Do you have a Super Bowl tradition? We usually gather with a small circle of longtime friends, our married kids, and a few of their in-laws who live nearby. Nothing fancy—just football, lots of conversation, and a table full of food everyone looks forward to. This year, I’m bringing the queso dip and the candied pecans you see below, but any of these recipes would fit right in at a Super Bowl spread. If you’re still deciding what to make, I hope this gives you a few dependable ideas. All of...

Hi Friends, As promised, this is the follow-up to the email I sent a couple of weeks ago. Previously, we talked about why a loaf of bread collapses inward on the sides after it’s baked and removed from the pan. You can read it here. Today, I’m exploring why the top of a home-baked loaf of bread lifts off—sometimes evenly, but more often just on one side, and sometimes quite dramatically. 1. The crust set too early.If the outside firms up before the inside finishes expanding, trapped steam and...

Hi Friends, I hope you had a wonderful holiday season and are ready to get serious about baking fantastic bread. Quick clarification before we dive into this tricky topic:I’m not talking about loaves that sink on top—that’s usually overproofing. Check out the right side where the loaf is starting to cave in. I’m talking about loaves that look fine out of the oven, then cave inward on the side as they cool. That kind of collapse almost always points to a structure problem, not fermentation....