Our May bake for the Bread Baking Babes is a unique offering, hailing from Korea, and is basically a cross between a cream cheese Danish and garlic bread!  Our host at My Diverse Kitchen mentioned that although some things like this bun are not traditional foods, they have become uniquely Korean.  This recipe started as a street food. "The Korean Cream Cheese Garlic Bun is nothing like the Western style Garlic Bread. Rather, it is a very soft bun that is divided into six equal segments or “leaves/ petals”. It is filled with a lightly sweetened cream cheese and then dunked into custa ..read more

Barbecues are usually a time for company and celebration, and certainly a time to enjoy food with friends and family.  At the end of May, here in the states, Memorial day is as often associated with BBQ as it is remembrance.  Since food is a familiar comfort both in times of celebration and of mourning, it is an apt theme to have BBQ bakes for our May BreadBakers challenge. My hubby always had an appreciation for the corn muffins available from our Ivar's seafood bars here in Puget Sound.  I figured I would attempt to create something like that and went through a few iteration ..read more

When you leave something to the last minute, you hold your breath and cross your fingers and toes and hope it turns out!  Our Bread Baking Babes choice for this month, hosted by Bread Experience, did not disappoint.  I have made ciabatta before, but with all white flour, and an overnight rest.  It is one of my favorite recipes from a former Babe.  This was a more whole grain and seed inclusive choice, with grains and seeds of choice both within and without the bread if desired.  I went with a little toasted black sesame (for its amazing flavor), a good quantity of mi ..read more

There are quite a number of allium-centric recipes on this blog.  We love onions, garlic, leeks, scallions and chives and have baked all of them into bread.  And it is very yummy!  This recipe is no exception and the bay brings an extra elevation to the flavor punch.  I must admit to glutting on toasted, buttered  pieces for the first couple days.   This loaf is a half batch   Since I had this King Arthur recipe pinned for a while, I was quite happy when the BreadBakers theme was bread with onions/alliums.  And it is very delici ..read more

 For pi day this year, we have a pie inspired by one of my and my kids' favorite comforting drinks, a honey lemon tea with ginger.  My youngest adores lemon ginger tea as one of her first tea loves.  She is now a tea fiend and discovers new tea loves every month.  It's her Christmas and birthday present of choice.  More importantly, this child approved the pie!  That's huge, she is very picky about her desserts.  Actually, the pie got a thumbs up from all family members, which is rare.  It is light and creamy, balanced with sweet tartness and a touch o ..read more

  I've been curious about flaounes since seeing them on Great British Bake-off years ago, and especially since I have mastic and mahleb on hand.  Mahleb, which is made from the small pits of wild St. Lucy’s cherries, is just such a delightful aroma.  I should add it to more things.  Very lightly almondy and sweet with a hint of floral note.  If you don’t have mahlab, the suggested substitute is for almond extract (at half the called for amount) and cardamom (at 1/4 the called-for amount) or a pinch of anise.  As for the mastic, it has a not so subtle resin aroma ..read more

Our family loves potatoes.  We wouldn't be here without a potato, that's the story.  Great grandmother suffered from hyperemesis gravidarum (extreme morning sickness), and they thought they would lose both her and the baby.  But one helpful nurse decided to try one last thing to get some nourishment in her: a baked potato.  Well it worked, and here our family is, thanks to a humble little spud. Obviously, we have always had a great appreciation for and love of almost all things potato.  So a challenge of bread with potatoes for this month's bake seemed just perfect.&n ..read more