Doesn’t this look good? It’s Tomato, Basil, and Garlic Filled Pane Bianco, the winning recipe from the first-ever National Festival of Breads. Dianna Wara of Washington, Ill., won the gold in Wichita last year with this visually stunning and taste-bud-pleasing recipe inspired by her husband’s Italian heritage. And with the 2011 National Festival of Breads just open for entries, it seemed like a good time to share the recipe and some hints from Dianna.

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zuc·chi·ni [zoo-kee-nee]  –noun, plural -ni, -nis.
1. a variety of summer squash that is shaped like a cucumber and that has a smooth, dark-green skin.
2. the plant bearing this fruit.
Also called, especially British, courgette.

Zucchini. Courgette. What fancy names for this least fancy member of your backyard garden!

Zucchini is easy to grow. And even easier to grow REALLY BIG. Read the rest of this entry »

Ed. note: Irene Shover, our newest blogger, is a former home economics teacher, and now a member of our King Arthur baking resource team. Welcome, Irene!

When I was 12 years old, my aunt’s house held two things that piqued my curiosity… a bowl of yeast bread dough rising on the kitchen counter, and a copy of Peyton Place on the living room bookshelf.

Auntie was all too willing to share that yeast bread recipe; but I swear she and Mom conspired to catch me every time my fingers touched the cover of Grace Metalious’ novel.

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Your mission, should you choose to accept it: bake something that includes the five top-selling ingredients on our Baker’s Catalogue Web site.

CHOOSE to accept it? How could I resist picking up this particular gauntlet, and be Iron Baker for a day?

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Every year King Arthur Flour sponsors baking contests across the nation at county and state fairs; this year the list tops out at about 70! The fair activity peaks in August and September, which means we spend a lot of time during those months sending prizes and receiving lists of winners accompanied by photos and interesting stories. Read the rest of this entry »

“Mom, can I have cookies for breakfast?”

I know we’ve all heard it at some point in time getting the kids ready for school, or (insert early morning sport) practice, or even just on a lazy Sunday morning when they think they can catch you off guard. Well, how’d you like to be able to say  “Yes?”  Wouldn’t that just beat all, and leave your offspring thinking you’ve finally gone over the edge? Not really…

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With all the recipes here at kingarthurflour.com for decadent chocolate goodies, crusty artisan breads, delicious pies, and tender-tasty cakes, it’s a recipe for humble whole wheat bread that gets the most clicks.

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Have you ever worked in a consumer goods company? Then you know what a line extension is.

For Honda, a line extension is taking their ever-popular Civic, and coming out with a Civic hybrid.

For Ben & Jerry’s, it’s adding Mud Pie (“Chocolate & Coffee Liqueur Ice Creams Swirled Together with a Chocolate Cookie Swirl”) to their lineup of outrageous flavors.

For me, it’s creating a new pizza.

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Ginger is one of the most soothing, yet also invigorating spices we humans have discovered. We use it in both savory cooking and sweet baking. We drink it hot in tea, and cold in soda. We make ginger ale, and ginger beer. We even add ginger to our bath soaps and shampoos. Read the rest of this entry »

Banana bread.

It’s SO ’50s.

So… home ec.

So GOOD.

And even better with chocolate. Really.

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