Sometimes, for me, baking is like alchemy. You take a group of ingredients, mix them a certain way and the end result (if nothing goes wrong) is a food you love. I often think it's strange how items ...

A traditional French bread from King Arthur Flour. "You could make this bread, and no other, for the rest of your baking career, and never feel cheated," they write. "It uses the sponge, or poolish, ...