If you want to eat peach cobbler any time of the day, Barry Sorkin from Smoque BBQ in Chicago may have the recipe you’re looking for. “It’s kind of like a fruit cup,” Sorkin says. “You could almost argue it’s breakfast food.” Roasted almond streusel adds a complex nuttiness to his version, which has a crunchy finish more akin to crisp than classic cobbler.

Featured in “4 Barbecue Side Dishes to Bring Home, No Smoker Required.”

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Peanut- and cilantro-topped ice cream may seem surprising, but this is a popular flavor combination in Taiwan’s coastal Yilan County, where night market vendors roll the ingredients in thin wheat-flour wrappers for a beloved snack called hua shen juan bing qi. At Win Son in Brooklyn, pastry chef Danielle Spencer fries fluffy milk-bread dough to make an oversized and shareable ice cream sandwich inspired by the famous street food. For an over-the-top flourish, Win Son co-owner and chef Trigg Brown suggests frying the peanuts in salted butter.

Featured in “6 Bold Ice Cream Sandwich Recipes to Change Things Up This Summer” by Kat Craddock.

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At Bad Habit Ice Cream—a natural wine bar-meets-scoop-shop in New York City—a reach-in freezer is stocked with to-go pints and Big Mac-sized ice cream sandwiches featuring chef and co-owner Javier Zuniga’s playfully elevated flavor combinations. These chewy sugar cookies starring rich, nutty brown butter frequently sandwich fruit-based ice creams such as roasted banana or sweet milk with a swirl of orange marmalade or fig jam. Fake it at home by softening a quart of store-bought vanilla ice cream and folding in a ripple of your favorite preserves.

Featured in “6 Bold Ice Cream Sandwich Recipes to Change Things Up This Summer” by Kat Craddock.

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Browned in the oven, this large-format pancake makes for a fun alternative to the traditional griddle cakes. This version of the Dutch baby is adapted from former Honolulu magazine editor David Eyre, who famously shared the recipe from the 1919 Hotel St. Francis Cookbook with New York Times food editor Craig Claiborne in 1966. It became the most requested recipe of Claiborne’s career—and still holds up today. 

While the Dutch baby comes out of the oven perfectly puffed, it collapses quickly—the surface will deflate like a balloon as you sprinkle the powdered sugar and lemon juice on top. The pancake will still be just as delectable, but if you want your guests to enjoy the dramatic presentation, plan accordingly.

Buy the SAVEUR Selects Nitri-Black Carbon Steel 12-Inch Frying Pan here.

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The tail end of winter citrus season meets the bounty of springtime seeds in this fragrant snacking cake. Some of my garden favorites—including poppies, sunflowers, pumpkins, and fennel—lend their edible seeds to a crunchy brown-sugar topping that contrasts with the tender, orange-scented olive oil cake. In trying to come up with a treat to highlight some of the seeds I plant in my garden each year, I reached out to my friend Katy Beyer, head baker at Florence Pie Bar in Florence, Massachusetts. She had the ingenious idea to bake the seeds in a brown sugar and butter mixture at the bottom of the cake, and invert it before serving, like a tarte tatin or an upside-down cake. 

The crunchy, chewy seed layer and the cake batter utilize both orange zest and juice: Two medium-size oranges, such as navel or Cara Cara, should produce enough. Hulled pumpkin seeds and sunflower seeds are often sold dry-roasted, but you can also use raw hulled seeds since they will toast in the pan as the cake bakes.

Featured in “Seeds Are the Epitome of Spring’s Unlimited Potential.”

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The late, great American cookbook author Marion Cunningham famously carried with her a photograph of a table loaded with angel food cakes, all slightly different: some tall, some short, some white and fluffy, some in a Bundt shape. The photo was taken at a meeting of the Baker’s Dozen, a group of pro bakers including Alice Medrich and Carol Field who met regularly to exchange problems and solutions. Each of the cakes was baked by the members from the same recipe. “If all our results were this different,” Cunningham sympathized, “think of the plight of the poor home cook.” This recipe in question is this one, from “cookie baker for the stars,” Tom Roach, adapted with a bit of Cunningham’s gentle advice.

This recipe originally ran alongside Christopher Hirsheimer’s 1999 article, Baking Lessons.

Order the SAVEUR Selects Artisan Series Angel Food Cake Pan here.

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Let me share something with you: I love bread. Baking (and then consuming) a homemade loaf is one of life’s most enjoyable simple pleasures. I admit that the process does require a bit of planning—and a few hours of downtime. And yet the results are incredibly rewarding and absolutely worth the effort. As someone who, years ago, became obsessed with baking bread and then went on to work in a professional bakery, I always advocate for home cooks to try their hand at making their own bread at home. Learning how to make a baguette is a simple and straightforward starting point.

Much like the simple roast chicken or sky-high soufflé, a perfectly executed baguette is considered one of the best marks by which to judge a master of culinary craft. French President Emmanuel Macron successfully advocated to include the slender loaves in UNESCO’s list of “Intangible Cultural Heritage”—a process that took six years to provide the necessary documentation! Amateur bakers tend to test the waters by making boules, bâtards, and pan loaves. A baguette, on the other hand, can seem a bit more intimidating. In reality, these loaves require only a handful of tools and ingredients that you likely already have in the kitchen, and are achievable for anyone with a hot oven and some time. Though your first attempt might not look exactly like those at your local bakery, learning how to make a baguette is all about practice (and enjoying the fresh-baked results).

What you need:

Tools:

• 2 large mixing bowls or a stand mixer fitted with dough hook attachment
• Digital Scale*
• Whisk
• Bench Scraper
• Cast iron skillet 
• Parchment paper
• Baking Sheet 
• Very sharp paring knife, razor blade, or bread lame

Ingredients:

• 1½ cups (355 g) warm (not hot!) tap water (between 105°F-115°F)
• 1½ tsp. (5 g) active dry yeast**
• 3¼ cups (462 g) all-purpose flour***  
• 1¾ tsp. (5 g) kosher salt
• Neutral oil, such as canola, sunflower, or vegetable, for greasing
• 2 cups boiling water (very hot tap water can also be used)

*I highly recommend investing in a digital scale for use in any home baking project. In a professional bakery, every ingredient is measured in grams. This is for a few main reasons: Multiples of 10 are incredibly easy to scale up and down as needed, and gram measurements are more precise than pounds and ounces and more accurate than cups and tablespoons. 

**Bread flour can also be used in this method, although its higher protein content will make for a “stronger” dough, with more elasticity when proofing and shaping.

***You are also welcome to substitute instant dry yeast for active dry yeast, just be aware that the fermentation time when using the instant version will be slightly faster. This will speed up fermentation and proofing times by about 15 minutes at each stage. I prefer to use active dry yeast in this recipe because a slower fermentation time results in a more flavorful final product.

BEFORE YOU BEGIN

Traditional baguettes are made using a type of preferment called a poolish. This mixture of yeast, flour, and water is mixed a few hours ahead of time, then added to the final dough to increase its “extensibility” (in other words, stretchiness, which makes shaping easier). It also lends the finished product a more complex and yeasty flavor than breads made with “straight doughs” mixed without preferments. The loaves are also often cold-proofed for several hours (and even overnight) to increase flavor depth as well. The method in this streamlined tutorial skips those steps, and instead shortens the entire process to about four hours. If you want to get a head start (and a more pronounced flavor), cover the shaped loaves with a tea towel and proof overnight in the fridge before scoring and baking them, as described below, the following morning. 

STEP 1: Mix and knead the dough.

In a large bowl, whisk together the water and active dry yeast, then set aside at room temperature until slightly foamy, about 10 minutes. (If the yeast does not begin to foam at the surface, it’s probably past its prime. Discard it and grab some fresh yeast before continuing.) Add the flour, then, using a fork or your hand, stir until all the flour is absorbed and there are no dry pockets. Set aside to allow the flour to hydrate for 20 minutes.*

Lightly flour a clean work surface. Sprinkle the salt over the dough, then transfer to the surface and knead until all the salt is incorporated and the dough is elastic and mostly smooth, 9–12 minutes. (If using a stand mixer, mix the dough on medium-low speed for 4–5 minutes.) Form the dough into a ball. Lightly grease a clean, large bowl, transfer the dough into it, cover, and set aside until the dough has nearly doubled in size, about 45 minutes. Note: The warmer and more humid the environment in your kitchen, the faster your dough will rise. During the colder months, one of my favorite techniques is to ferment the dough right in my oven with the pilot light on, or near a warm radiator. 

Letting the dough hydrate and rest before adding the salt is a process known as autolyse. This process allows gluten bonds to start forming gently—before you start working the dough—reducing kneading time and resulting in a more irregular, open crumb structure.

STEP 2: Stretch and fold the dough.

Imagine your dough ball as having four corners. Grab the top two corners (furthest from you) and lift them up and away from the sides of the bowl, folding them over towards you. Rotate the bowl 180 degrees and repeat. Now do the same with the right and left sides, respectively. Your dough should now resemble a folded envelope. Carefully remove the “envelope” from the bowl and invert it, placing it back in the bowl, seam side down. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and return to a warm area until doubled in size again, another 45 minutes to an hour. 

You may be used to seeing bread recipes that instruct you to “punch down” the dough (in other words, deflate the dough of any gasses formed during the fermentation process). I don’t like to do that here, because removing these gasses can lead to a denser loaf. Instead, this folding process helps to both redistribute the entrapped gasses and ensure a more even temperature throughout the dough.

STEP 3: Cut the dough into three pieces.

Carefully transfer the dough to your lightly floured surface, once again taking care to not deflate it excessively. Place a large cast iron pan on the floor of your oven, adjust the oven rack to the center position, and  preheat to 450ºF. Using a bench scraper or sharp knife, divide the dough into three equal pieces (extra credit here if you have a kitchen scale!). Roll each piece into a tight oval (the dough should be springy if you poke it with your finger). Cover the ovals with plastic wrap or a tea towel and set aside at room temperature until the dough is “relaxed,” 15–20 minutes.

STEP 4: Shape and final proof the baguettes

Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper, dust lightly with flour, and set aside. On your lightly floured work surface, lightly press and stretch one of the dough pieces into a rectangle. Pick up the top two corners and fold them towards you, stopping halfway. Repeat with the bottom corners (away from your body this time). The dough should now resemble a tube, with a seam running along the center. Place the tube seam-side-down, and repeat the process with the other two dough pieces. 

Then, go back to the first tube: Position your hands at the center, then carefully roll the log of dough back and forth, applying pressure toward either end and elongating the dough as you go. Repeat this process a couple of times until the loaf is about 16 inches long, and tapered at the ends. Continue with the other two pieces of dough, then place the baguettes seam-side-down on the lined baking sheet. Cover with a sheet of plastic wrap or very slightly damp tea towel and set aside at room temperature until the loaves are slightly puffed up and the dough bounces back slightly when poked gently with your finger, 20–30 minutes.

STEP 5: Score and bake the baguettes.

After scoring your baguettes, you’ll want to move as quickly as possible when loading them into the oven, so be sure that it’s fully preheated before you proceed. 

Using a sharp knife or razor blade held at a 30 degree angle, cut four evenly spaced slashes along the top surface of each baguette. If you have a spray bottle on hand, give the loaves a light spritz of water, then, quickly and carefully transfer the baking sheet to the oven, pour at least 2 cups of boiling water into the hot cast iron skillet, and shut the oven door. Bake the loaves until golden brown, 25–30 minutes. Remove the baguettes from the oven and do your best to let them cool before diving in. 

A steamy oven is crucial for achieving a good rise and a thin and crispy crust. The steam created from the initial heat of the skillet will fill the oven, then condense and settle over the surface of the baking loaves. That moisture keeps the outside of the dough hydrated and springy, allowing for more “oven spring” as the loaves bake. Without steam, the outer layer of bread “crisps up” before the internal temperature has risen enough to cause the gasses to expand, and your bread can end up dense, hard, and misshapen.

Tip: Most home ovens have vents that let out steam, usually above and behind the cooktop. In order to retain as much steam as possible, I recommend using a rolled up kitchen towel to block these vents while you bake—every little bit of steam helps!

How to store leftover baguettes

Baguettes tend to go stale within a day or two, and leftovers are best kept at room temperature in a bread box or a waxed canvas or plastic bag. Fully cooled bread can also be wrapped tightly in plastic and stored in the freezer for several weeks. And should you find yourself with some stale leftovers, don’t throw them out. I like to cube stale bread, toast in a 375°F oven until golden-brown, then toss them in some olive oil and savory seasonings to make croutons. Or, simply pop the cubes in the food processor and blitz them down into homemade breadcrumbs. 

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The madeleine is not a showy French pastry. Consider its humble shape: As standard a version of a seashell that can be imagined; the kind any beachgoer has seen thousands of times without a second thought. The flavor? A pure expression of its ingredients, what the Larousse Gastronomique says is simply sugar, flour, melted butter, and eggs. Set against a case of elaborate viennoiserie, jaunty mille-feuilles, and colorful macarons, the madeleine demures.

But at Le Comptoir, the barely year-old pâtisserie on the ground-floor of Paris’s historic Hotel Ritz, the dainty pastry takes center stage. That’s because the hotel’s head pâtissier (and Netflix’s “Chef in a Truck”) François Perret has kind of a thing for this understated sweet. In the cream-and-peach-hued boutique, I found the madeleine taking many forms: Palm-sized and filled with passionfruit, blackberry, and caramel; a classic version, but made XXL; blitzed into a milkshake. There’s even a madeleine-that’s-not-a-madeleine—an intricate trompe l’oeil entremet made up of mousse, custard, and cake fashioned in the shape of the far more modest treat. Madeleines even adorn the wallpaper (which is now my phone background). I brought home two boxes full of them—perfect keepsakes, oval-shaped and festooned with playful illustrations of César Ritz, Auguste Escoffier, and chef Perret himself.  

Back in New York, I’ve recently been served madeleines after both seafood (tiny, tried-and-true), and fried chicken (a cornbread riff). I can’t say I was upset by either. My sweet tooth is subtle at best, and these playful pastries are generally just the right amount of dessert for my taste. This version, adapted from Perret’s recipe, features two types of honey—floral acacia and richer, savory chestnut—and a thin, tart layer of glaze. What an elegant fall delight. The madeleine is ready for its close up.

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In spite of plenty of snobbery, tender white bread remains a beloved staple of cuisines all around the world. Editorial director (and ex-professional bread baker) Kat Craddock’s version is aerated and fluffy like North American packaged loaves, but with the enriched chew and structure of French pain au lait. She also borrowed a shaping technique from Japanese and Taiwanese bakers, which results in a delicate, feathery crumb. The result: an ethereally fluffy, generously buttery, and delightfully squishable loaf.

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Featured In: How to Make the Fluffiest White Bread in the World

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I never cared much for fresh fruit growing up in Dubai. My mother grew pomegranates, guava, and figs in our backyard and I clearly remember her spending warm summer afternoons looking over her crop, picking only the most perfectly ripe specimens to adorn our living room table. 

Back then, I didn’t so much consider fruit to be a “snack.” Even now, I tend to seek out sugary, often chocolate-covered treats over those “healthier” fresh options. I found figs, with their leathery skins and seedy interiors, especially unappealing. Whenever my mom bit into one of her freshly picked figs with joy, I crinkled my nose in disdain. 

But Arab moms have a knack for persuading their sons to eat just about anything, eventually. One day, after hours spent playing outside in the neighborhood gardens, I rushed into the house, hungry for a snack. Mom urged me to wash up in a hurry so she could make me a jam sandwich, one of my favorite treats. When I sat down at the table, I was so ravenous I didn’t even look at what was wrapped inside the soft pita she put in front of me.

From the first bite, I was overwhelmed. A deep and figgy sweetness contrasted against a buttery layer; a sprinkling of crunchy seeds shone through all the richness with a distinctly warm and earthy aroma. This was no simple jam sandwich. I gazed up at my mom with wonder and asked what  she had fed me.

With a twinkle in her eye, she calmly replied, “Salted butter, caraway seeds…and figs.” I was stunned.

Since then, these three ingredients make up one of my all-time favorite flavor combinations, which I even love to incorporate into—you guessed it—sweet baked treats. If you’re a fig lover (or are on the fence about this magnificent fruit), I encourage you to try this simple yet elegant fig scone recipe. When fresh figs are not in season, feel free to substitute dried ones which have been soaked in warm water or tea for 30 minutes.

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I first met Anne Saxelby in 2008 when I was 23 and working part-time selling cheese at Brooklyn’s Greene Grape Provisions. I was picking up shifts on my days off from cooking at The Good Fork, where I had just gotten an internship that quickly became a job. I needed to pay my rent, but moreover, I needed to feed my insatiable appetite for all things culinary. Cheese was always something I adored, so the Greene Grape gig was a pleasure. My coworkers and I regularly geeked out about new arrivals and Anne’s name came up daily. Her young cheese stall in Essex Market may have been small, but—just like Anne—it was mighty, and even then I could tell she was unstoppable. 

Just about everyone in the cheese world seemed to know Anne. She was disrupting the American dairy industry in the best way, by showcasing domestic cheeses that could hold their own among the European stalwarts. Anne was larger than life, warm, charismatic, and of course, so excited to talk about cheese. She gave me my first taste of Harbison. She introduced me to Jasper Hill, and her beloved Cato Corner Farm. She taught me all about clothbound cheddars, washed rinds, and triple creams. She showed me how to make mozzarella with cultured curds from Pennsylvania, and then, even better, how to turn that mozzarella into stracciatella the next day. If you loved cheese even an iota as much as Anne did, you were an instant friend. She welcomed me on several occasions—beaming with pride—into her little cheese cave in Red Hook, feeding me slivers of whatever wheels her team was portioning for wholesale that day.

But Anne wasn’t just a knowledgeable cheesemonger and affineur. She led a cheese revolution. Her passion gave a platform and a spotlight to dairy farmers doing incredible work. She educated her customers and a new generation of cheese makers and mongers and, gradually, she changed the way the world regarded American farmstead cheeses. She mentored and loved so many, and championed the little guys out there, going out of her way for everyone in her orbit. 

When Anne passed away last fall, she left behind a legacy of education and sustainable agriculture. No one had integrity quite like Anne, and I can’t think of a more fitting way to honor her life and work than to continue celebrating her mission and passions.

I’ve put iterations of my chèvre cheesecake on menus since 2012, and it’s become one of my signature desserts. I was honored that Anne came to taste this dish over the years in various establishments—most recently at Gage & Tollner, where the tangy goat cheese serves as a seasonal canvas and a creamy endnote to dinner. This cake pairs with anything that is lucious and in season: Jammy late-season plums for early autumn; roasted pears and maple later in the season; candied citrus in the doldrums of winter; and macerated berries, cherries, and peaches as spring turns to summer. I hope you’ll make this beauty at home, with a good-quality goat cheese that Anne would approve of. Anne, this cheesecake is forever for you.

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