For those of us who don’t celebrate Passover, it’s a mystery. We know it’s a major Jewish holiday. We’re pretty sure it’s a happy one. We think it goes on for a few days. But more than that—as I said, mystery. Oh, and one more thing: certain foods are forbidden. Like flour. And leavening, as in yeast, baking powder, baking soda… (more…)

Vermont has a reputation as a quirky little state, and not without reason. Many of our daily concerns make no sense whatsoever to the country at large. There’s choosing your date for the annual ice-out contest on Brookfield Pond. Making sure your application is in on time for the moose-hunting license lottery. Deciding how soon you can safely swap out your snow tires for the summer set. And not least of all, how bad will this year’s mud season be? The road you see here is just the beginning of what mud season looks like near my house. (more…)

Believe it or not, I think one of the driving forces behind baking is competition. As in, “I can make a better birthday cake than the supermarket.” Or “My dinner rolls taste better than the bakery’s.” Or even “Huh, I didn’t think her chocolate chip cookies were THAT good. I’ll bring a batch of MY cookies to work and see how people react…” (more…)

Who knew there was such a crying need for this? I just got this email: “I’m writing to ask if you know of any recipes for Amaretto cake or Harvey Wallbanger Cake that don’t require a cake mix. I’m a from-scratch baker and I’m looking desperately for one! If you can help, that’d be great!! Thanks, Chavi Samet, Israel. So I promptly googled Harvey Wallbanger scratch cake and found no less then ten plaintive cries for a real, honest-to-Pete cake recipe that didn’t start with a box mix. (more…)

The American team awaits the results in suspense…

Jeffrey Hamelman, director of the King Arthur Flour Bakery, is also a hard-working coach of the United States team that just finished competing at La Coupe du Monde de la Boulangerie, the “bread baking Olympics,” in France. This is Jeff’s report from Paris. Note: All photos courtesy of Jeffrey Hamelman and Brinna Sands.

March 29, Day One
As the train emptied out at the Parc des Expositions, hundreds of people from dozens of countries flowed toward the convention center. Europain—the great French baking trade show that takes place in Paris every three years, showcasing the finest in European baking equipment, ingredients, products, and baking schools—was just beginning. And for many of the attendees, the most compelling part of the coming days was La Coupe du Monde de la Boulangerie, the foremost baking competition in the world. (more…)

Fried dough. The words alone conjure up luscious memories of the places I’ve enjoyed fried dough over the years. McCoy Stadium in Pawtucket, R.I., home of the Red Sox’ triple-A baseball team, the PawSox. The Great Escape amusement park in New York. The Fryeburg Fair in Fryeburg, Maine, where the last week in September is devoted to 4H exhibits, ox pulls, and harness racing. AND, nestling under trees brilliant with autumn foliage, a row of “fried” booths: French fries, sausage and peppers, hamburgs and hotdogs, and fried dough. (more…)

So, what, you think it’s smooth sailing every day here in the King Arthur Flour test kitchen? Like, every cake turns out of the pan without shedding a crumb—let alone a chunk the size of Minnesota? That whole wheat bread rises like a charm? That melted chocolate NEVER seizes up, and ALWAYS dries shiny? (more…)