Fresh Breads from Scratch Course Bake up our favorite wholesome and time-tested recipes for bread, pastries, biscuits, sourdough, and more with this how-to video course for how to make bread.
  • 13 videos

Videos

Fresh Breads from Scratch Course
1. No-Knead Bread Basics
Bake up a fresh loaf of artisan bread without any kneading or complex mixing steps. The no-knead crusty bread recipe from Artisan Bread in Five Minutes a Day is perfect for beginners and experts alike. Try the recipe we tested in the video using the recipe below, and then use your leftover dough to make one of the variations shared by authors Jeff Hertzberg and Zoe Francois. No-Knead Bread Recipes Original No-Knead Bread Dough (featured in this video) Neapolitan Pizza Dough Recipe 100 Percent Whole Wheat Sandwich Bread Recipe Sticky Pecan Caramel Rolls Recipe Easy Naan Bread Recipe Caramelized Onion and Herb Dinner Rolls Recipe Gluten Free Bread in Five Minutes a Day
Alyssa Warner
Alyssa Warner Video & Events Producer • Mother Earth News
Fresh Breads from Scratch Course
2. Overnight Refrigerator Pastry Dough Recipe
This recipe from our archives is the perfect base overnight dough for any of your favorite pastries. It does well sweet, savory, and even lightly laminated! Check out the original refrigerator pastry dough recipe, which also contains Wendy Akin's recipes for cinnamon pecan sticky buns, french raisin snails, and Italian Panettone minis, the pastry we make in this video. In this video, we also tried this pastry dough as the base for a savory pull-apart bread, also known as "monkey" bread. Can't find candied lemon peel in store either? Try making your own using Akin's candied citrus peel recipe. Monkey Bread Recipe Ingredients 1 Recipe refrigerator pastry dough 1/2 cup pickled jalapenos, diced and pat dry 2 cups cheese, shredded 1/2 cup butter, melted Directions Turn out the dough onto a floured board. Pat out and knead in the jalapenos. Form the dough into a log and cut into small pieces, sized to be individual bites. Prepare 2 loaf pans or 1 tube pan with butter and flour. Toss the dough balls with shredded cheese and arrange in pan. Pour melted butter evenly over the dough in the pan(s). Cover loosely with a towel and let rise till doubled. Bake at 350 degrees until internal temperature reads 190 degrees (40-50 minutes, depending on your pan). At the 30 minute mark, check to see if the top of your bread has browned. You may need to cover your bread with foil if it is browning too fast. Remove from oven. Allow to cool 5 minutes, then invert onto a plate or board. Best served hot! You can use any sweet or savory fillings to make monkey bread. Roll plain dough in cinnamon and sugar for cinnamon roll monkey bread, or mix olives and feta into the dough and toss the bites with Parmesan, or mix chives into the dough and toss with sesame seeds and garlic butter; the possibilities are endless!  
Alyssa Warner
Alyssa Warner Video & Events Producer • Mother Earth News
Fresh Breads from Scratch Course
3. Perfect Sandwich Bread
Bake up the perfect sandwich bread with this simple but versatile recipe built from years of baking experience. Learn how to customize this recipe to your needs, whether you need a rich loaf, a fluffy loaf, or even dinner rolls! Perfect Sandwich Bread Recipe Ingredients 1-1/2 cup Bread flour, plus additional flour for workable dough 1/8 cup sugar 2-1/2 tsp instant yeast (1 packet) 1 tsp salt 3/4 cup water 3/4 cup milk 3 Tbsp butter 1 Tbsp honey 1 egg Directions Add dry ingredients, starting with 1-1/2 cup bread flour, sugar, yeast, and salt to a bowl and whisk to combine Combine water and milk, then microwave until it reaches 130°. Add butter and honey to the wet ingredients and stir until the butter and honey melt in. The butter and honey cool the milk mixture down. Add the milk mixture into the dry ingredients and stir to combine. It's okay if there are lumps at this point. Stir in the egg. Add the entire egg for a richer, yolkier bread. For a less rich bread, add egg white only. For fluffier bread, add 2 egg whites. Continue to add bread flour until the mixture is no longer sticky and can be handled, but not too much to where it's hard to knead. Knead until the dough forms a clean ball and place in oiled bowl and cover. Place in a warm area to rise for 1 hour. While the dough rises, prepare a greased bread pan lined with parchment paper. The dough should have doubled in size — Punch down the dough and either separate into 2 pieces for 2 smaller loaves or leave whole for a larger loaf. Place dough on a well-floured surface and roll into a rectangle with a depth of the length of the loaf pan. The width should be about 12-16 inches, or roll until the dough is 1/2 inch thick. Roll into a loaf, starting with the shorter side, so that the depth of the loaf matches the length of the bread pan. Pinch the ends together with the seam on the bottom of the loaf. Pinch the seam on the bottom together as well. Place the loaf into the bread pan, seam side down, and let rise (covered) for 1 hour or until the loaf has doubled in size. Bake at 350° for 25-30 minutes depending on oven and size of pan. Top should be golden.
Megan Olmsted
Megan Olmsted Video Assistant • Mother Earth News
Fresh Breads from Scratch Course
4. Sourdough Starter Maintenance
No yeast no problem; learn how to start your own sourdough starter today! We talk about both the discard and the no-discard methods for how to feed a sourdough starter, as well as different methods for how to store your starter long-term when you're not regularly baking.
Alyssa Warner
Alyssa Warner Video & Events Producer • Mother Earth News
Fresh Breads from Scratch Course
5. Rustic Sourdough Bread Boule Recipe
Stretch and fold your way into a perfect sourdough boule. This rustic sourdough bread recipe, written by Tabitha Alterman, is crusty and full of developed sour flavor. This sourdough bread recipe bakes up in a cast iron pan, and bakes well even in an unpredictable or uneven oven.
Alyssa Warner
Alyssa Warner Video & Events Producer • Mother Earth News
Fresh Breads from Scratch Course
6. Grinding Fresh Flour From Grains
Learn the secrets to fresh, delicious homemade bread every time you make it. In this workshop, April Jones shows you the tips to success on how to grind your own wheat fresh every time.
April Jones
April Jones Pinehurst Consulting, Pinehurst Community Action
Fresh Breads from Scratch Course
7. Bake Bread on Your Grill
Explore skills and techniques to create hand-crafted loaves of bread that will be a hit! Follow April Jones along in this fun-filled workshop full of learning.
April Jones
April Jones Pinehurst Consulting, Pinehurst Community Action
Fresh Breads from Scratch Course
8. Whole Grain Sourdough Starter Success!
Most people's sourdough success stops before it starts! The starter phase creates unique challenges so learn how to make your sourdough success more sure and find answers to common questions and problems in this workshop from successful mom and veteran "sourdougher" Jessica Moody. Part 2 It's important to maintain you sourdough starter appropriately, so learn how to make sure it is ready when you want to bake. Part 3 Learn methods to remedy common issues with your sourdough starter as well as uncommon issues such as when your daughter pours salad dressing into the starter. Learn more from Jessica and John Moody's book, DIY Sourdough available now in the Mother Earth News Bookstore.
Jessica Moody
Jessica Moody
Fresh Breads from Scratch Course
9. Simple Sourdough Crackers
Before the holy grail of sourdough bread, your starter needs something a little simpler to get you going. Crackers are the perfect first sourdough food! But there are a few tips and tricks to successful cracker making so that you don't crack yourself up in the process. Learn how to make amazing sourdough crackers in this workshop with Jessica Moody. Part 2 Part 3
Jessica Moody
Jessica Moody
Fresh Breads from Scratch Course
10. Sourdough Cinnamon Roll Success
Want a mouth watering treat for special occasions that is still good for your family? Jessica's sourdough cinnamon rolls are not just delicious, they're nutritious — made with whole grains traditionally prepared via sourdough with an amazing frosting without all the refined sugars. So come learn how to make a treat that doesn't mean dietary defeat for you and your family! Part 2
Jessica Moody
Jessica Moody
Fresh Breads from Scratch Course
11. Intro to Quick Breads
Learn basics of quick bread batter, how to customize fillings, and how to combine and bake for optimal texture. This workshop features recipes for one dairy and one vegan quick-bread.  
Reneice Charles
Reneice Charles Level Ground, Autostraddle
Fresh Breads from Scratch Course
12. Biscuit Baking: Buttermilk and Vegan Recipes
This workshop on biscuit baking introduces the basic techniques and tools needed to bake delicious buttermilk biscuits and vegan biscuits. Part 2
Reneice Charles
Reneice Charles Level Ground, Autostraddle
Fresh Breads from Scratch Course
13. Buttermilk & Vegan Muffin Making
This two part workshop on muffin making teaches the elements of muffin batter and features one dairy and one vegan muffin recipe. Reneice also offers tips for recipe customization. Part 2
Reneice Charles
Reneice Charles Level Ground, Autostraddle