Unbleached all-purpose flour for the

pans

4 cups/520 g cake flour (not self-rising)

1 Tbsp plus 1 tsp baking powder3/4 tsp fine sea salt

11/3 cups/315 ml whole milk

2 tsp pure vanilla extract

2 cups/400 g sugar

8 large egg whites, at room temperature

1. Position a rack in the center of theoven and preheat to 350°F/180°C/gas 4.Lightly butter three 8-in/20-cm roundcake pans that have 2-in/5-cm sides.Line the bottoms with parchment or wax

paper rounds. Dust the insides of thepans with all-purpose flour and tap outthe excess.

2. Sift the cake flour, baking powder,and salt together into a medium bowl.Stir the milk and vanilla together in aglass measuring cup. Beat the butter in alarge bowl with an electric mixer set onmedium-high speed (or by hand with awooden spoon) until the butter issmooth, about 1 minute. Gradually beatin the sugar and mix, scraping down thesides of the bowl often, until very palein color and light in texture, about 4minutes (or about 10 minutes by hand).Reduce the mixer speed to low. Add theflour mixture in thirds, alternating them

with two equal additions of the milkmixture, mixing after each addition justuntil smooth and scraping down thesides of the bowl as needed.

3. With clean beaters, beat the eggwhites in a grease-free medium bowluntil soft peaks form. Stir about one-fourth of the egg whites into the batter tolighten the mixture, and then use a rubberspatula to fold in the remaining eggwhites. Divide the batter evenly amongthe prepared pans and smooth the tops.

4. Bake until the cakes are golden brownand a wooden toothpick inserted in thecenter comes out clean, about 25

minutes. Let cool in the pans on wirecooling racks for 10 minutes. Invert andunmold onto the racks and peel off thepaper. Turn the cakes right-side up andlet cool completely. The cakes can bestored, wrapped in plastic wrap, at roomtemperature for up to 1 day.

SUNNY LEMONCAKE

Driving through the Valley in thewinter, you will see countlesslemon trees bearing their brightyellow fruit. We are fortunate tohave many friends with overloadedtrees who are happy to trade for awarm baguette! Our Sunny LemonCake is a little tart, a little sweet,and entirely delicious.

MAKES 10 TO 12 SERVINGS

LEMON MOUSSE FILLING

1/2 cup/120 ml heavy cream

1 Tbsp sugar1/2 cup/120 ml Lemon Curd (page 162)

1/2 cup/120 ml Simple Syrup (page 127)

2 Tbsp fresh lemon juice

1 recipe White Cake (facing page)

1 recipe Lemon Buttercream (see page135)1/2 cup plus 2 Tbsp/150 ml Lemon Curd(page 162)

1. TO MAKE THE FILLING: Whip the

cream and sugar together in a chilledmedium bowl with an electric mixer seton high speed until stiff. Fold in thelemon curd.

2. Mix the simple syrup and lemon juicetogether in a small bowl. Using a longserrated knife, trim the tops of the cakelayers so they are flat and even. Placeone cake layer on a 7-in/17-cmcardboard cake round. Brush with one-third of the syrup mixture.

3. Transfer about 11/2 cups/300 g of thebuttercream to a pastry bag fitted with a3/8-in/1-cm star tip. Pipe a thick line ofbuttercream around the perimeter of the

cake layer. This creates a dam to containthe lemon mousse filling. Spread thearea inside the buttercream dam withhalf of the filling, making sure the fillingreaches the edge of the dam. Refrigeratethe cake layer for about 20 minutes tofirm the filling.

4. Top with another cake layer and brushwith half of the remaining syrup. Pipe abuttercream dam around the perimeter ofthe top cake layer and spread the areainside with the remaining filling.Refrigerate the layers for another 20minutes. Top with the final cake layer,trimmed-side down, and brush with theremaining syrup.

5. Frost the top, and then the sides, of thecake with a thin layer of buttercream.Refrigerate until the frosting is set, about20 minutes. Frost with the remainingbuttercream, giving it a smooth finish.Transfer the cake to a decoratingturntable. Holding the teeth of adecorating comb against the frosting onthe side of the cake, rotate the cake tocreate decorative ridges on the frosting.Spread the lemon curd on top of thecake, leaving a 1/2-in/12-mm borderaround the perimeter. Using thebuttercream in the bag, pipe a scallopedborder around the lemon curd (seeNote). Refrigerate until ready to serve,up to 1 day. Let stand at room

temperature for 30 minutes beforeserving.

NOTE: To pipe a scalloped border, holdthe pastry tip just above the top of thecake and pipe a small mound ofbuttercream on the cake. Withoutlifting the tip, draw it toward you,slightly relieving the pressure on thebag, to form a scallop about 1/2 in/12mm long. Without lifting the tip, pipeanother scallop, and repeat around theedge of the cake to make a continuousborder. You can also look online for avideo; search for “scalloped bordercake decorating video.”

BERRIES ANDCREAM CAKE

Of all the cakes we make, this onegives the home baker the mostleeway for creative expression.Here is the recipe for its most basicincarnation, with strawberries, butyou can use any berries that are inseason. For the cake, choose eitherbuttermilk or white cake; they areequally good. (However, my AuntieEmma always used the buttermilkfor her famous strawberry cream

cake, which was this cake’sinspiration.)

MAKES 10 TO 12 SERVINGS

FILLING

1 qt/455 g fresh strawberries,raspberries, blueberries, blackberries,or a combination

1 cup/240 ml heavy cream

1 Tbsp sugar

1 recipe White Cake (page 118) orAuntie Emma’s Buttermilk Cake (page116)

1/2 cup/120 ml Simple Syrup (page 127)

1 recipe Vanilla Buttercream (page 134)

APRICOT GLAZE

1/3 cup/100 g apricot jam or preserves

1 Tbsp water

1. TO MAKE THE FILLING: Reserve 5 or 6of the best-looking berries for a garnish.Hull the remaining strawberries and cutinto 1/4-in/6-mm dice. Spread out thediced berries on paper towels to drainwhile you’re whipping the cream.

2. Whip the cream and sugar together in

a chilled medium bowl with an electricmixer set on high speed until stiff. Foldin the berries.

3. Using a long serrated knife, trim thetops of the cake layers so they are flatand even. Place one cake layer on a 7-in/17-cm cardboard cake round. Brushwith one-third of the simple syrup.Spread with half of the cream mixture.Top with another cake layer, brush withhalf of the remaining syrup, and spreadwith the remaining cream mixture. Topwith the final cake layer, trimmed-sidedown, and brush with the remainingsyrup. Transfer 1/2 cup/100 g of thebuttercream to a pastry bag fitted with a

3/8-in/1-cm plain round tip; set aside atroom temperature.

4. Transfer the cake to a decoratingstand. Frost the top, and then the sides,of the cake with a thin layer ofbuttercream. Refrigerate until thebuttercream is set, about 30 minutes.Return the cake to the turntable and frostwith the remaining buttercream in thebowl, giving it a smooth finish. Holdingthe teeth of a decorating comb againstthe frosting on the side of the cake, rotatethe cake to create decorative ridges onthe frosting. Refrigerate for at least 1hour or up to 1 day.

5. TO MAKE THE GLAZE: Bring the jamand water to a brisk simmer in a smallsaucepan over medium heat, stirringoften. Cook, stirring often, untilthickened, about 1 minute. When youdrop some of the glaze from the spoon,the last drops should be very thick andslow to fall. Strain through a wire sieveinto a small bowl.

6. Transfer the cake to a cake platter.Arrange the reserved berries on top ofthe cake, in the center. Brush the berrieswith the warm apricot glaze; you maynot use all of it. With the buttercream inthe pastry bag, pipe a scalloped border(see note, page 119) around the top and

bottom edges of the cake. Refrigerateuntil chilled, at least 1 and up to 8 hours.Let stand at room temperature for 30minutes before serving.

CHOCOLATE-RASPBERRY

CAKE

This chocolate cake is a far moresophisticated dessert than theChocolate Mousse Cake (page124). The latter is more of anAmerican-style buttercream cake,but this one’s dark good looks giveit a European feel. We admit it is apricey cake to make, with the pilesof chocolate and mounds of

raspberries, but it is well worth thecost.

MAKES 12 SERVINGS

GANACHE

11/4 lb/570 g semisweet chocolate (nomore than 55% cacao), finely chopped

21/2 cups/600 ml heavy cream

1 Tbsp light corn syrup

1 recipe Devil’s Food Cake (page 117)

11/2 pints/510 g fresh raspberries

1/2 cup/120 ml Simple Syrup (page 127)

1/2 cup/80 g chocolate vermicelli (alsocalled sprinkles; optional)

1. TO MAKE THE GANACHE: Put thechocolate in a large heat-proof bowl.Bring the cream to a simmer in a mediumsaucepan over medium heat, making sureit doesn’t boil over. Pour the hot creamover the chocolate and let stand for 3minutes to soften the chocolate. Add thecorn syrup and whisk until smooth.Refrigerate until cool and thick enoughto spread, about 11/2 hours. (You canalso place the bowl in a larger bowl ofice water and let stand, stirring the

ganache often with a rubber spatula, justuntil beginning to set, about 5 minutes.)

2. Using a long serrated knife, trim thetops of the cake layers so they are flatand even. Set aside the twelve mostattractive raspberries for the garnish.Transfer about 1/2 cup/195 g of theganache to a pastry bag fitted with a 3/8-in/1-cm star tip; set aside at roomtemperature. Place one cake layer on a7-in/17-cm cardboard cake round. Brushwith one-third of the simple syrup.Spread with about 3/4 cup/290 g of theganache. Arrange half of the raspberrieson the ganache, pressing them gently toadhere. Repeat with another cake layer,

half of the remaining syrup, 3/4 cup/290 gof the ganache, and the remainingraspberries. Top with the final cakelayer, trimmed-side down, and brushwith the remaining syrup.

3. Transfer the cake to a decoratingturntable. Frost the top, and then thesides, of the cake with a thin layer of theremaining ganache. Refrigerate until theganache is set, 20 to 30 minutes. Returnthe cake to the turntable and spread theremaining ganache over the top andsides of the cake, giving it a smoothfinish. Using the ganache in the pastrybag, pipe twelve 1-in-/2.5-cm-tallmounds of ganache around the perimeter

of the cake, spacing them about 1/2 in/12mm apart. Insert the reservedraspberries between the mounds.Working on a rimmed baking sheet,press handfuls of the chocolatevermicelli on the sides of the cake, ifdesired. Refrigerate until chilled, atleast 1 hour or up to 1 day. Slice, using asharp, thin knife dipped into hot waterbefore cutting.

CHOCOLATEMOUSSE CAKE

This is a popular birthday cake forchocolate lovers because it ischocolate through and through, withchocolate cake, chocolate moussefilling, and chocolate buttercream.

MAKES 10 TO 12 SERVINGS

CHOCOLATE MOUSSE

4 oz/115 g semisweet chocolate (no

more than 55% cacao), finely chopped

11/2 cups/360 ml heavy cream

1 tsp light corn syrup

2 Tbsp sugar

1 recipe Devil’s Food Cake (page 117)1/2 cup/120 ml Simple Syrup (page 127)

1 recipe Chocolate Buttercream (seepage 135)

Cocoa powder for decoration

1. TO MAKE THE MOUSSE: Put thechocolate in a heat-proof medium bowl.Bring 1/2 cup/120 ml of the cream to a

simmer in a medium saucepan overmedium heat, making sure it doesn’t boilover. Pour the hot cream over thechocolate and let stand for 3 minutes tosoften the chocolate. Add the corn syrupand whisk until smooth. Let stand untilcool but not firm, about 30 minutes.

2. Whip the remaining 1 cup/240 mlcream with the sugar in a chilledmedium bowl with an electric mixer seton high speed until soft peaks form. Stirabout one-quarter of the whipped creaminto the chocolate mixture to loosen it,then fold in the remaining cream.

3. Using a long, serrated knife, trim thetops of the cake layers so they are flat

and even. Place one cake layer on a 7-in/17-cm cardboard cake round. Brushwith one-third of the simple syrup.Transfer about 1 cup/200 g of thebuttercream to a pastry bag fitted with a7/16-in/1-cm plain tip. Pipe a double-thick line of buttercream around theperimeter of the cake layer. This createsa dam to contain the chocolate moussefilling. Spread the area inside thebuttercream dam with half of the mousse,making sure the mousse reaches the edgeof the dam. Refrigerate the cake layer forabout 20 minutes to firm the buttercream.Top with another cake layer and brushwith half of the remaining syrup. Pipe abuttercream dam around the perimeter of

the top cake layer and spread the areainside with the remaining mousse.Refrigerate the layers for another 20minutes. (You may not use all of themousse.) Top with the final cake layer,trimmed-side down, and brush with theremaining syrup.

4. Return any buttercream in the pastrybag to the remaining buttercream.Transfer the cake to a decoratingturntable. Frost the top, and then thesides, of the cake with a thin layer ofbuttercream. Refrigerate, uncovered,until the buttercream is very firm. Repeatwith the remaining buttercream to givethe cake a smooth finish, and refrigerateagain until firm. Sift a thin dusting of

cocoa powder over the top of the cake.Refrigerate until ready to serve, up to 2days. Let stand at room temperature for30 minutes before serving.

BÛCHE DENOËL

We can’t keep enough of thisclassic French Christmas dessert instock during the holidays.Decorated to resemble a Yule log,it looks appropriately woodsywhen served on a bed of fresh pinebranches and further garnished withedible meringue mushrooms. Thisrecipe makes a good-size cake,suitable for large holidaygatherings, so have a long servingplatter ready. You can make the

mushrooms several days in advanceand the bûche the day before youserve.

MAKES 12 SERVINGS

Butter, at room temperature, for the pan

CHOCOLATE ROULADE

1/3 cup/45 g cake flour (not self-rising)

1/3 cup/35 g Dutch-process cocoapowder

7 large eggs, at room temperature1/2 cup/100 g sugar

1 tsp pure vanilla extract

CHOCOLATE MOUSSE

4 oz/115 g semisweet chocolate (nomore than 55% cacao), finely chopped

11/2 cups/360 ml heavy cream

1 tsp light corn syrup

2 Tbsp sugar

ESPRESSO SYRUP

1/4 cup/60 ml Simple Syrup (page 127)

2 Tbsp brewed espresso (or 1 teaspooninstant espresso dissolved in 2 Tbspboiling water)

GANACHE

8 oz/225 g semisweet chocolate (nomore than 55% cacao), finely chopped

1 cup/240 ml heavy cream

2 tsp light corn syrup

Fresh pine branches for serving(optional)

12 Meringue Mushrooms (page 196)

Sugared Cranberries (page 127), forgarnish

Confectioners’ sugar for dusting

1. Position a rack in the center of theoven and preheat to 350°F/180°C/gas 4.Lightly butter a half-sheet pan. Line the

pan with parchment paper.

2. TO MAKE THE CHOCOLATE ROULADE:Sift the flour and cocoa together into asmall bowl. Beat the eggs and sugartogether in a large bowl with an electricmixer set on high speed until the mixtureis pale, triples in volume, and forms athick ribbon that falls back on itselfwhen the beaters are lifted above themixture’s surface, about 5 minutes. Beatin the vanilla. Sift in the cocoa mixtureand fold in with a large rubber spatulauntil combined but fluffy. Spread outevenly in the lined pan.

3. Bake until the cake springs back when

pressed with a fingertip, about 15minutes. Let cool in the pan for 5minutes. Run a dinner knife around theinside of the pan to release the cake.Place a clean kitchen towel over thecake. Top with a large cutting board.Invert the pan with the board and removethe pan to unmold the cake. Carefullypeel off the paper. Let the cake cool for5 minutes. Place a fresh piece ofparchment paper on top of the cake.Starting at a long side, roll the cake up inthe towel and let stand until ready to use.

4. TO MAKE THE MOUSSE: Put thechocolate in a heat-proof medium bowl.Bring 1/2 cup/120 ml of the cream to a

simmer in a medium saucepan overmedium heat, making sure it doesn’t boilover. Pour the hot cream over thechocolate and let stand for 3 minutes tosoften the chocolate. Add the corn syrupand whisk until smooth. Let stand untilcool but not firm, about 30 minutes.

5. Whip the remaining 1 cup/240 mlcream with the sugar in a chilledmedium bowl with an electric mixer seton high speed until soft peaks form. Stirabout one-quarter of the whipped creaminto the chocolate mixture to loosen it,then fold in the remaining cream.

6. TO MAKE THE ESPRESSO SYRUP: Mix

the simple syrup and espresso togetherin a small bowl.

7. Unroll the cake and discard the paper.Leaving the cake on the towel, brushwith the espresso syrup. Spread evenlywith the chocolate mousse. Starting atthe long side nearest you, roll the cakeup, using the towel as an aid. Transfer toa long platter, seam-side down. Coverloosely with plastic wrap and refrigerateuntil the mousse is chilled and set, about1 hour.

8. TO MAKE THE GANACHE: Put thechocolate in a heat-proof medium bowl.Bring the cream to a simmer in a medium

saucepan over medium heat, making sureit doesn’t boil over. Pour the hot creamover the chocolate and let stand for 3minutes to soften the chocolate. Add thecorn syrup and whisk until smooth. Letstand until tepid and pourable, about 15minutes.

9. Trim the ends from the roulade. About4 in/10 cm from one end of the roulade,cut off a piece on the diagonal; this willbecome the stump on the bûche. Lay theroulade on a large wire cooling rack setover a half-sheet pan. Place the stumpnext to the log with the diagonally cutside sitting on the rack. Pour about halfof the ganache over the roulade andstump and smooth it with a flexible

metal spatula, letting the excess dripdown the sides and onto the half-sheetpan. Repeat the procedure so the rouladeand stump are completely glazed. Letstand for 5 minutes. Using the spatula,transfer the stump to the top of theroulade to make the bûche. Drag thetines of a fork along the ganache tosimulate tree bark. Let stand until theganache is set but not firm, about 20minutes. Using a long metal spatula,transfer the bûche to the platter.Refrigerate until chilled, at least 1 houror up to 1 day.

10. When ready to serve, tuck pinebranches under the roulade, if desired.

Decorate the platter with meringuemushrooms and sugared cranberries.Dust with confectioners’ sugar. Toserve, slice the chilled bûche with along, thin knife dipped into hot water.

SIMPLE SYRUP

Nothing more than sugar andwater boiled together into alight syrup, this sweet liquidis brushed onto cake layersto prevent them from dryingout and provide extra flavor.Cakes with butter-basedbatters harden whenrefrigerated, and the syrupmoistens them so they can beserved chilled. You will onlyuse 2 to 3 Tbsp for a cake,

but make the entire batch anduse it to sweeten iced tea orcoffee. You won’t have to beconcerned about undissolvedsugar crystals spoiling yourdrink. We often mix the syrupwith lemon juice and waterto make refreshing lemonadein the summer.

MAKES ABOUT 3/4 CUP/180 ML

1/2 cup/100 g sugar

1/2 cup/120 ml water

Bring the sugar and water to a boilin a small saucepan over highheat, stirring constantly. Boil,without stirring, until slightlyreduced, about 1 minute. Let coolcompletely. Transfer to a coveredcontainer and store in therefrigerator for up to 1 month.

SUGAREDCRANBERRIES

These sparkling little redberry globes are a lovelyfinish to winter desserts. Butin spite of the sugar, they arestill quite tart, so they aremore of a garnish than aconfection.

MAKES 1/2 CUP/50 G

1/2 cup/50 g fresh cranberries

1/4 cup/50 g sugar

1 Tbsp pasteurized egg whites(available in the refrigerated caseat the supermarket)

Line a half-sheet pan withparchment paper. Put thecranberries in a small bowl. Putthe sugar in another small bowl. Ina third small bowl, whisk thepasteurized egg whites untilfoamy. Pour over the cranberriesand toss well until very thinlycoated. A few at a time, letting theexcess egg white drip off, put the

cranberries in the sugar, toss tocoat, and transfer to the lined pan.Let stand until completely dry, atleast 2 hours or preferablyovernight.

A HOMEMADEWEDDING

CAKE

Model Bakery is ingrained into theNapa Valley life, and it is our roleto provide wedding cakes for thecommunity. Couples come to us forclassically simple cakes, such asthis one with pearl borders andSwiss dots on the sides. We preferto decorate the layers with freshflowers, and besides, hardly

anyone uses bridal statuettes anymore. Here is a modestly sizedwedding cake based on our Berriesand Cream Cake (page 120) thatcan be made at home. Read“Wedding Cakes” on page 133before you get started.

MAKES 24 SERVINGS, PLUS 8 CUPCAKES

Butter, at room temperature, for the pans

Unbleached all-purpose flour for thepans

2 recipes Auntie Emma’s ButtermilkCake batter (see page 116)

FILLING

2 lb/910 g fresh strawberries

1 qt/960 ml heavy cream1/4 cup/30 g confectioners’ sugar

2 recipes Simple Syrup (page 127)

2 recipes Vanilla Buttercream (page134)

Edible, nonsprayed flowers, for garnish

1. Position racks in the top third andcenter of the oven and preheat to350°F/180°C/gas 4. Lightly butter three8-in/20-cm round cake pans that have 2-in/5-cm sides. Line the bottoms with

parchment or wax paper rounds. Dust theinsides of the pans with all-purposeflour and tap out the excess.

2. Divide 1 recipe of the batter evenlyamong the prepared pans, filling themabout one-third full, and smooth the tops.Rap the pans on the work surface todisperse any air bubbles.

3. Bake until the cakes are golden brownand a wooden toothpick inserted in thecenter comes out clean, about 25minutes. Let cool in the pans on wirecooling racks for 10 minutes. Invert andunmold onto the racks and peel off thepaper. Turn the cakes right-side up andlet cool completely.

4. Lightly butter three 6-in/15-cm roundcake pans that have 2-in/5-cm sides.Line the bottoms with parchment or waxpaper rounds. Dust the insides of thepans with all-purpose flour and tap outthe excess. Line eight standard muffincups with paper liners.

5. Using the second recipe of batter,pour enough batter into each preparedpan to come one-third up the sides (youwill not use all of the batter) and smooththe tops. Using a number-16 food-portion scoop with about a 1/4-cup/60-ml capacity, transfer the remaining batterto the muffin cups. Rap the pans on the

work surface to disperse any airbubbles.

6. Bake the cakes on the center rack andthe cupcakes on the top rack until awooden toothpick inserted in the centerof the cakes and cupcakes comes outclean, 20 to 25 minutes. Let cool in thepans on wire cooling racks for 10minutes. Invert and unmold the cakelayers onto the racks and peel off thepaper. Turn the cakes right-side up.Remove the cupcakes from the pans,transfer to cooling racks, and let thecakes and cupcakes cool completely.(The cake and cupcakes can be wrappedin plastic wrap and frozen in plasticziplock bags for up to 2 months. Thaw

completely at room temperature for 2hours before frosting.)

7. TO MAKE THE FILLING: Freeze thebowl of a heavy-duty stand mixer in thefreezer to chill. (If the bowl won’t fitinto your freezer, fill the bowl with icecubes to chill it for about 10 minutes.Discard the ice and dry the bowl.)

8. Hull the berries and cut into 1/4-in/6-mm dice. Spread the berries on papertowels and let drain while whipping thecream. Pour the cream andconfectioners’ sugar into the chilledmixer bowl. Affix the bowl to the mixerand fit with the whisk attachment. Whip

on low speed until the mixture begins tothicken. Increase the speed to mediumand whip until the cream is stiff. Fold inthe chopped strawberries.

9. Using a long serrated knife, trim thetops of all the cake layers so they are flatand even. Stack the larger layers into atriple-layer tier, and repeat with thesmaller layers. Place side by side tocheck that they are the same height, andtrim the top layers as needed.

10. Place one 8-in/20-cm cake layer ona 7-in/17-cm cardboard cake round.Brush with about 11/2 Tbsp of the simplesyrup. Spread with about 3 cups/600 g

of the filling. Top with another cakelayer, brush with another 11/2 Tbspsyrup, and spread with 3 cups/600 gfilling. Top with the final cake layer,trimmed-side down, and brush with 11/2Tbsp syrup. Loosely cover the stackedlayers with plastic wrap and refrigeratefor 20 minutes to firm the filling.

11. Place one 6-in/15-cm cake layer ona 5 in/12 cm cardboard cake round.Repeat the process, using about 1 Tbspsimple syrup and 13/4 cups/350 g fillingon each layer. Loosely cover the stackedcakes and refrigerate for 20 minutes.Tightly cover the remaining filling andrefrigerate.

12. Measure 1 cup/200 g of thebuttercream into a small bowl, cover,and refrigerate for the final decoration.Transfer the larger cake tier to adecorating turntable. Frost the top, andthen the sides, of the cake with a thinlayer of buttercream, about 11/2cups/300 g. The filling may want to mixinto the buttercream, but don’t worry, asit will firm up when refrigerated.Refrigerate uncovered to set thebuttercream, about 30 minutes.

13. Repeat with the smaller cake tier,using about 1 cup/200 g of the butter-cream. Refrigerate for 30 minutes. Addany remaining buttercream to the

reserved buttercream in the refrigerator.

14. Return the larger layered cake to theturntable and frost completely andevenly with another layer of thebuttercream. Refrigerate again to set,about 15 minutes. Repeat with thesmaller layered cake.

15. Spread a large dab of buttercream onthe center of a foil-covered baseboard,and center the larger cake layer on thebaseboard. Spacing them evenly, insertthree wooden cake dowels in a 4-in/10-cm triangle in the center of the cake witha fourth dowel in the center of thetriangle for extra support. Remove thedowels and cut them with a serrated

knife so the tops of the dowels are flushwith the top of the frosted cake. Reinsertthe dowels in the cake. Center thesmaller cake layer on top of the largercake layer, supported by the dowels.

16. Fit a pastry bag with a 5/16-in/6-mmround tip and fill the bag with about halfof the remaining buttercream. With thefrosting in the pastry bag, pipe pearl-sizeballs around the top and bottom edges ofthe top and bottom cakes.

17. Return any buttercream from thepastry bag to the bowl of buttercream.Fit the pastry bag with a 3/16-/2-mmround tip. Half fill the pastry bag with

buttercream. Using the tip of a woodentoothpick, mark your desired pattern ofSwiss dots. Using the pastry tip, coverthe marks with small dots ofbuttercream.

18. Using the tip of a small sharp knife,cut out and discard a cone from thecenter of each cupcake. Fill the space ineach cupcake with some of the leftovercream filling, and smooth the top. Brushthe exposed cake with syrup. Frost eachwith the remaining buttercream. Youmay not use all of the buttercream,filling, and syrup.

19. Refrigerate the entire cake on thebaseboard and the cupcakes until

chilled, at least 2 hours and up to 1 day.

20. One to two hours before serving,remove the cake from the refrigerator.Arrange the flowers in the center of thetop layer. If you wish, top each cupcakewith small blossoms from the garnishingflowers (such as a rose petal or violet ortwo). Do not let the cake stand at roomtemperature for longer than 2 hours.Slice the cake and serve with thecupcakes.

WEDDING CAKES

Aesthetics aside, the mostimportant thing to keep in mindwhen making a tiered cake is space.Clear out your kitchen refrigeratorso you have room to chill thefrosted layers. You will need aseparate shelf for each stackedcake. If you have an auxiliaryrefrigerator in your garage orbasement, utilize it to store thecake, or enlist a neighbor’s fridge.(Unless your circumstances arevery unusual, this means that mostof your home’s refrigeration will

be used to hold the cake, and youwill not have room for other food.This is crucial if you are cateringother courses of the meal, too.)Keep the cake chilled for as long aspossible before setting it up and, ifserving outside, be sure that thecake’s display area is in a shadedspot.

You will have the best experienceas a wedding-cake maker if thecomponents are prepared in stages.Bake, cool, wrap, and freeze thelayers up to 2 months ahead. Makeand refrigerate the syrup andbuttercream a few days ahead; letthe frosting come to room

temperature before using. Gatherall of your equipment and clear alarge area in the kitchen for theproject.

Rather than worrying about havingthe exact amount of batter for thecake layers, make a double batchand use any leftover batter to bakecupcakes. Serve the cupcakes to thekids or guests who don’t want astandard portion.

Surprisingly, this masterpiecerequires very few special items, allavailable at craft shops and online.Have three 8-in/20-cm cake pansand three 6-in/15-cm cake pans (all

2 in/5 cm deep), and a standardmuffin pan and paper liners for thecupcakes. Wooden dowels forcakes, available at craft shops, willhelp stabilize the stacked layers.These rods are 12 in/30.5 cm longand about 1/4 in/6 mm in diameter,and made from soft wood that iseasy to cut to size with a serratedknife. You can also use oversizeplastic straws, and snip them tosize with scissors. Only two plainround pastry tips, 3/16 in/2 mm and5/16 in/6 mm, are used for thebuttercream decorations. Be sureyou have enough wire cooling racksfor the six layers and cupcakes.

You will want a large foil-coveredcomposite cake baseboard forholding the finished cake, andstandard 9-in/23-cm cardboardcake rounds (they can be cut tosize) for the layers.

Choose some edible, nonsprayedflowers for the crowning touch (weare partial to baby roses from ourgarden). And don’t forget to pouryourself a glass of bubbly tocelebrate your job well done.

VANILLABUTTERCREAM

Many a bakery has lost itsreputation on the poor quality of itsbuttercream frosting—greasy stuffthat never came near a stick ofbutter. We have no such worrieshere at the Model Bakery, as ourbuttercream is the real thing. Acouple of caveats: First, make surethe cooked meringue base is beatenuntil it is absolutely cool—thistakes at least 5 minutes with a standmixer and longer with a handheld

one. The butter should be at coolroom temperature, malleable butnot so soft that it becomes shiny.Basic buttercream can be flavoredto make many variations, so it is aworkhorse.

MAKES ABOUT 4 CUPS/820 G, ENOUGHTO FROST THREE 8-IN/20-CM OR T WO 9-

IN/23- CM CAKE LAYERS

11/4 cups/250 g sugar

5 large egg whites

2 cups/455 g unsalted butter, at roomtemperature

1 tsp pure vanilla extract

1. Combine the sugar and egg whites inthe bowl of a stand mixer or, to use ahandheld mixer, in a large heat-proofbowl, preferably stainless steel. Choosea saucepan that will hold the mixingbowl snugly. Put about 2 in/5 cm waterin the saucepan and bring to a simmerover high heat. Reduce the heat to low.Put the bowl in the saucepan over thewater—the bottom of the bowl shouldnot touch the water. Whisk constantly byhand, scraping down any splashes of eggwhite on the sides of the bowl with aheat-proof spatula, until the mixture ishot to the touch and white in color and

the sugar is completely dissolved, about2 minutes. The idea here is to stir andwarm the whites while dissolving thesugar, not to whip the mixture.

2. Affix the bowl to the mixer and fitwith the whisk attachment. Beat onmedium-high speed until the mixtureforms stiff, shiny peaks and iscompletely cool, about 10 minutes. (Orbeat with an electric mixer on highspeed for at least 12 minutes.)

3. Reduce the mixer speed to medium.Beat in the butter, 1 Tbsp at a time,waiting until each addition is absorbedbefore adding another. Once all thebutter has been added, increase the

speed to medium-high and continuebeating until very light and fluffy, about1 minute. Beat in the vanilla. Thebuttercream can be made up to 1 dayahead, transferred to a coveredcontainer, and refrigerated. Bring toroom temperature, then beat the mixtureuntil fluffy before using.

CHOCOLATE BUTTERCREAM: Decreasethe vanilla to 1/2 tsp. Melt 5 oz/140 gfinely chopped semisweet chocolate inthe top part of a double boiler oversimmering water. (Or melt in amicrowave at 50 percent power in 30-second increments, stirring after eachone.) Remove from the heat and let cool

until tepid but still fluid. Add to thebeaten buttercream and mix well. Makesabout 4 cups/960 ml.

LEMON BUTTERCREAM: Omit thevanilla. Mix 3 Tbsp Lemon Curd (page162) into the buttercream. Add a drop ofyellow food coloring paste or gel toheighten the color, if you wish.

MOCHA BUTTERCREAM: Decrease thevanilla to 1/2 tsp. Melt 2 oz/55 g finelychopped semisweet chocolate in the toppart of a double boiler over simmeringwater. (Or melt in a microwave at 50percent power in 30-second increments,stirring after each one.) Remove from

the heat and let cool until tepid but stillfluid. Add to the beaten buttercream andmix well. Mix 2 Tbsp cold brewedespresso (or 2 tsp instant espressodissolved in 2 Tbsp boiling water andcooled) into the buttercream.

ORANGE BUTTERCREAM: Omit thevanilla. Mix the grated zest of 1 orangeinto the buttercream.

CREAMCHEESE

FROSTING

This American classic is a rich andcreamy addition to just about anylayer cake. Be sure that the creamcheese is quite soft before mixing.

MAKES 4 CUPS/930 G

1 lb/455 g cream cheese, at roomtemperature

6 Tbsp/85 g unsalted butter, at roomtemperature

1 tsp pure vanilla extract

31/4 cup/320 g confectioners’ sugar,sifted

Combine the cream cheese, butter, andvanilla in the bowl of a stand mixer.Beat on high speed until combined,about 1 minute. Reduce the speed tolow. Gradually mix in the confectioners’sugar. Return the speed to high and beatuntil light and fluffy, about 3 minutes.The frosting can be made up to 1 dayahead, transferred to a coveredcontainer, and refrigerated. Bring to

room temperature, then beat the mixtureuntil fluffy before using.

OLD-FASHIONED

BOILED ICING

Also known as seven-minute icing(because it is beaten for that lengthof time), this cake coating has anirresistible, marshmallow-likefluffiness. Strangely enough, thisicing is not actually boiled.

MAKES ABOUT 5 CUPS/400 G

11/2 cups/300 g sugar

1/2 cup/120 ml water

1/4 tsp cream of tartar

4 large egg whites

Pinch of fine sea salt

1 tsp pure vanilla extract

1. Combine the sugar, water, and creamof tartar in a heavy medium saucepan.Bring to a boil over high heat, stirringconstantly just until the sugar dissolves.Attach a candy thermometer to thesaucepan. Cook, without stirring,occasionally swirling the saucepan bythe handle and washing down the

crystals on the inside of the saucepanwith a bristle brush dipped in water,until the syrup registers 240°F/115°C(soft-ball stage) on the thermometer.Reduce the heat to low to maintain thetemperature.

2. Beat the egg whites and salt in thebowl of a stand mixer fitted with thewhisk attachment on high speed just untilsoft peaks form. With the mixer on highspeed, drizzle the hot syrup into thewhites (pouring near, but not directlyinto the whisk, where the syrup willsplatter, and not down the sides of thebowl, where it could congeal) and whipuntil stiff, shiny peaks form. Add thevanilla and continue to beat until tepid,

about 7 minutes more. If the icing is toothick, beat in hot water, 1 Tbsp at a time,until spreadable. Use the icing while itis warm.

THE MODEL BAKERY ONCAKES

There is no reason whymaking a layer cake shouldbe done in a single, longwork period. Freeze thebaked cakes before frostingto save time on the day youwill serve the cake. Afterbaking, cool the cake layers,wrap each one in plasticwrap, and slip into a ziplockfreezer bag. Freeze for up to2 months. Thaw in itswrapping at room

temperature for a couple ofhours before frosting. All ofthe buttercreams (pages 134and 135) and the CreamCheese Frosting (page 136)can be made a few daysahead and refrigerated. Letthem stand at roomtemperature until warmenough to spread, and beatwith an electric mixer torestore the fluffiness, ifnecessary.

While there are many bakedgoods that can be mixed byhand, cake batter will be best

when made with an electricmixer, as it incorporates lotsof air into the butter duringthe creaming process toensure the cake has a lighttexture. You can use either astand or a handheld mixer.

All of the layer cakes useround cake pans 8 in/20 cmin diameter with 2-in-/5-cm-high sides, made from heavy-gauge aluminum. Theseprofessional-quality pans areeasily found online.

To be sure that your cakelayers will be the same

height after baking, use akitchen scale. Just tare theweight of the cake pans, thendistribute the batter evenlyamong the pans.

Cake layers often have adome, which must betrimmed off before stackingthe layers. Use a longserrated knife, held parallelto the work surface, to sliceoff the dome where it begins.Discard or nibble thetrimmings, as you wish. Theycan also be crumbled andpressed onto the sides of the

cake as a decoration, as wedo on the Red Velvet Cake(page 113). Freeze thetrimmings from AuntieEmma’s Buttermilk Cake(page 116) or White Cake(page 118) in a freezerstorage bag to use in thefilling for Bear Claws (page71).

For decoration, simple isbest. We don’t dobuttercream flowers or othertime-consuming decorations.You can do a lot with only acouple of pastry tips anddisposable plastic pastry

bags. See page 27 for ourrecommended basic pastrytips.

A decorating turntablerotates the cake, for the bestaccessibility when you’refrosting. In a pinch, you canset the cake on a flat plateand put the plate on aninverted bowl with a widebase. A metal offset icingspatula is another icing toolthat a professional bakerwould not be without.

Clear an area in yourrefrigerator to chill the cake

during the various stages offilling and frosting the layers.Each filled layer should bechilled (as directed in therecipe) before adding thenext layer. Otherwise, if thefilling is soft, the finishedcake could be lopsided.

Frosting a cake can be easy,and it is one of those jobswhere practice does makeperfect. If the cake will haveicing decorations (such as apearl or scallop border),transfer about 1/2 cup/40 g of

the icing to a pastry bagfitted with the appropriatetip. Put a dab of icing on a 7-in/17-cm cardboard cakeround and top with a cakelayer. The icing will helpkeep the layer in place. (Theround is slightly smaller thanthe cake layer because itallows you to frost the cakewithout the cardboard gettingin the way.) Spread about 1cup/80 g of the icing evenlyover the top of the first layer.Top with the second layer,and spread another 1 cup/80g of icing over the top. Finishwith the third layer, trimmed-

side down (the bottom of thelayer will provide a smoothsurface for the top of thecake). Spread the top, andthen the sides, of the cakewith a thin layer of icing.This is called a crumb coat,because it helps set in placethe loose crumbs that wouldotherwise mar the frosting.Refrigerate the cake forabout 20 minutes to set theicing, keeping the remainingicing at room temperature.Use the remaining icing tofinish frosting the cake.Don’t worry if the icing on

the sides of the cake is thin,especially if it will bemasked with coconut,chopped nuts, cake crumbs,chocolate vermicelli, orother ingredients.

To write an inscription on acake, melt chocolate (seepage 29), and let it cool untiltepid and thick enough topipe. Transfer to adisposable plastic pastry bag(without a tip, because warmchocolate hardens when ittouches metal, and the tipwill quickly clog). Snip off

the end with scissors to makea 1/8-in-/3-mm-wideopening. It helps to do a testrun of the inscription on thecake, so you don’t run out ofspace during the actualpiping: Trace the baking panon paper and sketch theinscription with a pencil tosee how large the letters canbe and still fit. You can alsopipe the inscription onparchment paper, let itharden, and then use an offsetspatula to carefully lift andtransfer the chocolate writingto the top of the cake.

Layer cakes should berefrigerated for storage, butthe butter in the batter orfrosting will harden whenchilled, making the cakeunpleasantly firm. Always letthe cake stand at roomtemperature for 30 minutes to1 hour so these componentscan soften before serving.Cut the cake with a long,sharp knife, dipped into a tallglass of hot water betweenslices.

At the bakery, you can tell the timeof year by the pies in the displaycase. We use locally grown fruitswhenever possible. The Valleyand its surrounding area supportan amazing variety of produce,and more often than not, our pieand tart fillings utilize the bountyfrom nearby farmers. One thingwe learned early on: Fruit piesare only as good as the produceinside. You can’t fix bland,flavorless fruit with sugar andspice, so always use fruit at itsseasonal peak. We specialize instreusel-topped pies, because they

have an old-fashioned appeal andare quicker to make in a largequantity than double-crust pies. Atthe end of the chapter you’ll findsome tips for your homemade piesand tarts.

APPLESTREUSEL PIE

We eagerly await the Gravensteinseason because these apples makethe best apple pies in the world!While apples are a fall crop inmost of the country, around herethey appear in July and August.Gravensteins don’t store or travelwell, but you will find them atfarmers’ markets on the West Coastduring their season. When they aregone, we make our pies with acombination of Granny Smith and

McIntosh.

MAKES 8 SERVINGS

FILLING

8 tart, firm apples, preferablyGravenstein, or 4 Granny Smith and 4McIntosh apples

1 cup/200 g sugar

3 Tbsp unbleached all-purpose flour1/2 tsp ground ginger

1/4 tsp ground cinnamon

1/4 tsp fine sea salt

Unbleached all-purpose flour for rollingout the dough

1 recipe Pie Dough (page 163)

1 recipe Streusel (facing page)

1. TO MAKE THE FILLING: Peel and corethe apples. Cut into wedges about 1/4in/6 mm thick. Transfer to a large bowl;add the sugar, flour, ginger, cinnamon,and salt; and mix well.

2. On a lightly floured work surface, rollout the dough into a round about 13 in/33cm in diameter and 1/8 in/3 mm thick.You will see flakes of flattened butterand shortening in the dough—which is

just what you want. Fit the dough into a9-in/23-cm pie pan. Trim theoverhanging dough so it only extends 1/2in/12 mm beyond the rim of the pan;discard the trimmings. Working aroundthe perimeter of the pan, fold the doughunder so the fold is flush with the rim ofthe pan, and flute the dough. Freeze for15 to 30 minutes.

3. Position a rack in the bottom third ofthe oven and preheat to400°F/200°C/gas 6. Line a rimmedbaking sheet with parchment paper oraluminum foil to catch the drips from thefilling.

4. Heap the apples in the pie shell,arranging them so they are closelypacked. The apples will shrink duringbaking, so don’t be alarmed that themound is high at this point. Presshandfuls of the streusel over the filling tocover it completely. Put the pie pan onthe lined baking sheet.

5. Bake for 20 minutes. Reduce the oventemperature to 350°F/180°C/gas 4.Continue baking until the streusel andcrust are browned and the center of thefilling is gently bubbling, about 11/4hours. If the streusel or crust browns toomuch before the filling is bubbling, tentthe pie with aluminum foil. Transfer the

pie to a wire cooling rack and let coolcompletely, which will take a few hours.Cut into wedges and serve. (The pie canbe covered with plastic wrap andrefrigerated for up to 1 day.)

STREUSEL

ABOUT 2 CUPS/440 G

1 cup/145 g unbleached all-purpose flour1/3 cup plus 1 Tbsp/85 ggranulated sugar1/3 cup plus 1 Tbsp/85 g lightbrown sugar

1 tsp ground cinnamon

1/4 tsp fine sea salt

3/4 cup/170 g unsalted butter, atroom temperature

1 tsp pure vanilla extract

Mix the flour, granulated sugar,brown sugar, cinnamon, and salttogether in a medium bowl. Addthe butter. Using your fingertips,rub in the butter until the mixtureis homogenous and crumbly. Workin the vanilla.

PEACHSTREUSEL PIE

Napa Valley has always been farmcountry; it’s just that grapes are themain crop now. John Williams, atFrog’s Leap winery, operates avineyard, winery, and organic farmon their property. We get ourpeaches from head gardener DeggeHays, in addition to the ones fromKaren’s farm. Taste the fruit beforesettling on the amount of sugar, andadd a little lemon juice if the

peaches are bland.

MAKES 8 SERVINGS

FILLING

10 ripe peaches

1 cup/200 g sugar, plus more as needed1/2 tsp almond extract

2 Tbsp fresh lemon juice (optional)1/4 cup/30 g cornstarch

Unbleached all-purpose flour for rollingout the dough

1 recipe Pie Dough (page 163)

1 recipe Streusel (page 143)

1. TO MAKE THE FILLING: Bring a largepot of water to a boil over high heat.Add the peaches and heat just until thepeach skins loosen, about 30 seconds.Using a slotted spoon, transfer thepeaches to a bowl of ice water. Drain,peel, and pit the peaches, and cut into1/2-in/12-mm wedges. Transfer to alarge bowl, add the sugar and almondextract, and mix well. Taste and addmore sugar or the lemon juice, asneeded. Stir in the cornstarch. Let standfor about 30 minutes so the peaches cangive up some of their juices.

2. On a lightly floured work surface, rollout the dough into a round about 13 in/33cm in diameter and 1/8 in/3 mm thick.You will see flakes of flattened butterand shortening in the dough, which isjust what you want. Fit the dough into a9-in/23-cm pie pan. Trim theoverhanging dough so it only extends 1/2in/12 mm beyond the rim of the pan;discard the trimmings. Working aroundthe perimeter of the pan, fold the doughunder so the fold is flush with the rim ofthe pan, and flute the dough. Freeze for15 to 30 minutes.

3. Position a rack in the bottom third ofthe oven and preheat to

400°F/200°C/gas 6. Line a rimmedbaking sheet with parchment paper oraluminum foil to catch the drips from thefilling.

4. Spread the filling in the pie shell.Press handfuls of the streusel over thefilling to cover it completely. Put the piepan on the lined baking sheet.

5. Bake for 20 minutes. Reduce the oventemperature to 350°F/180°C/gas 4.Continue baking until the streusel andcrust are browned and the center of thefilling is gently bubbling, about 11/4hours. If the streusel or crust browns toomuch before the filling is bubbling, tent

the pie with aluminum foil. Transfer thepie to a wire cooling rack and let coolcompletely, which will take a few hours.Cut into wedges and serve. (The pie canbe covered with plastic wrap andrefrigerated for up to 1 day.)

PEACH-BERRY STREUSEL PIE: Sprinkle 6oz/170 g blackberries or boysenberriesover the peaches in step 4. Proceed asdirected.

STRAWBERRY-RHUBARB PIE

For some people, rhubarb is a take-it-or-leave-it food, but when theytaste our strawberry-rhubarb pie,they become fans. In the past,rhubarb was often called pieplant,because the red stalks were one ofthe first spring crops, and they wereimmediately cooked to relieve adiet of winter fruit pies. Localstrawberries are abundant at ourfarmers’ markets from early springthrough the summer.

MAKES 8 SERVINGS

FILLING

1 qt/455 g strawberries, hulled andsliced

2 cups/250 g sliced rhubarb

11/4 cups/250 g sugar

1/4 cup/35 g unbleached all-purposeflour

Grated zest of 1 orange

Unbleached all-purpose flour for rollingout dough

1 recipe Pie Dough (page 163)

1 recipe Streusel (page 143)

1. TO MAKE THE FILLING: Mix thestrawberries, rhubarb, sugar, flour, andorange zest in a medium bowl. Let standfor 20 to 30 minutes so the berries cangive off some of their juices.

2. On a lightly floured work surface, rollout the dough into a round about 13 in/33cm in diameter and 1/8 in/3 mm thick.You will see flakes of flattened butterand shortening in the dough, which isjust what you want. Fit the dough into a9-in/23-cm pie pan. Trim theoverhanging dough so it only extends 1/2

in/12 mm beyond the rim of the pan;discard the trimmings. Working aroundthe perimeter of the pan, fold the doughunder so the fold is flush with the rim,and flute the dough. Freeze for 15 to 30minutes.

3. Position a rack in the bottom third ofthe oven and preheat to400°F/200°C/gas 6. Line a rimmedbaking sheet with parchment paper oraluminum foil to catch the drips from thefilling.

4. Spread out the filling in the pie shell.Press handfuls of the streusel over thefilling to cover it completely. Put the pie

pan on the lined baking sheet.

5. Bake for 20 minutes. Reduce the oventemperature to 350°F/180°C/gas 4.Continue baking until the streusel andcrust are browned and the center of thefilling is gently bubbling, about 11/4hours. If the streusel or crust browns toomuch before the filling is bubbling, tentthe pie with aluminum foil. Transfer thepie to a wire cooling rack and let coolcompletely, which will take a few hours.Cut into wedges and serve. (The pie canbe covered with plastic wrap andrefrigerated for up to 1 day.)

PECAN PIE

We make plenty of pecan pies forour restaurant clientele, as well asfor the bakery display case. Ourrecipe has a touch of bourbon,which seems to bring out the otherflavors without tasting boozy.Anyone who loves pecan pie willtell you to always serve it withvanilla ice cream or whippedcream to balance the pie’ssweetness.

MAKES 8 SERVINGS

Unbleached all-purpose flour for rollingout the dough

1 recipe Pie Dough (page 163)

FILLING

1 cup/200 g packed light brown sugar3/4 cup/180 ml light corn syrup

4 large eggs, at room temperature

4 Tbsp/55 g unsalted butter, melted andcooled slightly

2 Tbsp bourbon3/4 tsp pure vanilla extract

1/2 cup/85 g chocolate chips (optional)

2 cups/230 g coarsely chopped pecans

1. On a lightly floured work surface, rollout the dough into a round about 13 in/33cm in diameter and 1/8 in/3 mm thick.You will see flakes of flattened butterand shortening in the dough, which isjust what you want. Fit the dough into a9-in/23-cm pie pan. Trim theoverhanging dough so it only extends 1/2in/12 mm beyond the rim; discard thetrimmings. Working around theperimeter of the pan, fold the doughunder so the fold is flush with the rim ofthe pan, and flute the dough. Freeze for15 to 30 minutes.

2. Position a rack in the bottom third ofthe oven and preheat to400°F/200°C/gas 6.

3. Place the pie pan on a large rimmedbaking sheet. Line the pie shell withaluminum foil and fill with pie weightsor dried beans. Bake until the edges ofthe pie dough look set and are justbeginning to color, about 15 minutes.Remove the pie pan from the oven,keeping it on the baking sheet. Removethe foil and pie weights. Continuebaking, pressing down the dough withthe back of a fork if it puffs, until barelybrowned, about 5 minutes. Remove fromthe oven.

4. TO MAKE THE FILLING: Whisk thebrown sugar, corn syrup, eggs, butter,bourbon, and vanilla in a medium bowluntil well combined. Stir in thechocolate chips (if using). Pour into thepie shell. Sprinkle the pecans evenlyover the syrup mixture.

5. Put the pie, still on the baking sheet, inthe oven. Reduce the oven temperatureto 350°F/180°C/gas 4. Bake until the piefilling is puffed all over, about 50minutes. Transfer the pie to a wirecooling rack and let cool completely,which will take a few hours. Cut intowedges and serve. (The pie can becovered with plastic wrap and

refrigerated for up to 1 day.)

BRANDIEDPUMPKIN PIE

If you have a bakery, people expectyou to sell pumpkin pie atThanksgiving, and you had bettercomply. The trick is to make yourcustomers take notice of somethingthat they have eaten many times.Our filling has a splash of brandy,crystallized (not ground) ginger,and just enough sugar. It is thenature of pumpkin pie to contractand crack during cooling, so don’t

be alarmed if this happens to you.Just cover the crevice with atopping of whipped cream.

MAKES 8 SERVINGS

Unbleached all-purpose flour for rollingout the dough

1 recipe Pie Dough (page 163)

FILLING

One 15-oz/430-g can solid-packpumpkin

1 cup/240 ml heavy cream

3 large eggs, at room temperature

1/2 cup/100 g sugar

2 Tbsp minced crystallized ginger, plusmore for garnishing

2 Tbsp brandy1/2 tsp ground cinnamon

1/8 tsp ground mace

1/8 tsp ground cloves

1/8 tsp fine sea salt

Whipped Cream (page 161) for serving

1. On a lightly floured work surface, rollout the dough into a round about 13 in/33

cm in diameter and 1/8 in/3 mm thick.You will see flakes of flattened butterand shortening in the dough, which isjust what you want. Fit the dough into a9-in/23-cm pie pan. Trim theoverhanging dough so it only extends 1/2in/12 mm beyond the rim of the pan;discard the trimmings. Working aroundthe perimeter of the pan, fold the doughunder so the fold is flush with the rim ofthe pan, and flute the dough. Freeze for15 to 30 minutes.

2. Position a rack in the bottom third ofthe oven and preheat to400°F/200°C/gas 6.

3. Place the pie pan on a large rimmedbaking sheet. Line the pie shell withaluminum foil and fill with pie weightsor dried beans. Bake until the edges ofthe pie dough look set and are justbeginning to brown, about 15 minutes.Remove the pie pan from the oven,keeping it on the baking sheet. Removethe foil and pie weights.

4. TO MAKE THE FILLING: Combine thepumpkin, cream, eggs, sugar,crystallized ginger, brandy, cinnamon,mace, cloves, and salt in a medium bowland whisk until smooth and wellcombined. Pour into the pie shell.

5. Put the pie in the oven. Bake for 10minutes. Reduce the oven temperature to350°F/180°C/gas 4. Bake until the mostof the filling has puffed but the verycenter looks shiny and hasn’t quite set,about 40 minutes. Transfer the pie to awire cooling rack and let coolcompletely. Refrigerate until the pie ischilled, at least 2 hours or up to 1 day.Top with a dollop of whipped cream,garnish with crystallized ginger, cut intowedges, and serve.

CHOCOLATEAND CARAMEL

TARTLETSWITH FLEUR

DE SEL

Many of our customers are regularparty givers, and they havediscovered that a personal tartletfor each guest is an elegant way toserve dessert. While we have a

reputation for serving tasty old-fashioned treats, these smallchocolate and caramel tarts,finished with a sprinkle of flaky seasalt (fleur de sel), are a nod tocontemporary tastes. They willkeep in the refrigerator for a coupleof days, so you can get them donewell before guests arrive. You willprobably have leftover caramel, butit is difficult to make it in a smallerbatch. You can refrigerate thecaramel and use it to stir into hotcoffee or tea.

MAKES 6 TARTLETS

CARAMEL

1/3 cup/65 g sugar

2 Tbsp water1/2 tsp light corn syrup

3 Tbsp heavy cream

Unbleached all-purpose flour for rollingout the dough

1 recipe Tart Dough (page 164)

GANACHE

1 cup/240 ml heavy cream

8 oz/225 g bittersweet chocolate (nomore than 55% cacao), coarsely

chopped

About 1/2 tsp flaky sea salt or fleur desel, such as Maldon or fleur de sel deGuérande

1. TO MAKE THE CARAMEL: Stir thesugar, water, and corn syrup together ina small heavy saucepan over high heatuntil the sugar dissolves. Stop stirringand boil, occasionally rotating the panby the handle to swirl the syrup, andwashing down any crystals that form onthe sides of the pan with a bristle brushdipped in cold water, until the syrup issmoking and the color of an old coppercoin, about 3 minutes. Remove from the

heat. Add the cream and stir untildissolved. Transfer to a small heat-prooframekin or bowl and let cool.

2. Position a rack in the center of theoven and preheat to 400°F/200°C/gas 6.Have ready six 5-in/12-cm tartlet panswith removable bottoms.

3. Lightly flour the work surface. Dividethe dough into six equal portions. Shapeeach portion into a flat disk. Workingwith one portion at a time, roll out thedough into a 7-in/17-cm round about 1/8in/3 mm thick. Fit into a tartlet pan,making sure the dough fits snugly wherethe base meets the sides. Trim off the

excess dough so the dough is flush withthe rim of the pan. Press the dough firmlyagainst the sides. Freeze until the doughis firm, 15 to 30 minutes.

4. Place the tartlet pans on a largerimmed baking sheet. Line each shellwith aluminum foil and fill with pieweights or dried beans. Bake until thedough looks set and is beginning tobrown, about 12 minutes. Remove thebaking sheet from the oven. Remove thefoil and pie weights. Pierce each tartletshell a few times with a fork. Return tothe oven and bake until golden brown,about 5 minutes. Transfer to a wirecooling rack and let cool completely.

5. TO MAKE THE GANACHE: Heat thecream in a small saucepan over mediumheat until small bubbles form around theedges. Put the chocolate in a mediumheat-proof bowl. Add the hot cream andlet stand until the chocolate softens,about 3 minutes. Whisk just until smooth.Set aside until slightly cooled, about 30minutes.

6. Pour an equal amount of the ganacheinto each pastry shell. Refrigerate untilthe ganache is set, about 1 hour.

7. Check the consistency of the caramel;it should flow easily from a spoon. Ifnecessary, warm gently in a bowl of hot

water, stirring the caramel until fluid.Spoon a 1/4-in-/6-mm-wide ribbon ofcaramel across the top of each tartlet.Sprinkle each ribbon with a generouspinch of the salt. Refrigerate until readyto serve. Just before serving, remove thesides of the tartlet pans.

LEMONBRÛLÉE TART

One of the many pleasures of livingin the Valley is gardening.Throughout the winter, countlesslemon trees peek out from behindbackyard fences, and often we havemore lemons than we know what todo with. This lemon tart, with a“burnt” topping, is a nice way touse them up. You will need ahandheld culinary torch tocaramelize the sugar on the topping.(Don’t try to broil the tart to melt

the sugar—we tried once, and itdoesn’t work.) In the summer, youcan serve the tart with freshblueberries or raspberries.

MAKES 8 SERVINGS

Unbleached all-purpose flour for rollingout the dough

1 recipe Tart Dough (page 164)

2 recipes Lemon Curd (page 162)

3 Tbsp sugar

1. Position a rack in the center of theoven and preheat to 400°F/200°C/gas 6.

2. Lightly flour the work surface. Rollout the dough into a 13-in/33-cm roundabout 1/8 in/3 mm thick. Fit into a 9-in/23-cm tart pan with a removablebottom, making sure the dough fits snuglywhere the base meets the sides. Trim offthe excess dough so the dough is flushwith the rim of the pan. Press the doughfirmly against the sides. Freeze until thedough is firm, 15 to 30 minutes.

3. Place the pan on a large rimmedbaking sheet. Line the dough withaluminum foil and fill with pie weightsor dried beans. Bake until the doughlooks set and is beginning to brown,about 12 minutes. Remove the baking

sheet from the oven. Remove the foil andpie weights. Pierce the tart shell a fewtimes with a fork. Return to the oven andcontinue baking until crisp and goldenbrown, about 10 minutes. Transfer to awire cooling rack and let coolcompletely.

4. Spread out the lemon curd in the tartshell and sprinkle with the sugar. Usinga handheld butane kitchen torch, wavethe flame about 1/2 in/12 mm from thetop of the tart to melt and caramelize thesugar. Let cool, then refrigerate untilready to serve, up to 8 hours. Just beforeserving, remove the sides of the tart pan.Cut into wedges and serve.

FRESH FRUITTART

A classic fruit tart should bebrightly colored with a rainbow offruit—purple blackberries, golden-orange mango, and bright redraspberries or strawberries are anespecially nice combination. Don’toverfill the shell with pastry cream—there should be equal amounts ofcream and fruit.

MAKES 8 SERVINGS

Unbleached all-purpose flour for rollingout the dough

1 recipe Tart Dough (page 164)

APRICOT GLAZE

1/3 cup/100 g apricot jam or preserves

1 Tbsp water

11/4 cups/325 g Pastry Cream (page 161)

About 4 cups/510 g assorted fresh fruitsuch as blackberries, blueberries,raspberries, or strawberries; peeled,pitted, and sliced mangoes or peaches;

peeled and sliced kiwi; sliced figs andhoneydew melon balls

1. Position a rack in the center of theoven and preheat to 400°F/200°C/gas 6.

2. Lightly flour the work surface. Rollout the dough into a 13-in/33-cm roundabout 1/8 in/3 mm thick. Fit into a 9-in/23-cm tart pan with a removablebottom, making sure the dough fits snuglywhere the base meets the sides. (If thedough breaks, just press it together in thepan.) Trim off the excess dough so thedough is flush with the rim of the pan.Press the dough firmly against the sides.Freeze until the dough is firm, 15 to 30

minutes.

3. Place the pan on a large rimmedbaking sheet. Line the dough withaluminum foil and fill with pie weightsor dried beans. Bake until the doughlooks set and is beginning to brown,about 12 minutes. Remove the bakingsheet from the oven. Remove the foil andpie weights. Pierce the tart shell a fewtimes with a fork. Return to the oven andbake until crisp and golden brown, about10 minutes. Transfer to a wire coolingrack and let cool completely.

4. TO MAKE THE GLAZE: Bring the jamand water to a brisk simmer in a small

saucepan over medium heat, stirringoften. Cook, continuing to stir often, untilthickened, about 1 minute. When youdrop some of the glaze from the spoon,the last drops should be very thick andslow to fall. Strain through a wire sieveinto a small bowl.

5. Spread out the pastry cream in the tartshell. Top with an assortment of fruit.Brush the warm apricot glaze over thefruit. Refrigerate until ready to serve, upto 1 day. Just before serving, remove thesides of the pan.

GÂTEAUBASQUE

Karen discovered this tartlikepastry during a trip to the FrenchBasque region, where it was servedfor breakfast at a very charminginn. Although gâteau means “cake”in French, this is really more of adouble-crust tart filled with pastrycream. The dough can be difficultto roll and may crack; just press thepieces together and keep going. Notthe most common dessert on theseshores, it is well worth adding to

your repertoire. This uses an 8-in/20-cm round cake pan with 2-in/5-cm sides, preferably with aremovable bottom, which you canfind in cake supply shops andonline. A springform pan has 3-in/7.5-cm sides and is too tall, butit will work if you don’t mind aslightly rustic look.

MAKES 8 SERVINGS

ALMOND DOUGH

11/2 cups/195 g cake flour (not self-rising), plus more for rolling out thedough

1/3 cup/35 g almond flour (see Note)

1 tsp baking powder1/4 tsp fine sea salt

2 large egg yolks

1 Tbsp golden rum

1 tsp almond extract

1 tsp vanilla extract1/2 cup/115 g unsalted butter, at roomtemperature, plus more for the pan

1 cup/200 g sugar

1 recipe Pastry Cream (page 161)1/2 cup/150 g cherry preserves or any

tart fruit preserves

1 large egg yolk

1 Tbsp heavy cream or milk

1. TO MAKE THE DOUGH: Whisk the cakeflour, almond flour, baking powder, andsalt together in a medium bowl untilcombined. Mix the egg yolks, rum,almond extract, and vanilla together in asmall bowl. Beat the butter in a mediumbowl with an electric mixer set on highspeed until smooth, about 1 minute.Gradually beat in the sugar and continuebeating until light in color and texture,about 2 minutes more. (Or cream thebutter and sugar together in a mediumbowl with a wooden spoon until light in

color and texture, about 5 minutes.) Beatin the yolk mixture. Reduce the mixerspeed to low. Gradually add the flourmixture, mixing just until blended.

2. Divide the dough into two flat disks,one slightly larger than the other. Wrapeach in plastic wrap and refrigerate forabout 30 minutes. The dough is easiest towork with when it is chilled, but nothard.

3. Position a rack in the center of theoven and preheat to 350°F/180°C/gas 4.Lightly butter an 8-in/20-cm round cakepan that has 2-in/5-cm sides, preferablywith a removable bottom.

4. On a lightly floured work surface, rollout the larger disk of dough into a roundabout 11 in/28 cm in diameter and 1/8in/3 mm thick. Fit the dough into the pan,pressing it to come 11/2 in/4 cm up thesides. (If the dough breaks, just press ittogether in the pan.) Trim off the excessdough so the dough is flush with the rimof the pan. Spread out the pastry creamin the pan. Drop dollops of the cherrypreserves over the pastry cream.

5. Roll out the remaining dough into around about 9 in/23 cm in diameter and1/8 in/3 mm thick. Center and fit over thepastry cream. Press the edges of the twodough layers together to enclose the

pastry cream and preserves. Using thetines of a fork, score the dough in acrosshatch pattern.

6. Beat the egg yolk and cream togetherin a small bowl. Brush the dough withthe egg mixture.

7. Bake until the dough is golden brown,40 to 45 minutes. Transfer to a wirecooling rack and let cool completely inthe pan.

8. Run a dinner knife around the insideof the pan. If you have a pan with aremovable bottom, put the pan on a largecan and let the sides fall to the worksurface. Otherwise, place a cutting

board over the top of the pan. Hold thepan and board together and gently invertto unmold the cake onto the board. Placethe serving plate on the bottom of thecake and invert the plate and boardtogether to bring the cake right-side upon the plate. Using a sharp knife, cut intowedges and serve. (The gâteau can bewrapped in plastic wrap andrefrigerated for up to 1 day. Let stand atroom temperature for 1 hour beforeserving.)

NOTE: Almond flour, sometimes calledalmond meal, comes in two varieties.The less expensive of the two is madefrom unskinned almonds. The version

made from blanched almonds is lighterin color and makes a more delicate-looking crust. The choice is yours, butwe use the latter.

PLUMGALETTE

Every baker should know how tomake a free-form pastry. It is soeasy to assemble, doesn’t require apie or tart pan, and can be madewith many kinds of fruit. Here is abasic recipe with plums, but trypeaches, nectarines, or apricots,too. Stone fruits should be leftuncooked, and the dough should besprinkled with cookie or cakecrumbs to soak up the excess juices

and keep the delicious crust crisp.

MAKES 6 TO 8 SERVINGS

GALETTE DOUGH

2 Tbsp sour cream

2 Tbsp ice-cold water

1 cup/145 g unbleached all-purposeflour, plus more for rolling out the dough1/4 cup/35 g yellow cornmeal

1 tsp sugar1/4 tsp fine sea salt

7 Tbsp/100 g cold unsalted butter, cut

into 1/2-in/12-mm cubes

8 red or Santa Rosa plums, pitted, cutlengthwise into eighths

4 Tbsp/60 g sugar

1 Tbsp cornstarch

1 large egg yolk

1 Tbsp heavy cream or milk

1 Tbsp plus 2 tsp cold unsalted butter,cut into 1/2-in/12-mm cubes

1. TO MAKE THE DOUGH: Mix the sourcream and ice water together in a smallbowl. Combine the flour, cornmeal,sugar, and salt in a food processor fitted

with the metal blade and pulse a coupleof times until combined. Add the butterand pulse about twelve times, until themixture is crumbly. Turn off themachine, drizzle the sour cream mixtureover the flour mixture, and pulse justuntil the dough comes together. Do notovermix. (Or mix the flour, cornmeal,sugar, and salt in a medium bowl, addthe butter, and cut it in with a pastryblender until crumbly. Stir in the sourcream mixture.)

2. Shape the dough into a thick disk andwrap in plastic wrap. Refrigerate untilchilled and firm, about 2 hours. Thedough is easiest to roll when cold, butnot hard. (The dough can be refrigerated

for up to 1 day. Let it stand at roomtemperature for about 15 minutes tosoften slightly before rolling.)

3. TO MAKE THE FILLING: Position a rackin the center of the oven and preheat to350°F/180°C/gas 4. Line a rimlessbaking sheet with parchment paper. (Orturn a large rimmed baking sheet upsidedown and cover it with parchmentpaper.)

4. Place the dough on a lightly flouredwork surface and flour the top of thedough. Roll out the dough into a 13-in/33-cm round about 1/8 in/3 mm thick.Transfer to the lined baking sheet.

5. Toss the plums, 3 Tbsp of the sugar,and the cornstarch in a large bowl.Arrange the plums on the dough inconcentric circles, overlapping asneeded, leaving a 2-in/5-cm borderaround the circumference. Fold up theuncovered dough to partially cover theplums, loosely pleating the dough asneeded.

6. Beat the egg yolk and cream togetherin a small bowl.

7. Sprinkle the plums with the remaining1 Tbsp sugar and the butter. Lightlybrush the dough with some of the eggmixture.

8. Bake until the crust is golden brown,the fruit juices are bubbling, and thebottom is golden brown (lift up with awide spatula to check), about 35minutes. Let cool on the baking sheet for30 minutes. Slide the galette from thebaking sheet onto a serving plate. Servewarm or at room temperature.

PEACH OR NECTARINE GALETTE:Replace the plums with 3 ripe peachesor nectarines, peeled, pitted, and sliced1/4 in/6 mm thick. Toss in a bowl with 2Tbsp sugar and 1 Tbsp cornstarch.Sprinkle 3 Tbsp cake or cookie crumbs(preferably Italian amaretti) in a 9-in/23-cm round in the center of the dough

before you add the fruit. Sprinkle thefruit with 1 Tbsp sugar and dot with 1Tbsp cold butter, cut into small cubes.

CHERRY GALETTE: Replace the plumswith 12 oz/340 g Bing cherries, pitted.Toss in a bowl with 2 Tbsp sugar, 1Tbsp cornstarch, and 1/8 tsp almondextract. Sprinkle 3 Tbsp cake or cookiecrumbs (preferably Italian amaretti) in a9-in/23-cm round in the center of thedough before you add the fruit. Sprinklethe fruit with 1 Tbsp sugar and dot with1 Tbsp cold butter, cut into small cubes.

PASTRY CREAM

It would be difficult to run a bakerywithout pastry cream, as it is animportant ingredient in manypastries. We use it as a filling forboth the Fresh Fruit Tart (page 155)and Gâteau Basque (page 156).Once you learn how to make it, youcan whip up a batch in no time.

MAKES ABOUT 2 CUPS/525 G

11/2 cups/360 ml whole milk

1/2 cup/100 g sugar

3 Tbsp cornstarch

5 large egg yolks, at room temperature

2 Tbsp unsalted butter, halved

1 tsp vanilla extract

1. Place a wire sieve over a heat-proofmedium bowl and put near the stove.Bring the milk to a simmer in a heavymedium saucepan over medium heat,being careful that the milk doesn’t boilover.

2. Meanwhile, whisk the sugar andcornstarch together in a second heat-proof medium bowl. Add the egg yolks

and whisk until smooth. Whisk in the hotmilk.

3. Return the milk mixture to thesaucepan. Bring to a full simmer overmedium heat, whisking often. Cook for30 seconds, whisking constantly. (If thepastry cream isn’t fully cooked, it couldseparate when cooled.) Remove fromthe heat. Add the butter and vanilla andwhisk until the butter melts. Strainthrough the sieve. Press a piece ofplastic wrap directly on the surface ofthe pastry cream and pierce a few slitsin the plastic with the tip of a sharp knifeso the steam can escape. Refrigerateuntil cooled, about 1 hour. The pastry

cream can be stored in the refrigeratorfor up to 2 days.

WHIPPEDCREAM

Many (dare we say all?) dessertsare better when topped with abillowy dollop of whipped cream.The cream should be beaten justuntil it forms soft peaks that barelyhold their shape.

MAKES ABOUT 2 CUPS/225 G

1 cup/240 ml heavy cream

2 Tbsp sugar

1 tsp pure vanilla extract

Place a medium bowl in the freezer andfreeze until very cold, about 5 minutes.Put the cream, sugar, and vanilla in thebowl. Whip with an electric mixer onhigh speed until the cream forms softpeaks.

Refrigerate until serving. The whippedcream can be prepared up to 8 hoursahead. If it separates, whisk briefly untilcombined.

LEMON CURD

Lemon curd is the star of two of ourmost popular desserts, SunnyLemon Cake (page 119), where it iscombined with cream, and LemonBrûlée Tart (page 153). It can alsobe used on its own as a cake fillingor more simply to spread on toastor scones. Practice will teach youhow to tell when the curd is done,but an instant-read thermometerwill remove the guesswork.

MAKES ABOUT 11/4 CUPS/340 G

6 large egg yolks1/3 cup/65 g sugar

1/3 cup/75 ml fresh lemon juice

10 Tbsp/145 g unsalted butter, cut into1/2-in/12-mm pieces, at roomtemperature

1. Place a wire sieve over a heat-proofmedium bowl and put near the stove.Whisk the egg yolks, sugar, and lemonjuice together in a heavy mediumsaucepan. Add the butter.

2. Cook, stirring constantly with a heat-proof spatula and scraping down any

splashes on the inside of the saucepan,until the butter has melted. Switch to awhisk and whisk constantly until thecurd is thick and just short of simmering(an instant-read thermometer inserted inthe curd should register 180°F/82°C),about 4 minutes. Do not boil.Immediately strain the curd through thesieve to remove any bits of cooked eggwhite. Press a piece of plastic wrapdirectly on the surface of the curd and letcool completely. Transfer to a coveredcontainer. Refrigerate until chilled andspreadable, at least 2 hours. The curdcan be stored in the refrigerator for up to5 days.

PIE DOUGH

Every bakery has a proprietaryrecipe for pie dough. Our recipeincludes butter and vegetableshortening. Since butter tastes sogood, why do many recipes useshortening or lard? Unlike butter,these last two fats contain verylittle water. Since liquid toughensthe gluten in flour, the less water inthe dough ingredients, the flakierthe dough. Ours uses butter and

shortening for a light and tendercrust, which will improve any pie.For a double-crust pie, just doublethe recipe.

MAKES ONE 9-IN/23- CM CRUST

11/2 cups/220 g unbleached all-purposeflour1/2 tsp sugar

1/4 tsp fine sea salt

5 Tbsp/70 g unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-in/12-mm cubes, chilled1/4 cup/55 g vegetable shortening, cut

into 1/2-in/12-mm chunks, chilled

1/4 cup/60 ml ice-cold water, as needed

1. Whisk the flour, sugar, and salttogether in a large bowl. Add the butterand toss to coat with flour. Using apastry blender, cut the butter into theflour mixture until the pieces are abouthalf their original size. Add theshortening and toss to coat. Continuecutting in the butter and shortening untilthe mixture looks like coarse breadcrumbs with some pea-size pieces of thesolids. Do not overmix. While stirringthe mixture with a fork, gradually addenough of the water so the dough beginsto clump together.

2. Gather up the dough and shape into athick disk. Wrap in plastic wrap andrefrigerate until chilled but not hard,about 1 hour. The dough can berefrigerated for up to 1 day. If the doughis well chilled and hard, let stand atroom temperature for about 15 minutesbefore rolling out.

TART DOUGH

Pie dough is supposed to be flakyand tender. Tart dough is almostlike a cookie and bakes up buttery,crisp, and a bit sweet. Be sure tomake it at least an hour before usingso the gluten in the flour has time torelax before you roll it out.

MAKES ONE 9-IN/23- CM CRUST

1/2 cup/115 g unsalted butter, at roomtemperature1/3 cup/65 g sugar

1 large egg yolk

2 Tbsp whole milk

11/4 cups/165 g cake flour (not self-rising)1/4 tsp fine sea salt

1. Beat the butter in a medium bowl withan electric mixer set on high speed untilsmooth, about 1 minute. Add the sugarand beat until light in color and texture,about 2 minutes. Beat in the egg yolk,

and then dribble in the milk. Reduce themixer speed to low. Mix the flour andsalt together in a small bowl, thengradually add to the butter mixture andmix just until the dough is smooth.

2. Turn out the dough onto a flouredwork surface. Shape into a thick disk.Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerateuntil chilled but not hard, about 1 hour.The dough can be refrigerated for up to 1day. If the dough is well chilled andhard, let stand at room temperature forabout 15 minutes before rolling out.

THE MODEL BAKERY ON PIESAND TARTS

All of the dough ingredientsshould be cold beforemixing. If you are baking in ahot kitchen (as we do 99percent of the time in St.Helena, where the naturallywarm temperature isaugmented by the heat of theoven), you can even freezethe dry ingredients and thefats for 30 minutes or so tobe sure that everything ischilled. Cold butter and

shortening will melt in thehot oven, creating littlebursts of steam, which givethe dough its flaky texture.

Cornstarch and flour are bothreliable thickeners for fruitfillings. If the fruit isnaturally acidic, likeblueberries, the juices willbreak down the cornstarch asthe pie stands, so flourwould be a better choice.Don’t be concerned if yourpie filling is loose. You justcan’t tell how much naturalpectin the fruit has until after

baking. A slightly runnyfilling is better than one thatis too thick and gummy.

Good pies cannot be rushed.The dough must berefrigerated for at least 20minutes, a rest that relaxesthe gluten in the flour andfirms the dough so it will beeasier to roll out. After therolled dough is fitted into thepan, it should be frozen foranother (shorter) period ofrelaxing and firming, a stepthat reduces shrinkage duringbaking. And finally, mostpies need to be completely

cooled before serving.

We use aluminum pie pans atthe bakery because they aresturdy and hold the oven heatwell. At home you mayprefer a Pyrex pie plate,which is also an excellentchoice because you can seethrough the pie plate to checkhow the crust is baking.Metal tart pans withremovable bottoms are bestfor tarts. We also use 5-in/12-cm tartlet pans forindividual tarts.

Many fruit-based pie fillingstend to release their juicesduring baking, and this canmake a mess out of your ovenfloor. Get in the habit ofbaking pies with the pan on abaking sheet lined withparchment paper or foil.When juices bubble over, thelining can easily be thrownaway for a quick cleanup.

There are a couple of waysto ensure a pie or tart crusthas a crisp bottom.Prebaking the shell (as wedo for the Brandied PumpkinPie on page 148) is one

method that works well withegg-based pie fillings.Another tip is to bake the pieon a baking sheet, even whenyou’re not expecting thefilling to be runny. The hot,flat surface browns the crustmore evenly than the wiresof an oven rack.

At the Model Bakery, we makesure the entire cookie family isrepresented every day, so if youvisit, you are bound to enjoy afavorite, no matter when you dropin. You’ll find bar cookies (ourespresso-kissed brownies andgooey carmelitas), drop cookies(like oatmeal-raisin and a coupleof different chocolate chipvariations), and shaped cookies(Linzer cookies). When a holidayrolls around, the baking teammakes rolled sugar cookies cutand decorated into appropriateseasonal shapes: hearts for

Valentine’s Day, eggs and bunniesfor Easter, and everything fromstars to trees for Christmas.You’ll find recipes for all of themin this chapter. We like to makeoversized cookies—if you areonly going to have a single cookie,let it be a big one! Feel free tobreak the cookie into smallerportions as appetites demand.

LEMONSQUARES

You may already have a favoriterecipe for lemon squares. After all,they are one of America’s mostbeloved cookies, and have beenaround for years. Our version is notonly the best one we know, but theeasiest, as it has a simple baked-ontopping instead of a separatelyprepared lemon curd, which manybakers use. You may be surprisedat the amount of sugar that is

needed to balance the lemon juice.Be forewarned that experiments toreduce the sugar could bedisappointing. We’ve tried!

MAKES 9 BARS

CRUST

1/2 cup/115 g unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-in/12-mm pieces, at room temperature,plus more for the pan

1 cup/145 g unbleached all-purposeflour, plus more for the pan1/4 cup/30 g confectioners’ sugar

FILLING

11/2 cups/300 g granulated sugar

1/3 cup plus 1 Tbsp/60 g unbleached all-purpose flour

3 large eggs, at room temperature1/4 cup/60 ml fresh lemon juice

Confectioners’ sugar for sprinkling

1. TO MAKE THE CRUST: Position a rackin the center of the oven and preheat to350°F/180°C/gas 4. Lightly butter an 8-in/20-cm square baking pan. Dust withflour and tap out the excess.

2. Stir the flour and confectioners’ sugartogether in a large bowl. Stir in thebutter to coat the pieces with the flourmixture. Cut in the butter with a pastryblender (or rub the ingredients togetherwith your fingertips) until the mixture iscrumbly. Press the mixture firmly andevenly into the bottom and up the sidesof the prepared pan.

3. Bake until the crust is golden brown,15 to 20 minutes. Remove the pan fromthe oven. Let stand while making thefilling.

4. TO MAKE THE FILLING: Whisk thesugar and flour together in a medium

bowl. Add the eggs and lemon juice andwhisk until smooth. Pour over the hotcrust and return to the oven.

5. Bake until the filling is set in thecenter, about 20 minutes. Let coolcompletely in the pan on a wire coolingrack. Run a dinner knife around theinside of the pan to loosen the bars. Cutinto nine squares. Just before serving,sift confectioners’ sugar over the bars.(The cookies can be refrigerated in anairtight container for up to 3 days.)

BROWNIES

Many of our customers say that wehave the fudgiest, most intenselychocolate brownies in the Valley.Hyperbole aside, they are awfullygood—thick slabs of darksweetness enhanced by a bit ofespresso. The unusual method ofmelting the chocolate with a hotbutter and sugar mixture is onereason for their irresistibly moisttexture.

MAKES 9 BROWNIES

3/4 cup plus 1 Tbsp/185 g unsaltedbutter, plus more for the pan

Unbleached all-purpose flour for the pan

1 cup/130 g cake flour (not self-rising)3/4 tsp baking powder

3/4 tsp fine sea salt

10 oz/280 g semisweet chocolate (nomore than 55% cacao), finely chopped

1 cup/200 g sugar

3 Tbsp brewed espresso (or 11/2 tspinstant espresso dissolved in 3 Tbsp

boiling water)

1 tsp pure vanilla extract

3 large eggs, beaten, at roomtemperature

11/3 cups/225 g semisweet chocolatechips

1. Position a rack in the center of theoven and preheat to 350°F/180°C/gas 4.Butter an 8-in/20-cm square baking pan.Line the bottom of the pan withparchment paper. Dust the sides withall-purpose flour and tap out the excess.

2. Sift the cake flour, baking powder,and salt together into a medium bowl.

Put the chopped chocolate in a heat-proof medium bowl. Heat the butter,sugar, and espresso together in a mediumsaucepan over medium heat, stirringoften, until the butter is melted. Pour thehot butter mixture over the chocolate andlet stand until the chocolate softens,about 1 minute. Add the vanilla andwhisk until the chocolate is melted.Gradually beat in the eggs. Add the flourmixture and stir until smooth, makingsure to scrape up the chocolate mixturein the bottom of the bowl. Fold in thechocolate chips. Spread out evenly in theprepared pan.

3. Bake until a wooden toothpickinserted in the center comes out clean,

about 35 minutes. Let cool completely inthe pan on a wire cooling rack. Cut intonine squares. The brownies can bestored in an airtight container at roomtemperature for up to 5 days.

CARMELITABARS

With a name like carmelita, you canbe sure that caramel is going toshow up somewhere in this recipe.The original recipe for these gooey,crumb-topped bars was on the backof an oatmeal box and used a jar ofcaramel sauce. You could do it thatway to save time, but the secret ofour carmelitas is homemadecaramel. Be sure to cook thecaramel to the smoking point—anyless, and the caramel won’t have

the bitter note that makes it sodelectable.

MAKES 18 BARS

CARAMEL

2 cups/400 g granulated sugar1/2 cup/120 ml water

2 tsp light corn syrup

1 cup/240 ml heavy cream

CRUST

Butter, at room temperature, for the pan

3 cups/255 g old-fashioned (rolled) oats

12/3 cups/235 g unbleached all-purposeflour, plus more for the pan3/4 cup/150 g packed light brown sugar

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/4 tsp salt

3/4 cup/170 unsalted butter, melted

2 Tbsp water

1 cup/170 g semisweet chocolate chips

1 cup/115 g chopped walnuts

1. TO MAKE THE CARAMEL: Stir thegranulated sugar, water, and corn syruptogether in a large heavy saucepan over

high heat until the sugar has dissolved.Boil, without stirring, occasionallyrotating the pan by the handle to swirlthe syrup and washing down any crystalsthat form on the sides of the pan with anatural-bristle brush dipped in coldwater, until the syrup is smoking and thecolor of old copper, 3 to 5 minutes.Reduce the heat to low.

2. Add the cream (it will bubble up, sobe careful) and stir until the caramel issmooth. Remove from the heat and letcool until tepid and thickened, about 1hour.

3. TO MAKE THE CRUST: Position a rack

in the center of the oven and preheat to350°F/180°C/gas 4. Butter and flour a13-by-9-in/33-by-23-cm baking pan.

4. Whisk the oats, flour, brown sugar,baking soda, and salt together in a largebowl. Stir in the melted butter and wateruntil the oat mixture is moistened.Transfer about one-fourth of the mixtureto a bowl; set aside. Transfer theremainder into the prepared pan andpress it firmly and evenly into the bottomof the pan.

5. Bake until the crust is golden brown,20 to 25 minutes. Remove from the oven.Spread the caramel over the crust.Sprinkle the chocolate chips and walnuts

evenly over the caramel. Crumble thereserved oat mixture, as evenly aspossible, over the top. Return to theoven and bake until the topping is barelygolden brown, about 15 minutes. Thechocolate chips should not becompletely melted.

6. Let cool completely in the pan on awire cooling rack. Run a dinner knifearound the inside of the pan to loosen thebars. Using a sharp knife, cut intoeighteen bars. The cookies can be storedin an airtight container at roomtemperature for up to 3 days.

CHOCOLATERADS

These radically chocolate cookiesare guaranteed to be a hit. When wewere putting this book together,many customers made us promise toput this one down on paper. Thechocolate is, of course, animportant element, but some peopleare surprised to find espresso inhere, as well. We use Guittard’sFrench Vanilla, a not-too-bittersemisweet chocolate with 54

percent cacao content. Somemarkets in the western UnitedStates sell chunks of it in bulk, butany top-quality chocolate with asimilar cacao content is fine.Crackly, chewy-soft, and jammedwith chocolate, this is one greatcookie. You will need a standmixer to make the sturdy dough.

MAKES 12 LARGE COOKIES

2/3 cup/95 g unbleached all-purposeflour

21/2 tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp fine sea salt

1 lb/455 g semisweet chocolate (nomore than 55% cacao), finely chopped

4 Tbsp/55 g unsalted butter, at roomtemperature

12/3 cups/330 g sugar

4 large eggs, at room temperature

1 Tbsp cold brewed espresso (or 1 tspinstant espresso dissolved in 1 Tbspboiling water and cooled)

21/2 tsp pure vanilla extract

2 cups/340 g semisweet chocolate chips

1 cup/115 g chopped walnuts

1. Sift the flour, baking powder, and salttogether into a small bowl and set aside.Put the chopped chocolate in a largeheat-proof bowl, preferably stainlesssteel. Set over a large saucepan ofbarely simmering water and let stand,stirring occasionally, just until thechocolate is melted and smooth. Removethe bowl from the saucepan and add thebutter. Let stand, stirring occasionally,until the butter is melted andincorporated into the chocolate.

2. Beat the sugar and eggs in the bowl ofa stand mixer fitted with the whiskattachment on high speed until themixture is fluffy, thick, and pale yellow,

about 5 minutes. (Or whisk the mixtureby hand for about 8 minutes.) Beat in theespresso and vanilla.

3. Reduce the mixer speed to low. Addthe melted chocolate, being careful notto overmix. Add the flour mixture,stopping to scrape the sides and bottomof the bowl to ensure that the batter iscompletely mixed. Stir in the chocolatechips and walnuts. The dough will besoft, so let it stand until firm enough toshape, 20 to 30 minutes.

4. Place an 18-by-13-in/46-by-33-cmsheet of parchment paper on the worksurface. Drop large spoonfuls of thedough across the width of the paper.

Using wet hands, pat and shape thedough into a 12-by-3-in/30.5-by-7.5-cmlog. Wrap the dough in the parchmentpaper, smoothing the dough into an evenlog. Twist the ends of the paper closed.Place the log on a baking sheet andrefrigerate until firm enough to slice, atleast 2 hours or up to 1 day.

5. Position racks in the top third andcenter of the oven and preheat to350°F/180°C/gas 4. Line two half-sheetpans with parchment paper.

6. Since the log will be flat where it saton the baking sheet, roll the wrappeddough on the work surface to smooth it

so that the slices will be nice and round.Unwrap the dough. Using a thin, sharpknife dipped in water, cut the dough intotwelve 1-in-/2.5-cm-thick rounds.Arrange the rounds about 3 in/7.5 cmapart on the lined pans, allowing fourcookies per pan. Refrigerate theremaining rounds.

7. Bake, switching the position of thepans from top to bottom and front toback halfway through baking, until thetops of the cookies are cracked and theedges are beginning to crisp, about 20minutes. Let cool on the pans for 5minutes. Transfer to wire cooling racksand let cool completely. Repeat with theremaining dough rounds on a cooled pan.

The cookies can be stored in an airtightcontainer at room temperature for up to 3days.

ALMONDMACAROONS

Our friend Molly Chappellet, acookbook writer as well as thefemale head of one of the Valley’spioneering wine families,absolutely loves these chewyalmond cookies. The Chappelletfamily is one of the fewnonrestaurant accounts we maintainat the bakery, and we can’t begin tocount the dozens of cookies theyhave purchased over the decades.

Our recipe uses 1 lb/455 g ofalmond paste, and it will be muchless pricey to make if you buy thepaste in bulk instead of in cans atthe supermarket. A couple ofimportant tips: Make sure thecookie dough stands for at least 30minutes before scooping, and let thecookies cool completely on thepans before you remove them, orthey will stick to it.

MAKES 12 LARGE COOKIES

1 lb/455 g almond paste, broken intowalnut-size chunks

11/2 cups/300 g granulated sugar

4 large egg whites, at room temperature2/3 cup/80 g confectioners’ sugar, sifted

1/4 cup/35 g unbleached all-purposeflour

1. Process the almond paste andgranulated sugar in a food processorfitted with the metal blade to make finecrumbs. Add the egg whites,confectioners’ sugar, and flour andprocess until the dough comes together.Scrape out of the food processor into amedium bowl. Cover with plastic wrapand refrigerate for at least 30 minutes or

up to 4 hours before baking.

2. Position racks in the top third andcenter of the oven and preheat to350°F/180°C/gas 4. Line two half-sheetpans with parchment paper.

3. Using a number-16 food-portionscoop with about a 1/4-cup/60-mlcapacity for each cookie, drop scoops ofthe dough onto the lined pans, placingthem about 2 in/5 cm apart. You shouldbe able to fit six cookies on each pan.

4. Bake, switching the positions of thepans from top to bottom and front toback halfway through baking, until the

cookies are golden brown and fully risenin the center, about 25 minutes. Let coolcompletely on the pans. Carefullyremove the cookies from the pan. Thecookies can be stored in an airtightcontainer at room temperature for up to 5days.

OATMEAL-RAISIN

COOKIES

When Alex places a personalbakery order with his nana, Karen,he usually asks her to bring home“the raisin ones.” You willunderstand why they are one of hisfavorites. These are the ultimatecookie jar filler—just the thing towhip together in a few minutes withingredients that you are likely tohave on hand, and guaranteed to

please everyone who eats them.

MAKES 18 LARGE COOKIES

2 cups/290 g unbleached all-purposeflour

1 tsp baking soda

1 tsp ground cinnamon3/4 tsp fine sea salt

1/8 tsp freshly grated nutmeg

1 cup/225 g unsalted butter, at roomtemperature

2 cups/400 g packed light brown sugar

2 large eggs, at room temperature

1 tsp pure vanilla extract

2 cups/190 g old-fashioned (rolled) oats

1 cup/170 g dark raisins

1. Position racks in the top third andcenter of the oven and preheat to350°F/180°C/gas 4. Line two half-sheetpans with parchment paper.

2. Sift the flour, baking soda, cinnamon,salt, and nutmeg together into a mediumbowl. Beat the butter and brown sugartogether in a large bowl with an electricmixer set on medium speed,occasionally scraping down the sides of

the bowl, until light in color, about 3minutes. (Or cream the butter and sugartogether in a large bowl with a woodenspoon until light in color, about 5minutes.) Beat in the eggs, one at a time,and then the vanilla. Reduce the mixerspeed to low. Add the flour mixture inthirds, mixing just until combined. Stir inthe oats and raisins.

3. Using a number-16 food-portionscoop with about a 1/4-cup/60-mlcapacity, drop scoops of dough onto thelined pans, spacing them about 2 in/5 cmapart. You will only be able to fit sixcookies on each pan.

4. Bake, switching the pans from top tobottom and front to back halfway throughbaking, until the cookies are lightlygolden and set around the edges, about15 minutes. Let the cookies cool on thepans for 5 minutes, then transfer to wirecooling racks and let cool completely.Repeat with the remaining dough oncooled pans. The cookies can be storedin an airtight container at roomtemperature for up to 5 days.

PEANUTBUTTER

COOKIES

The perfect peanut butter cookie—crumbly around the edges, butchewy in the middle—came to usvia the late Marion Cunningham,who most people learned to lovethrough her thorough retooling ofThe Fannie Farmer Cookbook.Marion was born and bred inCalifornia, and for many years shespearheaded “the Baker’s Dozen,”

a group of passionate cooks thatincluded Karen. Thanks, Marion,for sharing your cookie with us andwith the hundreds of Model Bakerycustomers who enjoy it every week.

MAKES ABOUT 18 COOKIES

3 cups/435 g all-purpose flour

2 tsp baking soda1/4 tsp salt

1 cup/225 g unsalted butter, at roomtemperature

1 cup/200 g packed light brown sugar

1 cup/200 g granulated sugar

2 large eggs, at room temperature

1 cup/255 g chunky peanut butter

1. Position racks in the top third andcenter of the oven and preheat to350°F/180°C/gas 4. Line two half-sheetpans with parchment paper.

2. Sift the flour, baking soda, and salttogether into a medium bowl. Beat thebutter, brown sugar, and granulatedsugar together in a large bowl with anelectric mixer set on high speed just untilsmooth and beginning to turn pale, about11/2 minutes. (Or cream the butter and

sugars together in a large bowl with awooden spoon until beginning to turnpale, about 3 minutes.) Beat in the eggs,one at a time. Beat in the peanut butter.Reduce the mixer speed to low.Gradually add the flour mixture, mixingjust until combined.

3. Using a number-16 food-portionscoop with about a 1/4-cup/60-mlcapacity, drop scoops of the dough ontothe lined pans, spacing them about 2 in/5cm apart. You should be able to fit aboutsix cookies on each pan.

4. Bake, switching the pans from top tobottom and front to back halfway through

baking, until the cookies are very lightlybrowned around the edges, 15 to 18minutes. Let the cookies cool on the pansfor 5 minutes, then transfer to wirecooling racks and let cool completely.Repeat with the remaining dough oncooled pans. The cookies can be storedin an airtight container at roomtemperature for up to 5 days.

THE ULTIMATECHOCOLATE

CHIP COOKIES

These are the chocolate chipcookies of your dreams—that is, ifyou like them big, chewy, and filledwith chips and nuts. Mosttraditional recipes for this cookieuse granulated sugar in addition tothe brown sugar, but it’s the brownsugar that supplies the moisture.With all due respect, fans of thin,

crisp chocolate chip cookies shouldlook elsewhere.

MAKES 16 LARGE COOKIES

2 cups/290 g unbleached all-purposeflour3/4 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp fine sea salt

3/4 cup plus 1 Tbsp/185 g unsaltedbutter, at room temperature

11/3 cups/275 g packed light brownsugar

2 large eggs, at room temperature

1 tsp pure vanilla extract

22/3 cups/450 g chocolate chips

1 cup/115 g chopped walnuts

1. Position racks in the top third andcenter of the oven and preheat to375°F/190°C/gas 5. Line two half-sheetpans with parchment paper.

2. Sift the flour, baking soda, and salttogether into a medium bowl. Beat thebutter and brown sugar together in alarge bowl with an electric mixer set onmedium speed, occasionally scrapingdown the sides of the bowl, until light in

color, about 11/2 minutes. (Or cream thebutter and sugar together in a large bowlwith a wooden spoon until light in color,about 5 minutes.) Beat in the eggs, one ata time, and then the vanilla. Reduce themixer speed to low. Add the flourmixture in thirds, mixing just untilcombined. Stir in the chocolate chipsand walnuts.

3. Using a number-16 food-portionscoop with about a 1/4-cup/60-mlcapacity, drop scoops of dough onto thelined pans, spacing them about 3 in/7.5cm apart. You will only be able to fitthree or four cookies on each pan.

4. Bake, switching the pans from top tobottom and front to back halfway throughbaking, until the cookies are lightlygolden and set around the edges, 14 to17 minutes. Let the cookies cool on thepans for 5 minutes, then transfer to wirecooling racks and let cool completely.Repeat with the remaining dough oncooled pans. The cookies can be storedin an airtight container at roomtemperature for up to 5 days.

WHITECHOCOLATE

CHIP ANDHAZELNUTCOOKIES

Here is a variation on the chocolatechip theme that vanilla lovers (youknow who you are) will appreciate.Whenever you shop for whitechocolate, look carefully at thelabel and make sure it lists cocoa

butter. If palm oil or other tropicalfats have been used, skip it.

MAKES 15 LARGE COOKIES

21/3 cups/340 g unbleached all-purposeflour

1 tsp baking soda1/2 tsp fine sea salt

11 Tbsp/160 g unsalted butter, at roomtemperature3/4 cup/150 g packed light brown sugar

3/4 cup/150 g granulated sugar

2 large eggs, at room temperature

2 Tbsp water

2 tsp pure vanilla extract

2 cups/340 g white chocolate chips2/3 cup/90 g toasted, skinned, andchopped hazelnuts (see page 30)

1. Position racks in the top third andcenter of the oven and preheat to350°F/180°C/gas 4. Line two half-sheetpans with parchment paper.

2. Sift the flour, baking soda, and salttogether into a medium bowl. Beat thebutter, brown sugar, and granulatedsugar together in a large bowl with an

electric mixer set on medium speed,occasionally scraping down the sides ofthe bowl, until light in color, about 3minutes. (Or cream the butter and sugarstogether in a large bowl with a woodenspoon until light in color, about 5minutes.) Beat in the eggs, one at a time,and then the water and vanilla. Reducethe mixer speed to low. Add the flourmixture in thirds, mixing just untilcombined. Stir in the white chocolatechips and hazelnuts.

3. Using a number-16 food-portionscoop with about a 1/4-cup/60-mlcapacity, drop scoops of the dough ontothe lined pans, spacing them about 3

in/7.5 cm apart. You will only be able tofit three or four cookies on each pan.

4. Bake, switching the pans from top tobottom and front to back halfway throughbaking, until the cookies are lightlygolden and set around the edges, about17 minutes. Let the cookies cool on thepans for 5 minutes, then transfer to wirecooling racks and let cool completely.Repeat with the remaining dough oncooled pans. The cookies can be storedin an airtight container at roomtemperature for up to 5 days.

TENDER SUGARCOOKIES

Here is a simple but delicioussugar cookie with a melt-in-your-mouth texture that is perfect with acup of afternoon tea. For Christmascookies, roll them in cinnamon-sugar or colored sugar. Because itis so popular with the younger set,we call this “the kid’s cookie.”

MAKES ABOUT 48 COOKIES

42/3 cups/610 g cake flour (not self-rising)

11/2 tsp baking soda

11/2 tsp cream of tartar

1 cup/225 g unsalted butter, at roomtemperature

11/2 cups/300 g granulated sugar

11/4 cups/145 g confectioners’ sugar,sifted

1 cup/240 ml vegetable oil

2 large eggs, at room temperature1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract

1. Sift the flour, baking soda, and creamof tartar together into a large bowl. Mixthe butter, 1 cup/200 g of the granulatedsugar, and the confectioners’ sugartogether in the bowl of a stand mixer onlow speed, just until combined. Increasethe speed to high and beat, occasionallyscraping down the sides of the bowl,until light in color, about 2 minutes.Gradually beat in the vegetable oil. (Orcream the butter and sugars together in alarge bowl with a wooden spoon untilbeginning to turn pale, about 3 minutes.Gradually whisk in the oil.) Beat in theeggs, one at a time, mixing well aftereach addition and scraping down thesides of the bowl as needed. Mix in the

vanilla. Reduce the mixer speed to low.Add the flour mixture in thirds and mixto make a soft dough. Cover the bowlwith plastic wrap and refrigerate untilthe dough is firm enough to scoop, atleast 2 hours or up to 1 day.

2. Position racks in the top third andcenter of the oven and preheat to350°F/180°C/gas 4. Line two half-sheetpans with parchment paper.

3. Using about 1 Tbsp for each cookie,roll the dough into about forty-eightballs. Put the remaining 1/2 cup/100 ggranulated sugar in a bowl. Dip just oneside of each ball in the sugar. Arrange

the balls, sugar-side up, about 1 in/2.5cm apart (the cookies don’t spreadmuch) on the lined pans.

4. Bake, switching the pans from top tobottom and front to back halfway throughbaking, until the cookies are barelygolden and set around the edges, 12 to15 minutes. Do not overbake. Let thecookies cool on the pans for 5 minutes,then transfer to wire cooling racks andlet cool completely. The cookies can bestored in an airtight container at roomtemperature for up to 5 days.

FESTIVE SUGARCOOKIES

At every major holiday (and evensome not so major, like BastilleDay) we roll, cut, and decoratethousands of gorgeous sugarcookies, which taste as good asthey look. (We do not exaggerate—we sold more than ten thousandcookies last December.) Our doughis easy to handle, crisp yet tender,and, of course, tasty. The cookiesare dipped in our signature shiny

icing to give them a smooth surface,which can be left plain or be furtherembellished with royal icing orother frosting. A disposable plasticpastry bag, with the tip snipped off,makes the perfect tool for piping.For the simplest decorations, applyholiday candies, colored sugars, orsprinkles to iced cookies. Let yourimagination go.

MAKES ABOUT 36 COOKIES

5 cups/725 g unbleached all-purposeflour, plus more for rolling out the dough

1 tsp fine sea salt

1 lb/455 g unsalted butter, at roomtemperature

11/2 cups/300 g sugar

2 large eggs, beaten, at roomtemperature

1 tsp pure vanilla extract

1 recipe Shiny Cookie Icing (page 187)

1 recipe Royal Icing (page 187)

1. Sift the flour and salt together into amedium bowl. Beat the butter in a largebowl with an electric mixer set on highspeed until the butter is smooth, about 1minute. Gradually beat in the sugar andcontinue beating until light in color and

texture, occasionally scraping down thesides of the bowl with a rubber spatula,about 2 minutes. (Or cream the butterand sugar together in a large bowl with awooden spoon until light in color, about8 minutes.) Beat in the eggs, one at atime, beating well after each addition tobe sure they are thoroughly absorbedinto the butter mixture. Beat in thevanilla. Reduce the mixer speed to low.Gradually mix in the flour mixture,scraping down the sides of the bowl asneeded, until the dough comes together.

2. Gather up the dough and divide it intothirds. Wrap each portion in parchmentpaper or plastic wrap. Refrigerate untilchilled and firm, at least 2 hours or up to

2 days. (The dough can be frozen,wrapped in plastic wrap and anoverwrap of aluminum foil, for up to 1month. Defrost in the refrigeratorovernight.)

3. Position racks in the top third andcenter of the oven and preheat to350°F/180°C/gas 4. Line two half-sheetpans with parchment paper.

4. Let the dough stand at roomtemperature for about 15 minutes tosoften slightly without losing its chill.Working with one portion of dough at atime, place the unwrapped dough on alightly floured work surface and dust the

top of the dough with flour. Roll out thedough until 1/4 in/6 mm thick. (If thedough is thinner than this, it tends toleave crumbs in the icing duringglazing.) Using cookie cutters, cut out theshapes of your choice. Arrange thecookies 1 in/2.5 cm apart on the linedpans. The scraps can be gathered up andgently kneaded together, and then rolledand cut out until the dough is used up.

5. Bake, switching the pans from top tobottom and front to back halfway throughbaking, until the edges of the cookies arelightly browned, 12 to 15 minutes. Letthe cookies cool on the pans for 5minutes, then transfer to wire cooling

racks and let cool completely. (Theundecorated cookies can be stored inairtight containers at room temperaturefor up to 2 days.)

6. Line at least one half-sheet pan withparchment or waxed paper. Set a largewire cooling rack in the pan.

7. Pour the shiny cookie icing into asmall, deep heat-proof (stainless-steelor Pyrex) bowl. Holding a cookiesmooth-side down (that is, with the sidethat touched the baking sheet facing up),dip just the cookie’s “face” onto thesurface of the icing to coat it. Let theexcess icing drip back into the bowl andclean the sides of the cookie with your

forefinger. Place on the cooling rack.Repeat with the remaining cookies andicing. (If the icing firms up or forms acrust, place the bowl in a skillet ofgently simmering water and stir the icinguntil it is fluid again, taking care not tosplash water into the icing.) Let thecookies stand until the icing iscompletely set.

8. Put the royal icing in a smalldisposable plastic pastry bag, squeezingthe icing into the tip of the bag. Usingscissors, snip off the tip to make a 1/16-in/2-mm opening in the tip of the bag.Pipe line decorations as desired onto theglazed cookies. Let stand until the

decorations are firm. The cookies can bestored, stacked and separated withparchment or wax paper, in airtightcontainers at room temperature for up to5 days.

SHINY COOKIEICING

Many bakeries rely on eggwhite–based royal icing forgiving cookies a glossyglaze. We have developed anegg-free alternative, whichwe affectionately nicknamed“goop,” because that’s whatit is! It can be made aheadand refrigerated, to use asneeded—a boon during thebusy holiday cookie seasons,

when we have buckets ofgoop in the walk-inrefrigerator, marked bycolor.

MAKES ABOUT 23/4 CUPS/103 KG,ENOUGH FOR ABOUT 72 COOKIES

8 cups/920 g confectioners’ sugar(no need to sift)1/2 cup/115 g unsalted butter

1/2 cup/120 ml whole milk, plusmore as needed

2 Tbsp light corn syrup

Put the confectioners’ sugar in alarge bowl. Heat the butter andmilk together in a mediumsaucepan over medium heat,stirring until the milk is hot andsteaming (the butter does not haveto be completely melted). Usingan electric mixer set on lowspeed, gradually beat the hot milkmixture into the confectioners’sugar, scraping down the sides ofthe bowl often. Continue mixinguntil smooth. Add the corn syrupand beat until smooth and shiny. Ifnecessary, add more milk, 1 tsp ata time, until the icing has theconsistency of housepaint. Cover

the bowl with plastic wrap untilready to use. The icing can bemade up to 5 days ahead. Store,covered, in the refrigerator. Touse, transfer the icing to a heat-proof bowl, preferably stainlesssteel. Place the bowl in a skilletof gently simmering water, stirringthe icing occasionally and takingcare not to splash water into theicing, just until warmed and fluidenough for dipping.

ROYAL ICING

Royal icing is used to pipeline decorations onto glazedcookies. The traditional icinguses raw egg whites, but thedried egg white powder inthis recipe is a salmonella-safe option and is availableat many supermarkets andonline. If you wish, substitute3 egg whites, or theequivalent in pasteurized eggwhites, which are available

in the refrigerated section ofthe supermarket, for the driedegg white powder and water.

MAKES ABOUT 2 CUPS/500 G,ENOUGH FOR ABOUT 72 COOKIES

4 cups/455 g confectioners’ sugar,sifted1/4 cup plus 2 Tbsp/90 ml water

2 Tbsp dried egg white powder

1 tsp fresh lemon juice

In a medium bowl, using anelectric mixer at low speed, mix

the confectioners’ sugar, water,egg white powder, and lemonjuice until combined. Increase thespeed to high and beat, scrapingdown the sides of the bowl often,until very stiff, shiny, and thickenough to pipe, 3 to 5 minutes.Cover with a wet paper towelpressed directly onto the surfaceof the icing until ready to use toavoid crusting. The icing can bestored in an airtight container inthe refrigerator, with a moistpaper towel on the surface, for upto 2 days.

RASPBERRYLINZER

COOKIES

The Austrian city of Linz is famousfor Linzer torte, a tartlike pastrywith a nut-based dough and a fillingof fruit preserves—a flavorcombination that is wonderful insandwich cookies, too. We cut thedough into hearts for Valentine’sDay, and for Christmas, ourwreath-shaped Linzer cookies are a

charming addition to a cookie tray.

MAKES ABOUT 28 SANDWICH COOKIES

2 cups/230 g sliced natural almonds

21/4 cups/325 g unbleached all-purposeflour, plus more for rolling out the dough

11/4 cups/280 g unsalted butter, at roomtemperature2/3 cup/130 g granulated sugar

2 tsp pure vanilla extract

Grated zest of 1 lemon

1 cup/300 g raspberry preserves

Confectioners’ sugar for sprinkling

1. Process the almonds and 1/2 cup/75 gof the flour in a food processor fittedwith the metal blade until the nuts arevery finely ground. Transfer to a mediumbowl and add the remaining 13/4cups/250 g flour.

2. Beat the butter in a large bowl with anelectric mixer set on medium speed untilsmooth, about 1 minute. Gradually beatin the granulated sugar and continuebeating until light in color and texture,about 1 minute. (Or cream the butter andgranulated sugar together in a large bowlwith a wooden spoon until beginning to

turn pale, about 3 minutes.) Beat in thevanilla and lemon zest. Reduce the mixerspeed to low. Add the flour mixture inthirds and mix just until smooth.

3. Shape the dough into two thick disks.Wrap each portion in plastic wrap.Refrigerate until chilled and firm, atleast 2 hours or up to 2 days. (If thedough is very hard, let stand for about 15minutes to soften slightly before rolling.)

4. Position racks in the top third andcenter of the oven and preheat to350°F/180°C/gas 4. Line two half-sheetpans with parchment paper.

5. Working with one disk of dough at a

time, roll out the dough on a lightlyfloured work surface until 1/8 in/3 mmthick. Using a 21/2-in/6-cm fluted cookiecutter, cut out rounds of dough. Arrangethe cookies about 1 in/2.5 apart on thelined pans. Reroll the scraps until all ofthe dough has been used, refrigeratingthe dough as needed. You should haveabout sixty rounds.

6. Using a 1-in/2.5-cm fluted cookiecutter, cut the centers from half of thecookies to make the cookie tops. Thewhole cookies will be the bottoms.Bake, switching the pans from top tobottom and front to back halfway throughbaking, until the edges of the cookies are

very lightly browned, about 15 minutes.Let the cookies cool on the pans for 5minutes, then transfer to wire coolingracks and let cool completely.

7. Spread about 1 tsp of the preserves oneach whole cookie. Sift confectioners’sugar over the cookie tops. Sandwich onthe bottoms and press gently to adhere.The cookies can be stored in an airtightcontainer at room temperature, with thelayers separated by wax or parchmentpaper, for up to 5 days.

GINGERMOLASSESCOOKIES

These big, soft, old-fashioned treatshave a reputation for being the bestginger cookies in California. Eventhe Los Angeles Times, not a localpaper by any means, has asked forour recipe. Many ginger cookierecipes call for melted butter, andwe used to make them that way. Butthey were too delicate, and whenwe changed to creamed butter,

chewy perfection was ours. Youwill only be able to fit three or fourcookies on a half-sheet pan, so planaccordingly.

MAKES ABOUT 18 LARGE COOKIES

4 cups/580 g unbleached all-purposeflour

2 tsp ground cinnamon

1 tsp ground cloves

1 tsp ground ginger

1 tsp baking soda

1 tsp fine sea salt

11/2 cups/300 g granulated sugar

11/3 cups/300 g unsalted butter

1/2 cup/120 ml unsulfured molasses (notblackstrap)

2 large eggs at room temperature

1 tsp pure vanilla extract1/2 cup/100 g demerara or raw sugar

1. Sift the flour, cinnamon, cloves,ginger, baking soda, and salt togetherinto a large bowl. Beat the granulatedsugar and butter together in a large bowlwith an electric mixer set on mediumspeed, occasionally scraping down the

sides of the bowl, until light in color,about 2 minutes. (Or cream the sugar andbutter together in a large bowl with awooden spoon until light in color, about5 minutes.) Gradually beat in themolasses. Beat in the eggs, one at a time,and then the vanilla. Reduce the mixerspeed to low. Add the flour mixture inthirds and mix to make a soft dough.Cover the bowl with plastic wrap andrefrigerate until the dough is firm enoughto scoop, at least 2 hours or up to 1 day.

2. Position racks in the top third andcenter of the oven and preheat to350°F/180°C/gas 4. Line two half-sheetpans with parchment paper.

3. Using a number-16 food-portionscoop with about a 1/4-cup/60-mlcapacity, scoop out the dough, dividingit into 16 portions. Roll each into a ball.Put the demerara sugar in a shallowbowl and dip just one side of each ballin the sugar. Arrange the balls, sugar-side up, about 3 in/7.5 cm apart on thelined pans. You will only be able to fitthree or four cookies on each pan.

4. Bake, switching the pans from top tobottom and front to back halfway throughbaking, until the cookies have crackedtops and are set around the edges, 15 to18 minutes. Let the cookies cool on thepans for 5 minutes, transfer to wire

cooling racks and then cool completely.The cookies can be stored in an airtightcontainer at room temperature for up to 5days.

GINGERBREADCOOKIES

What is Christmas withoutgingerbread cookies? Our recipe isgood and spicy. Your cookie is ablank canvas for you to expressyour creativity, so have fun whenyou decorate them, as we do at thebakery with Royal Icing (page 187)and bits of candy for buttons. Theexact number of cookies depends,of course, on the size of your cutter.Ours average 31/2 in/9 cm across.

MAKES ABOUT 66 COOKIES

5 cups/725 g unbleached all-purposeflour, plus more for rolling out the dough

2 Tbsp ground ginger

2 tsp baking soda

2 tsp ground cinnamon

2 tsp freshly grated nutmeg

1 tsp ground allspice

1 tsp fine sea salt

1 cup/225 g unsalted butter, at roomtemperature

1 cup/200 g packed light brown sugar

1 cup/240 ml unsulfured molasses (notblackstrap)

2 large eggs, at room temperature

1. Sift the flour, ginger, baking soda,cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice, and salttogether into a large bowl. Beat thebutter and brown sugar together in alarge bowl with an electric mixer set onmedium speed just until combined, about1 minute. (Or cream the butter and sugartogether in a large bowl with a woodenspoon until light in color, about 3minutes.) Gradually beat in themolasses. Beat in the eggs, one at a time.Reduce the mixer speed to low.Gradually add the flour mixture,

scraping down the sides of the bowloccasionally, mixing just until combined.

2. Divide the dough in half. Wrap eachportion in plastic wrap or aluminum foil.Refrigerate until chilled and firm, atleast 4 hours or up to 3 days.)

3. Position racks in the top third andcenter of the oven and preheat to350°F/180°C/gas 4. Line two half-sheetpans with parchment paper.

4. Let the dough stand at roomtemperature for 15 minutes to softenslightly without losing its chill. Workingwith one portion of dough at a time,place the unwrapped dough on a lightly

floured work surface. Roll out the doughuntil 1/4 in/6 mm thick. Using a cookiecutter, cut out cookies and arrange them1 in/2.5 cm apart on the lined pans.

5. Bake, switching the pans from top tobottom and front to back halfway throughbaking, until the cookies are justbeginning to brown around the edges,about 12 minutes, depending on the sizeof the cookies. For crisp cookies, bake afew minutes longer. Let the cookies coolon the pans for 3 minutes, then transfer towire cooling racks and let coolcompletely.

OURGINGERBREAD

HOUSE

Every December, young and oldalike await the arrival of a lovinglyhandmade gingerbread house in thefront window of our St. Helenastore. We take over a week to makeand decorate it, and use bags ofbrightly colored candies. No doubtabout it, it is a labor of love! Alex,Sarah’s son, helps too, as he

meticulously applies shreddedwheat cereal to the roof (andsneaks a few bites of the candy).Here we provide the pattern for amodestly sized gingerbread housefor a fun weekend project. Thecomplexity of your house will belimited only by your imaginationand patience.

MAKES 1 GINGERBREAD HOUSE

2 recipes Gingerbread Cookie dough(see page 191)

Unbleached all-purpose flour for rollingout the dough

2 recipes Royal Icing (page 187)

Assorted candies for decorating (seepage 195)

SPECIAL EQUIPMENT

Boxes, such as cereal or facial tissueboxes, for propping up the walls of thehouse

2 heavy-duty white cake cardboards or 1composite cake board, measuring 19 by13 in/48 by 33 cm (see page 195)

1. Use the illustrated measurements onpage 198 to create templates oncardboard or manila paper, and cut themout.

2. At least 2 days before decorating thegingerbread house, bake the gingerbreadpieces. Preheat the oven to350°F/180°C/gas 4. Line two perfectlyflat (not warped) half-sheet pans withparchment paper.

3. Divide the gingerbread dough intofour equal portions. Working with oneportion at a time, let the dough stand atroom temperature for about 10 minutesbefore rolling it out (keep the remainingdough refrigerated). Place the dough ona lightly floured work surface and dustthe top with flour. Using a long, heavyrolling pin, roll out the dough until 1/4in/6 mm thick. Using the templates, cut

out as many pieces of the house as willfit on the two pans. (Or roll and cut allof the gingerbread dough at once,refrigerating the cut gingerbread pieceson half-sheet pans until ready to bake.)Cut out the door and windows, ifdesired. Cut the window pieces in halfto use as shutters, setting them aside withthe door piece. If you wish, reroll thescraps and cut out gingerbread people topopulate your house and yard. Using awide metal spatula, transfer the cutcookie pieces, including the door andwindow cutouts, to the lined pans.

4. Bake, switching the pans from top tobottom and front to back halfway throughbaking, until the dough is crisp and firm

(not soft), about 15 minutes for thesmaller pieces and about 20 minutes forthe larger ones. While the pieces arestill warm, cover with theircorresponding templates. Use a serratedknife to carefully trim any parts of thecookie that have expanded beyond thetemplate. The pieces should havestraight sides so they will fit togetherwell. Let the cookies cool completely onthe pans before removing. Continuebaking the remaining dough on cool pansand trimming the pieces. Let the cookiesstand, uncovered, at room temperaturefor at least 12 hours before proceeding.

5. Transfer about one-third of the icing

to a pastry bag fitted with a 1/8-in/3-mmplain tip. Decorate the shutters withcandy, attaching it with the icing, and letdry. Attach the shutters to the walls withicing and let dry.

6. Pipe icing along the sides of the frontwall. Attach the side walls and propthem up with small boxes. Let stand untilthe icing sets. Apply more icing on theinsides of the joints for added strength.Let stand until the icing is fully set, atleast 1 hour.

7. Using the icing, attach the back wallto the side walls, piping additional icingon the insides of the joints. Prop in place

with small boxes and let stand until theicing is completely set, at least 2 hoursor preferably overnight.

8. Transfer more icing to the pastry bagfitted with the same tip. Be sure the half-built house is very solid, and add moreicing at the joints, if needed. Pipe agenerous line of icing on the cardboardto match the footprint of the house. Placethe house on the icing to secure it to theboard. Attach the door to the doorwaywith more icing.

9. Pipe icing along the top edges of thewalls on one side of the house. Positionone roof piece in place on top of thehouse, supporting it with a tall box. Let

stand until the icing is set, at least 1hour. Repeat with the remaining roofpiece, piping icing where the two piecesmeet at the crest of the house. Let thehouse stand overnight until completelydry.

10. Using the icing, attach the candies tothe house, decorating it in a whimsicaland colorful manner. Have fun, take yourtime, and don’t eat too many candies!

GINGERBREAD HOUSES

Rome wasn’t built in a day.Gingerbread houses are certainlynot built in a day either. The bestway to make a gingerbread house isto take a very leisurely pace. Makethe dough a couple of days ahead(or better yet, make it a week aheadand freeze it). Take your timechoosing the candies and othergoodies for decorating. Roll out thedough and bake the pieces, and setthem aside for another day or so.Once the walls are assembled, theymust be allowed to dry completely

(overnight) before attaching theroof.

Be sure your baking sheets are flatand not warped—curved pans willmake curved cookies, which aredifficult to cement together. If youhave room in your refrigerator,chill the cookie cutouts beforebaking to reduce spreading duringbaking. Or, if the weather is cold,put the pans on a porch to chill.

When it comes to makinggingerbread houses, the more half-sheet pans, the better. That way youwon’t have to wait until the cookiescool on the pans to remove them,

and then wait until the pans arecool to position the next batch ofdough. A minimum of four half-sheet pans is ideal.

You’ll need a solid base forholding the gingerbread house.Rectangular cake boards,measuring 19 by 13 in/48 by 33 cm,made from sturdy cardboard orcomposite material, are perfect.(You may want to glue twocardboard boards together for aheavier double-thick base.) Coverthe board with cake decorators’aluminum foil or colored Christmaspaper, if you wish.

Royal icing has a tendency to take along time to dry when you are in ahurry (and to harden and plug up thepastry tip when you want the icingto flow). You can speed up dryingwith a handheld electric hair dryer,but nothing beats time. We havecheated and used a glue gun andglue sticks to attach heavier piecesof gingerbread. If you go that route,you can cover the glue seams withroyal icing when you attach thecandies. Remember, no one eats agingerbread house—except in fairytales. When not using the icing inthe bag, cover the tip with a wetpaper towel to keep the tip opening

moist and prevent the icing fromdrying. If you are not using the icingfor long periods of time, transfer itfrom the pastry bag to a coveredcontainer and refrigerate it.

Start your search for interesting,colorful candies to decorate thehouse early in the season. The bestplace to look is at a store that sellsold-fashioned candies, or searchonline (see Resources, page 199).If necessary, cut the candies in halfhorizontally so they fit flat againstthe walls. Our favorite decoratingcandies include peppermint (sticksand rounds), M&M’s, lemon drops,Life Savers, gum drops, Hershey’s

Kisses, and hot cinnamon candies.You may also want miniaturemarshmallows, silver dragées,miniature pretzels, and red or blacklicorice sticks, whips, and rounds.

Here are some more ideas: Forroof shingles, use sugared mini–shredded wheat cereal, white orchocolate candy coating wafers,whole coffee beans (plain orchocolate-covered), or wafercandies, such as Necco’s. Usesmall Tootsie Rolls to make a stackof logs along a wall. Candy rockscan be used to build a stone fencearound the house or outline a pathto the door. A snow person, with

hat and all, can be created out ofballs of marzipan or rolled fondant.Make trees by turning pointed icecream cones upside down andcovering them with lines of greenroyal icing to resemble branches,or use a small leaf tip for a similareffect. Sprinkle the trees withcolored nonpareils to simulatecolored holiday lights. Spread athin layer of royal icing on theboard and sprinkle with clearsanding sugar to resemble snow.

MERINGUEMUSHROOMS

We usually make these faux fungi asdecorations for the Bûche de Noël(page 125), but they are just asintriguing as cookies on a holidayplatter. For the crispiestmushrooms, let the meringues cooland dry overnight in the turned-offoven. If you’re making a bûche, besure to save some ganache to gluethe caps and stems together.

MAKES ABOUT 48 MERINGUES

11/3 cups/265 g sugar

1/2 cup/120 ml water

3 large egg whites, at room temperature1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar

Pinch of fine sea salt1/2 cup/120 ml ganache (see page 125)or melted chocolate

Cocoa powder for dusting

1. Position racks in the top third andcenter of the oven and preheat to200°F/95°C. Line two half-sheet pans

with parchment paper.

2. Bring the sugar and water to a boil ina heavy medium saucepan over highheat, stirring until the sugar dissolves.Attach a candy thermometer to thesaucepan. Boil, without stirring, until thesyrup reaches 240°F/115°C (soft-ballstage) on the thermometer.

3. Toward the end of the boiling period,whip the egg whites, cream of tartar, andsalt in the bowl of a stand mixer fittedwith the whisk attachment on high speedjust until soft peaks form. When thesyrup is ready, with the mixer on highspeed, gradually pour the hot syrup intothe whipped egg whites in a steady

stream, being careful not to pour thesyrup directly into the whisk wires ordown the sides of the bowl. Beat untilthe meringue forms stiff, shiny peaks.

4. Transfer the meringue to a pastry bagfitted with a 3/8-in/1-cm plain round tip.On one lined pan, using about two-thirdsof the meringue, pipe out about fourdozen “mushroom caps,” about 2 in/5 cmin diameter and 1 in/2.5 cm tall, spacingthem fairly close together as they willnot spread much during baking. Using afingertip dipped in cold water, smooththe peaks down to make rounded domes.On the remaining pan, using theremaining meringue, pipe out about four

dozen “stems” about 3/4 in/2 cm indiameter and 1 in/2.5 cm tall. Do nottamp down the peaks of the stems.

5. Bake until the meringues are crisp andset and release easily when lifted fromthe paper, about 1 hour. (Don’t open theoven door for the first 45 minutes of thebaking time, or the mushroom caps mightcrack.) Turn off the oven and let themeringues cool in the oven, with thedoor ajar, for at least 1 hour or up to 12hours.

6. Remove the caps and stems from thepans. Using the tip of a small, sharpknife, make a small hole in the bottom of

each cap. One at a time, spread the flatside of the cap with ganache, coveringthe hole. Insert the peak of the stem inthe hole. Set aside to dry. Meringues canbe stored in an airtight container at roomtemperature for up to 5 days.

7. Just before serving, sift cocoa overthe caps.

THE MODEL BAKERY ONCOOKIES

Great cookies cannot bebaked on flimsy bakingsheets. Use sturdy, heavy-gauge half-sheet pansmeasuring about 18 by 13in/46 by 33 cm, which havemany advantages oversmaller, thinner sheets. Firstof all, they just hold morecookies, which speeds up theoperation. This is especiallyimportant when baking ouroversized drop cookies.

They also soak up the ovenheat for even baking,whereas shiny baking sheetsreflect the heat and have hotspots.

Drop cookies will bake mostevenly if the dough is shapedinto equal mounds. Use afood-portion scoop (we useour old friend, the number-16scoop with about a 1/4-cup/60-ml capacity), spacingthe mounds as directed in therecipe.

It is a good idea to bake a

single sheet of cookies as atest run to establish howmuch they spread and theexact baking time in youroven. A minute or two ineither direction can make thedifference between a soft,chewy cookie and a crisp,crumbly one. Both are good,but you may have apreference.

Even when it’s not a test run,for the best results, bake onesheet of cookies at a time onthe center rack of the oven, tobe sure the baking sheetdoesn’t get too close to a

heat source and causeoverbaking. However, it ismore practical to bake twosheets of cookies at a time,and it can be done if thebaking sheets’ positions areswitched halfway throughbaking. Position oven racksin the top third and center ofthe oven and preheat theoven. Bake the cookies forhalf of their estimated bakingtime. Switch the positions ofthe pans from top to bottom,and also rotate the pans fromfront to back, and continuebaking until the cookies arethe required state of

doneness.

Line the baking sheets withparchment paper. Somebakers like silicone bakingmats, but they insulate thesheets and can keep cookiesfrom crisping. If you likesilicone mats, be sure towipe them clean with hotwater after every use, as theycan soak up butter from thecookies, which willeventually go rancid and givethe mats an off aroma andflavor.

We love cookie jars, but thesad truth is they don’t reallykeep cookies fresh. Storecookies at room temperaturein metal or plastic airtightcontainers with the layersseparated by wax orparchment paper. Do notstore fundamentally differentcookies (for example, spicyand plain, or crisp and soft)together in the samecontainer, or they will pickup each other’s flavors, andyour crisp cookies maysoften.

RESOURCES

AMAZON.COM

www.amazon.com

You can purchase just about everybaking item in this book from this super-supplier, from bread supplies(bannetons) and utensils (BeaterBladesand large rolling pins) to cake supplies(flat parchment paper and cardboardcake rounds and rectangles) andequipment (cake pans) to ingredients(Dutch-process cocoa, chocolatevermicelli, bulk almond paste, and

organic flours).

CANDY WAREHOUSE

215 S. Douglas StreetEl Segundo, CA 90245(310) 343-4099www.candywarehouse.com

Browse this site to become inspired bychoices for decorating your gingerbreadhouse.

KESTREL GROWTH BRANDS

PO Box 50042Eugene, OR 97405(888) 343-0002

www.kestrelgrowth.com

Kestrel Growth makes our favoritevanilla, Singing Dog.

KING ARTHUR FLOUR

135 Route 5 SouthNorwich, VT 05055(800) 827-6836www.kingarthurflour.com

While King Arthur’s line of flours isavailable nationally, you can also orderfrom their excellent catalog or website,where you will also find a largeselection of baking equipment andsupplies.

THE PASTRY SAMPLER

Beach Cuisine1672 Main Street, Suite E, no. 159Ramona, CA 92065(760) 440-9171www.pastrysampler.com

An excellent array of everything youneed for baking and decorating cakes,especially pastry tips.

WHOLE FOODS MARKETS

550 Bowie StreetAustin, TX 78703(512) 477-4455www.wholefoodsmarket.com

Cooks from all over the country shop atWhole Foods for organic flours, bulkchocolate, Dutch-process cocoa, andother baking supplies.

WILLIAMS-SONOMA

3250 Van Ness AvenueSan Francisco, CA 94109(877) 812-6235www.williams-sonoma.com

The nation’s top kitchenware store has acarefully chosen selection of first-quality baking equipment.

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

People often ask us about the secret tothe Model Bakery’s longevity—after all,thirty years is a long time. The answer issimple: Our bakery is more like a familythan a business. Everyone’s hard workallowed us to take the time we needed towrite this book.

We have had many talented bakers andpastry chefs, without whom the bakerywould be a very different place. Theseinclude Sandra Coltrin, Angela Gong,Melissa Biles, Raquel Bagatini, ChazzMathemeier, Jen Emanuel, Linda King,

and Veronica Villaneuva. Gordon Pattyand our night bakers (indeed a toughshift) have our unconditional thanks andadmiration. Alisha Williams, a belovedformer employee, took time to help ustest the cakes.

Our matchless, passionate bread-bakingteam, Isaac Cermak and Eli Colvin, areamazingly professional, knowledgeable,and hard working. They are dedicated tomaking the best bread in the Valley, andtheir commitment shows in every loaf.

St. Helena managers Chelsea Radcliffeand Emelie Poisson have expertise andmanagement skills that belie their years.Customers think that Chelsea is a

member of the Mitchell family (and inmany ways, she is). Emelie is also askilled baker, and has taken over theholiday cookie program so we restassured that the next generation of pastrylovers will still have beautifulhandmade cookies. Our wholesalemanager at Oxbow, Tameeka Evans,holds it all together for our team. Weowe many thanks for her dedication.

From the day we opened, the town of St.Helena welcomed us and helped usthrive. Margrit Mondavi and VirginiaVan Asperen met every Saturdaymorning at the bakery, and helped spreadthe word; Molly Chappelet is a devotedcustomer who became a devoted friend.

Priscilla Upton, Karen’s partner inrunning the first catering business in theNapa Valley, established the qualityassurance that has spread to the bakery.We were two cooks with no idea how torun a business who prospered due tohard work, good luck, and greatfriendships. Special thanks are also dueto Isabel Mondavi, Sarah Forni, JanisGay, and Caryl Knapp, among others,who helped us stage parties and serve atthe local wineries. We would also liketo take this opportunity to thank the manydedicated bakers who worked with usthrough the years, especially ReginaMason, one of our first pastry chefs anda superb cake decorator. Thanks also toRob Alexander, who revived our bread

program and put us on the path to createour Oxbow bread division.

Our dear friends Peter and ChristyPalmisano lent us their house as a testkitchen, with the same casual trust thatsomeone else might lend you theirfavorite book. This ensured that therecipes worked in home ovens as wellas they do in our brick ovens.

Special orders for wineries andrestaurants have been a mainstay of ourcompany. We are grateful to theirsupport and friendship over the last threedecades we have been in business. Weare especially grateful to the NapaValley Vintners who support our store

almost daily. As we said before, RobertMondavi Winery was there from thebeginning, as was Joseph PhelpsVineyards (Karen cooked lunch thereevery Tuesday for many years). Thecrew at Spotswoode orders lunch manydays of the week. The Harlan family,developers of the beautiful Meadowoodresort, have supported us for manyyears. We are grateful to the farmers’markets in both St. Helena and Napawho have been customers for decades.And our old friends from the Baker’sDozen have inspired us with theirprofessionalism (Carol Field, FloBraker, Fran Gage, and MarionCunningham), and to our loyal Valleycustomers who patronize our stores on a

daily basis. Our bakery in the center ofthe Napa Valley is indeed fortunate.Thank you especially to MichaelChiarello, chef, owner of Bottegarestaurant, and a longtime friend, forchoosing our English muffins as “TheBest Thing I Ever Ate,” then featuring uson the Food Network program as hisfavorite local food. It was a marveloushonor that propelled our business to anew level. We are grateful for yoursupport and friendship.

We are deeply grateful to our family forall of their love and support, whichstarts with two women who would beproud to see us baking every day.Karen’s mother, Laurabelle, and her

grandmother Stella, both set highstandards in their kitchens that we stillaspire to today. Husband and father,John Mitchell, has been devoted to oursuccess from the beginning. He is asproud of our bakery as any of us here. Aprofessional builder, he has doneeverything at the bakery from fixingtables and chairs to busing tables. Welove you.

Sarah’s son Alexander, who at seven hasa highly advanced sense of taste, is abudding businessman with veryimpressive marketing skills. His littlered head is well known around theValley. He teaches us all something newevery day. Sarah’s husband, Chris

Hansen, has supported the bakeryespecially with his technical computerskills and helped to develop our uniquewebsite. We thank him for his patienceand love.

It was book producer Leslie Jonath whoguided the project from Day One, alongwith our public relations team, TomFuller and Monty Sanders of Fuller andSanders Communications. Leslie was ahard taskmaster, but we are told that ispart of her job, which she did withcharm and dedication. Her biggestcontribution was introducing us to ourco-writer Rick Rodgers. Without Rick,this book would never have happened!He took a hodgepodge of commercial

recipes and transformed them intoworkable formulas for the home baker—no easy job. Rick is a true professional,who never let us cut corners or forget astep. Rick helped us turn years of bakinginto a real history and record of our past,something that Sarah had been askingKaren to do for decades. And now wehave a friend for life!

Thank you to Frankie Frankeny, ourtalented photographer, for bringing herfocus and artistic sense to our story.Kudos to prop stylist, Greg O’Connell,and food stylist, Nissa Quantstrum.

And last, but not least, we are thrilled tobe published by Chronicle Books, which

is known around the world for theirbeautiful work. Thank you to cookbookdirector Bill LeBlond, senior editorAmy Treadwell and senior designerAlice Chau, managing editors DougOgan and Marie Oishi, marketingmanager Peter Perez, publicity managerDavid Hawk, and productioncoordinator Steve Kim.

Karen MitchellSarah Mitchell

Peter and Christy Palmasino openedtheir beautiful home to Karen and me,and gave us a haven for creating thisbook. We worked very hard, but the loadwas lightened looking out on a vineyard

from a farmhouse nested in themountains above the Valley.

In my kitchen on the East Coast, the listbegins, as always, with my dear kitchenmanager Diane Kniss, who worked bymy side to perfect the recipes after trialruns in Napa. My life partner, PatrickFisher, never complained about beingserved another dish of fresh-platedEnglish muffins. (Okay, who would?)Thanks also to Frank Mentesana, acookbook writer and former bakeryowner himself, for testing assistance.Amy Vogler assumed testingresponsibilities at a crucial point, and Ioffer her a big bowl of gratitude withsprinkles on top.

Anne E. McBride, culinary programdirector of the Stragegic InitiativesGroup at the Culinary Institute ofAmerica introduced me to master pastrychef Francisco Migoya, who wasgenerous enough to answer sometechnical questions.

Leslie Jonath invited me to take part inthis project. I will miss our earlymorning chats. Judith Dunhamcontributed to this book in manyvaluable ways.

I basked in the hospitality and friendshipof the entire Mitchell family—Karen,John, and Sarah—and will alwaysconsider my time in Napa as a very

special era.

It is a great pleasure to be reunited withBill LeBlond, Peter Perez, AmyTreadwell, Doug Ogan, Marie Oishi,Alice Chau, David Hawk, and SteveKim. I am especially thankful for theexpertise of our copy editor, DeborahKops, and for Amy’s and Alice’spatience and professionalism.

Rick Rodgers

INDEX

The index entries below are as theyappeared in the print version of thebook and are included here for yourreference. Please use the searchfunction on your eReader to search forterms of interest.

AAle Bread, AmberAll-purpose flour, unbleachedAlmonds

Almond CroissantsAlmond Dough

Almond FillingAlmond MacaroonsBear ClawsflourGâteau BasqueThe Model Bakery’s GranolaRaspberry Linzer Cookiestoasting

Amber Ale BreadApples

Apple Streusel PieMorning Glory Muffins

AppliancesApricots

Apricot GlazeApricot-Pecan SconesBerries and Cream CakeClassic Cheese DanishFresh Fruit TartMultigrain Muffins

Auntie Emma’s Buttermilk CakeAutumn Pain au Levain

BBaker’s peelsBaking powderBaking sodaBaking stones

Banana-Walnut MuffinsBannetonsBear ClawsBench scrapersBerries. See also individual berries

Berries and Cream CakeCheese and Berry DanishFresh Fruit TartPeach-Berry Streusel Pie

BiscuitsButtermilk Biscuitstips for

Blueberry MuffinsBowls

Bowl scrapersBrandied Pumpkin PieBread flourBreads. See also Quick breads

Amber Ale BreadAutumn Pain au LevainCiabattaCountry Olive Pain au Levain withRosemaryDinner RollsFocacciafreezingHamburger BunsIrish Soda Bread

kneading dough forloaf pans forThe Model Bakery’s English MuffinsPain au LevainPain de MieStruantips forToasted Walnut and Sage BreadWhole-Wheat Harvest Bread

Breakfast favoritesApricot-Pecan SconesBanana-Walnut MuffinsBlueberry MuffinsButtermilk Biscuits

Cranberry Buttermilk SconesCream Currant SconesIrish Soda BreadThe Model Bakery’s GranolaMorning Glory MuffinsMultigrain Muffinstips for

BrowniesBrown sugarBûche de NoëlBuns

freezingHamburger BunsMorning Buns

Sticky BunsButter

buyingClarified Buttercreaming sugar andsoftening

ButtercreamChocolate ButtercreamLemon ButtercreamMocha ButtercreamOrange ButtercreamVanilla Buttercream

ButtermilkApricot-Pecan Scones

Auntie Emma’s Buttermilk CakeBlueberry MuffinsButtermilk BiscuitsCranberry Buttermilk SconesIrish Soda BreadRed Velvet CakeRed Velvet CupcakesStruan

CCake flourCake rounds, cardboardCakes

Auntie Emma’s Buttermilk Cake

Berries and Cream CakeBûche de NoëlChocolate Mousse CakeChocolate-Raspberry CakeChocolate RouladeClassic Carrot CakeCoconut CakedecoratingDevil’s Food CakeEspresso Bundt CakefreezingA Homemade Wedding CakeLemon Pound Cakepans for

Pumpkin Gingerbread CakeRed Velvet CakeSunny Lemon Caketips forWhite Cake

CaramelCarmelita BarsChocolate and Caramel Tartlets withFleur de Sel

CarrotsClassic Carrot CakeMorning Glory Muffins

Cheese. See Cream cheeseCherries

Cherry GaletteGâteau Basque

ChocolateBrowniesBûche de NoëlCarmelita BarschipsChocolate and Caramel Tartlets withFleur de SelChocolate ButtercreamChocolate MousseChocolate Mousse CakeChocolate RadsChocolate-Raspberry Cake

Chocolate RouladeDevil’s Food CakeGanachemeltingMeringue MushroomsMocha ButtercreamPains au ChocolatPecan Pietypes ofThe Ultimate Chocolate ChipCookies

CiabattaCinnamon RollsClarified Butter

Classic Carrot CakeClassic Cheese DanishCocoaCoconut

Bear ClawsCoconut CakeThe Model Bakery’s GranolaMorning Glory Muffins

CoffeeBrowniesDevil’s Food CakeEspresso Bundt CakeEspresso SyrupMocha Buttercream

Confectioners’ sugarCookies and bars

Almond MacaroonsBrowniesCarmelita BarsChocolate RadsFestive Sugar CookiesGingerbread CookiesGinger Molasses CookiesLemon SquaresMeringue MushroomsOatmeal-Raisin CookiesOur Gingerbread HousePeanut Butter Cookies

Raspberry Linzer CookiesstoringTender Sugar Cookiestips forThe Ultimate Chocolate ChipCookiesWhite Chocolate Chip and HazelnutCookies

Cooling racksCorn syrupCountry Olive Pain au Levain withRosemaryCranberries

Autumn Pain au LevainCranberry Buttermilk Scones

The Model Bakery’s GranolaMultigrain MuffinsSugared Cranberries

CreambuyingCream Currant SconesWhipped Cream

Cream cheesebuyingCheese and Berry DanishClassic Cheese DanishCream Cheese FillingCream Cheese FrostingCream Cheese Icing

CreamingCroissants

Almond CroissantsCroissant DoughfreezingPains au Chocolattips for

Culinary Institute of AmericaCupcakes, Red VelvetCurrants

Cream Currant SconesIrish Soda Bread

D

Dairy productsDanish

Cheese and Berry DanishClassic Cheese Danishfreezing

Devil’s Food CakeDinner RollsDoughs

Almond DoughCroissant DoughGalette DoughPie DoughSchnecken DoughTart Dough

EEggs

at room temperaturesize ofstoringwhites, whipping

English Muffins, The Model Bakery’sEquipmentEspresso. See Coffee

FFestive Sugar CookiesFillings

Almond Filling

Chocolate MousseCream Cheese FillingGanacheLemon CurdLemon Mousse FillingPastry Cream

Flour. See also individual floursbuyingmeasuringsiftingtypes of

FocacciaFood processorsFreezing tips

Fresh Fruit TartFrostings and icings

applyingChocolate ButtercreamCream Cheese FrostingCream Cheese IcingFrosting CarrotsGanacheLemon ButtercreamMocha ButtercreamOld-Fashioned Boiled IcingOrange ButtercreamRoyal IcingShiny Cookie Icing

Vanilla ButtercreamFruits. See also individual fruits

Fresh Fruit Tart

GGalettes

Cherry GaletteGalette DoughNectarine GalettePeach GalettePlum Galette

GanacheGâteau BasqueGinger

Gingerbread CookiesGinger Molasses CookiesOur Gingerbread HousePumpkin Gingerbread Cake

GlazesApricot GlazeEspresso Glaze

Golden syrupGranola, The Model Bakery’sGranulated sugarGrape Starter, Wild Yeast

HHamburger Buns

HazelnutstoastingWhite Chocolate Chip and HazelnutCookies

A Homemade Wedding Cake

IIcings. See Frostings and icingsIrish Soda Bread

KKneading techniques

LLeavenings

LemonsLemon Brûlée TartLemon ButtercreamLemon CurdLemon Mousse FillingLemon Pound CakeLemon SquaresLemon SyrupSunny Lemon Cake

Levain

MMacaroons, AlmondMaple syrup

Measuringcupstips for

Meringue MushroomsMilkMixersMocha ButtercreamThe Model Bakery’s English MuffinsThe Model Bakery’s GranolaMolassesMorning BunsMorning Glory MuffinsMousse

Chocolate Mousse

Chocolate Mousse CakeLemon Mousse Filling

MuffinsBanana-Walnut MuffinsBlueberry MuffinsfreezingThe Model Bakery’s English MuffinsMorning Glory MuffinsMultigrain Muffinspans fortips for

Multigrain MuffinsMushrooms, Meringue

NNectarine GaletteNuts. See also individual nuts

buyingtoasting

OOats

Carmelita BarsThe Model Bakery’s GranolaMultigrain MuffinsOatmeal-Raisin Cookies

Oil, vegetableOld-Fashioned Boiled Icing

Olive Pain au Levain with Rosemary,CountryOrange ButtercreamOur Gingerbread HouseOvens

PPain au LevainPain de MiePains au ChocolatPans

sizes oftypes of

Parchment paperPastry bags and tips

Pastry blendersPastry brushesPastry CreamPeaches

Peach-Berry Streusel PiePeach GalettePeach Streusel Pie

Peanut Butter CookiesPecans

Apricot-Pecan SconesThe Model Bakery’s GranolaPecan PieSticky Bunstoasting

PiecrustsfreezingPie Dough

PiesApple Streusel PieBrandied Pumpkin Piepans forPeach-Berry Streusel PiePeach Streusel PiePecan PieStrawberry-Rhubarb Pietips for

Pie weightsPlastic wrap

Plum GalettePortion scoopsPound Cake, LemonPowdered sugarPre-fermentProofing“Pull and wait” techniquePumpkin

Brandied Pumpkin PiePumpkin Gingerbread Cake

Pumpkin seedsThe Model Bakery’s Granola

Q

Quick breadsApricot-Pecan SconesBanana-Walnut MuffinsBlueberry MuffinsButtermilk BiscuitsCranberry Buttermilk SconesCream Currant SconesIrish Soda BreadMorning Glory MuffinsMultigrain Muffinstips for

RRaisins

Cinnamon RollsThe Model Bakery’s GranolaMorning Glory MuffinsOatmeal-Raisin Cookies

RaspberriesChocolate-Raspberry CakeRaspberry Linzer Cookies

ReamersRed Velvet CakeRed Velvet CupcakesRhubarb Pie, Strawberry-Rolling pinsRolls

Cinnamon Rolls

Dinner RollsRoyal IcingRye flour

SSaltSanding sugarSan Francisco Baking InstituteScalesSchnecken DoughScones

Apricot-Pecan SconesCranberry Buttermilk SconesCream Currant Scones

tips forScrapingSemolinaShiny Cookie IcingShortening, vegetableSievesSiftingSimple SyrupSour creamSpatulasStarters

tips forWild Yeast Grape Starter

Sticky Buns

StrawberriesA Homemade Wedding CakeStrawberry-Rhubarb Pie

StreuselStruanSugar

creaming butter andtypes of

Sugar cookiesFestive Sugar CookiesTender Sugar Cookies

Sugared CranberriesSunflower seeds

The Model Bakery’s Granola

Sunny Lemon CakeSweets, yeasted

Almond CroissantsBear ClawsCheese and Berry DanishCinnamon RollsClassic Cheese DanishCroissantsMorning BunsPains au ChocolatSticky Bunstips for

Syrupscorn

Espresso SyrupgoldenLemon SyrupmapleSimple Syrup

TTarts and tartlets. See also Galettes

Chocolate and Caramel Tartlets withFleur de SelFresh Fruit TartGâteau BasqueLemon Brûlée Tartpans fortips for

Tart shellsAlmond DoughfreezingTart Dough

Techniques, basicTender Sugar CookiesThermometersTimingToasted Walnut and Sage BreadTurntables, decorating

UThe Ultimate Chocolate Chip Cookies

V

VanillabuyingVanilla Buttercream

WWalnuts

Autumn Pain au LevainBanana-Walnut MuffinsCarmelita BarsChocolate RadsCinnamon RollsClassic Carrot CakeThe Model Bakery’s GranolaMultigrain Muffins

Sticky BunsToasted Walnut and Sage BreadtoastingThe Ultimate Chocolate ChipCookies

Wedding cakesA Homemade Wedding Caketips for

Whipped CreamWhisksWhite CakeWhite Chocolate Chip and HazelnutCookiesWhole-wheat flour

Whole-Wheat Harvest BreadWild Yeast Grape Starter

YYeast

ZZesters

KAREN MITCHELL founded the ModelBakery in 1984. With her cherishedfamily recipes for breads and pastries, itquickly gathered a local and regionalfollowing. The bakery now serves athousand-plus visitors a day, andsupplies major restaurants and wineriesup and down the Napa Valley.

SARAH MITCHELL HANSEN was ten yearsold when her mom, Karen, purchased thebakery, and would do her homeworksitting on bags of flour. She returned toNapa Valley, after college and eightyears in the corporate world, andexpanded the Model Bakery by starting awholesale business and opening theirsecond location.

RICK RODGERS is a cookbook author,food writer, and cooking teacher, andhas written more than 40 cookbooks.

FRANKIE FRANKENY is a San Francisco–based photographer whose work hasappeared in numerous cookbooks andmagazines.