Bread, Desserts and Cake

I hope you are hungry.

This week’s edition of FoodStack Reads is curated by

Lynn Hill

, author of two cookbooks, a member of the guild of food writers, and the founder and creator of the FoodStack Library. This index of Food Writers and publishers on Substack is very dear to my heart and something I am very proud of. Although I am no longer a food blogger with conventional websites, I have settled down in retirement here on Substack.

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Hello fellow home cooks and bakers. Welcome to this week’s edition of FoodStack Reads.

As the creator of the FSL, I get to see first-hand, the amazing food writers who apply to be listed in the FoodStack Library and those who invite us into their kitchens for Q&A: OPK. Many have submitted their recipes in RecipeStack which is where I am drawing some of the recipes in this post.

Bread, Crown, Rolls and Focaccia

Image by Lynn Hill

As a home baker, I enjoy making bread, which can be tricky at first. My recipe for WholeGrain and Rye Loaf is one I often make, swapping the flours from wholegrain to strong plain bread flour. Understanding how different flours behave when liquid is added and how much to use can be tricky at first.

Loaves from Andrew’s Sourdough Office Hours workshop. Image by Andrew Janjigian

Andrew Janjigian

of Wordloaf wrote a great post, ‘Know Your Dough’. In the post, he covers everything from Hydration and Dough Wetness to Acidity and more. Reading Andrew’s post has given me a better understanding of breadmaking and is worth reading. For anyone interested in sourdough baking, this post Improving Your Sourdoughs, also by

Andrew Janjigian

is worth reading.

Starter Maintenance

Broken record here, I know, but I think the number one way to improve your sourdough breads is to maintain your starter at room temperature rather than keeping it in the fridge in between bakes. I know that for many of you this is not something you think you’d have the time to do, at least not forever, but why not try it out for a week or month and see what happens? You can always go back to fridge storage, and your starter will be all the better for it.

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Apple Challah Stuffed Crown by

Emma Frisch

Image by Emma Frisch

While those of us in the Northern Hemisphere are settling into cooler days. This recipe for Apple Challah Stuffed Crown by

Emma Frisch

would make a ‘A show-stopping centerpiece to celebrate Autumn’.

In the Jewish tradition, the fall harvest season is celebrated with Rosh Hashanah and Sukkot, both rooted in agricultural traditions. In the regions where the Semites first lived, Rosh Hashanah - the Jewish New Year - coincided with the first cycle of sowing the seed and bringing in the harvest. We celebrate by dipping apples in honey.

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Garlic Swirl Rolls by

Laura Schneider

Image by Laura Schneider

Laura describes these rolls as,

‘Amazing plush and pillowly soft garlic swirl rolls are baked until golden brown and indescribably delicious! They are the perfect thing to enjoy with some pasta or as a side dish for any holiday meal.’

Admittedly, these rolls do take a bit of time to make. But that gives you time to fall in love with the tiny moments of this recipe. Love how the dough rises in a warm spot in your home. Love how the flour rushes across the table as you dust it to roll the dough out. Love the aroma of garlic and butter and basil all wrapped together in a hug…

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No Knead Overnight Focaccia by

Audrey Le Goff

Image by Audrey Le Goff

Focaccia is in fact becoming quite the trend here in France. The charm of Europe lies in how effortlessly recipes traverse borders and blend into new cultures. While this culinary cross-pollination happens globally, it's particularly vibrant in Europe, where countries are close-knit and borders more permeable. Italian recipes have unquestionably found a special place in the French heart.

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Desserts and Cake

Some of my favourite things to bake are puddings, desserts and cakes. Whenever I see or read a recipe, something always inspires me to do more and improve my skills, which is why I Never Stop Learning.

Apple Crostata by

Domenica Marchetti

For pastry fans, I love the sound of

Domenica Marchetti

’s recipe for Apple Crostata. The lovely way she has created a lattice top is inviting.

Both the filling and the pastry can be made in advance and refrigerated for two days or frozen for longer. Be sure to use a mix of apple varieties to create a complex flavor and a mix of textures (some will hold their shape during cooks, while others will turn pulpy). Among my favorites: Gold Rush, Crimson Crisp, Crimson Topaz, and Honeycrisp.

Apple and BlackBerry Crumble Tartlets by

Shell Plant

Image Credit Shell Plant

Who wouldn’t want a little tartlet like this all to themselves?

All the components of this recipe can be made in advance, so if you are entertaining, it’s a case of whipping it all together and getting it in the oven. It is best served warm, and will need something creamy alongside. Some vanilla ice cream perfectly hits the spot. Or, on a particularly cold, rainy day, warm vanilla custard.

Honey and Oats Cake with Apple Butter by

Ellen Kornmehl MD

Image by Ellen Kornmehl

This recipe relies on the natural sugars in fruit to reduce the usual sugar and cuts the butter. I was never one for the sickly sweet, dense honey cake my grandmother made still typical in New York bakeries. Instead, I used honey and a bit of brown sugar with a base of cooked oatmeal for fiber (a good way to use up leftovers) for this lovely cake. The apple butter adds a nice motif to the top or can be served along side. The cake is moist and keeps for days in the fridge.

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FoodStack Reads is a weekly roundup from some of the best food writers in the FoodStack library. This week’s edition was curated by

Lynn Hill

Do you have a recipe or food writer to recommend? Tell us about it in the comments.

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