Bready or Not

• Most bread machines call for adding liquids to the bucket first. Therefore, place the starter and water inside. Use fingertips to whisk them together. Add sugar and salt, followed by the flour and yeast. Start the machine on dough mixing mode.
• Monitor the dough as it mixes. If it seems especially lumpy, drizzle in some extra water until the texture smooths out.
• Once the dough is done, measure it on a food scale to divide in half. Sprinkle extra flour on a clean work surface. Press dough out to a flat rectangle, about 10 inches long, then fold inward as if folding a sheet to go in an envelope. Pinch the seam together while gently elongating bread. Place seam underneath. Set loaf on parchment paper. Repeat with other half of dough.
• Let rise in a warm spot in the kitchen or in an oven on proof mode for an hour or so, until loaves look doubled. If loaves were in warm oven, remove them so the oven can preheat at 400 degrees. On a lower oven rack, place something like a metal cake pan that is an inch or two in depth so that it can heat as well.
• Once the oven is preheated, use a French lame or knife to slash the top of the loaf so that it can vent while baking. Being VERY careful to not overfill or get scalded by steam, pour water into the hot pan in the oven. Immediately place the risen loaves on the rack above and close the oven (and don’t open it again until the bread looks done!).
• Bake for 20-25 minutes, until loaves are golden and sound hollow when tapped. A check with a food thermometer should find an interior temperature over 190 degrees.
• Let loaves cool at least 30 minutes before slicing in. Bread will keep in a sealed bag at room temperature for up to 3 days. It can also be frozen right after cooling, and will keep well for up to a month there.

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• Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line the pan with foil going up the sides. Apply nonstick spray or butter.
• In a small bowl, stir together flour, cocoa, cornstarch, and salt.
• In a large mixing bowl, beat together the melted butter and sugar. Add the eggs. Drip in the red food coloring, mixing it in, adding enough to reach the desired color. Add vanilla extract and vinegar. Gradually work in the dry ingredients, scraping the bottom of the bowl a few times. Fold in the white chocolate chips.
• Dollop batter into the pan. Use an uneven spatula to level out the surface. Bake for 28 to 30 minutes, until the middle passes the toothpick test.
• Let cool completely, speeding process in the fridge if desired. Use the foil to lift it onto a cutting board to cut into small bars.
• Store in a sealed container at room temperature. They keep for at least a week.

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• Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line the pan with foil going up the sides. Apply nonstick spray or butter.
• In a small bowl, stir together flour, cocoa, cornstarch, and salt.
• In a large mixing bowl, beat together the melted butter and sugar. Add the eggs. Drip in the red food coloring, mixing it in, adding enough to reach the desired color. Add vanilla extract and vinegar. Gradually work in the dry ingredients, scraping the bottom of the bowl a few times. Fold in the white chocolate chips.
• Dollop batter into the pan. Use an uneven spatula to level out the surface. Bake for 30 to 33 minutes, until the middle passes the toothpick test.
• Let cool completely, speeding process in the fridge if desired. Use the foil to lift it onto a cutting board to cut into small bars.
• Store in a sealed container at room temperature. They keep for at least a week.

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• Preheat oven at 350 degrees. Line a 13×9 pan with foil and apply nonstick spray.
• In a bowl, mix together the flour, brown sugar, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.
• In a large bowl, beat the butter, eggs, and vanilla until smooth. Gradually mix in the dry ingredients. Fold in about 2/3 of the Heath Bits.
• Scoop the thick batter into the prepared pan and level out with an uneven spatula. Sprinkle the rest of the Heath pieces over the top.
• Bake for 24 to 27 minutes. Middle should be set and pass the toothpick test. Cool to room temperature, speeding the process in the fridge if desired.
• Use the foil to lift onto cutting board to slice into bars. Store in a sealed container at room temperature. They will keep for up to 3 days.

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• Preheat oven at 350 degrees. Line a baking pan with parchment paper.
• Beat together butter and both sugars until light and fluffy. Beat in egg and syrup.
• In another bowl, combine flour, baking soda, cinnamon, ginger, salt, cream of tartar, and nutmeg. Gradually mix the dry ingredients into the wet, forming a cohesive dough.
• In a small bowl, stir together the two topping ingredients.
• Use a small cookie scoop or spoon to shape dough into round balls. Roll them in the topping to coat. Place spaced out on baking pan.
• Bake for 9-10 minutes, until set and crackled. After 5-10 minutes, move them to a cooling rack.
• Store cookies in a sealed container at room temperature.

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• In a large bowl, beat together butter, shortening, and brown sugar, until fluffy, scraping the bottom of the bowl on occasion. Add egg, molasses, and vanilla.
• In another bowl, stir together flour, cinnamon, baking soda, salt, ginger, cardamom, cloves, and pepper. Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet.
• Cover dough with plastic wrap and chill for at least two hours, or up to a day.
• Preheat oven at 350 degrees. Line a baking pan with parchment paper. Measure out topping sugar into a bowl.
• Use a scoop or spoon to form walnut-sized balls. Roll dough balls in sugar. Place them slightly spaced on pan and then compress each one; they will not spread much while baking.
• Bake for 10 to 12 minutes, until puffed and set. Let cool on pan a few minutes before transferring to a cooling rack.
• Store them in a sealed container at room temperature up to 3 days.

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• Mix flour and salt in a large mixing bowl. In another bowl, whisk together the starter and water. Pour wet ingredients into the dry, mixing until the dough looks smooth and is no longer tacky. In a stand mixer with bread hook, this will be about 10 minutes.
• Turn the dough onto the counter and form it into a ball by tucking dough underneath the tighten the top. Apply nonstick spray or oil to the bowl. Place dough back inside and turn it to coat the surface with oil.
• Line another large bowl with parchment paper. Place dough inside, seam side down. Cover with a towel or plastic wrap and allow dough to rise for about 12 hours at room temperature.
• Transfer bowl to fridge to continue its fermenting overnight. Keep there until baking time at some point the next day.
• Preheat oven at 500 degrees. Place the small cast iron skillet or baking pan inside to heat up as well. Once the oven and pan are at full heat, CAREFULLY remove pan from inside.
• Pull dough from fridge. Set aside the towel or plastic wrap. Use the parchment as a sling to transfer dough to the hot pan. Use a knife or French lame to score the top so that carbon dioxide can escape the bread as it bakes.
• Place pan in oven. After closing the door, change the heat to 475 degrees.
• Bake for 20 minutes. Lower the temperature to 350 and bake for another 20 minutes.
• When done, the loaf should sound hollow when thumped. A digital thermometer plunged into the center should read over 190 degrees.
• Let cool for at least 20 minutes before slicing in. Enjoy hot or at room temperature. Fresh bread can also be frozen for later enjoyment.

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