Bread

The unusual combination of mushrooms and dried apricots makes for a delicious and earthy soda bread.

Pita bread serves as the crust for this pizza-style dish. Look for prepackaged mixed black and green brine-cured olives in the deli section of most supermarkets. Serve with: Tabbouleh (bulgur salad), arugula salad with red wine vinaigrette, and marinated artichoke hearts.

Semolina flour, made from durum wheat, is sometimes labeled "pasta flour."

"One Saturday morning I came up with this bread recipe, and now my family asks for it all the time," writes Priscilla Unger of Alberta, Canada. "My husband insists on having his first slice while the loaf is still warm from the oven, but I prefer mine toasted and topped with marmalade." The slightly sweet bread is great with butter and preserves.

"Growing up in an Italian-American household meant bread on the table with every meal," says Gina M. Sarti of Malvern, Pennsylvania. "I've continued the family tradition by making my own bread to serve at dinner, although I don't always stick to Italian. These French loaves with a touch of honey are great with just about any dish, especially soups."

Schat begins by making a biga — a rather stiff dough that ferments in the refrigerator overnight. He incorporates a portion of the biga into another, wetter dough made the next day. The biga adds a deeper flavor and extra strength to the final dough. Schat, like all professional bakers, measures his ingredients by weight, which is far more precise than volume.

This bread is a delicious holiday treat.

Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

A perennial favorite on both sides of the Atlantic, this raisiny bread makes fine, fragrant toast.

I grew up in a family with an older brother and a twin sister. We loved when our mother made one particular roll, which we requested on every special occasion. We continue to request them, though we have long since moved away and only come home for visits. We like them so much we named them "Dear Little Rolls."
—Elizabeth Force Carson

This recipe originally accompanied Smoked Chicken Salad on Toasted Corn Bread Triangles . The corn bread is great on its own, too.

Jalapeño chilies give this a nice spicy kick. An accompaniment to Chicken Chili Verde .