Bread Flour

An overnight rest and fresh cake yeast help this simple, easy-to-make loaf develop the flavor and texture of traditional sourdough.

This simple pizza dough comes together quickly and is perfect for a thin crust pizza like "Trenton Tomato Pie" Pizza. The overnight rest is key for texture and flavor development.

The key to cooking this yeast-risen, yogurt-enriched Indian flat bread at home is a hot cast iron skillet.

This not-too-sweet loaf would also make amazing French toast.

Editor's note: Use this puff pastry to make Francois Payard's Soufflé of Puff Pastry with Orange-Scented Pastry Cream, Candied Pecans, and Caramel Butter Sauce . This rich, buttery pastry is used to create a variety of pastries and baked goods. I use it in many of my plated desserts, such as for napoleon layers and as the base for multicomponent desserts. This particular recipe is my favorite, because it makes an ultra-flaky, very airy pastry in which you can actually see the layers. I give the dough a total of five turns—two double turns and one single turn—to achieve this lightness.

Nick Malgieri, the director of baking and pastry programs at The Institute of Culinary Education in New York City, created this recipe exclusively for Epicurious. The enriched yeast dough is a snap to make and even easier to shape into decadent, delicious cinnamon rolls. Best of all, the rolls can be baked ahead and reheated for a fresh-from-the-oven breakfast treat. For more on cinnamon rolls, including tips from Malgieri, see Classic Recipes: Cinnamon Rolls.

Cookbook author and food photographer Lara Ferroni created this classic doughnut recipe exclusively for Epicurious. For Ferroni's doughnut-making tips and more recipes, see our complete guide to homemade doughnuts. We've included two glaze options, sugar and chocolate, but these doughnuts are terrific on their own or simply dusted with confectioners' sugar. If your kitchen is on the cold side, an easy way to create a warm place for the dough to rise is to turn the oven on to 250°F, and set the bowl of dough or the baking sheet of doughnuts on top.

With a recipe that is simple enough for beginners yet customizable for experienced bakers, this bread will end the days of buying overpriced loaves. Choose your favorite 7- or 10-grain cereal and then experiment with your own mixture of seeds and nuts to determine the taste and texture that suit you. This loaf is special enough to be a gift but requires less than an hour of active prep time. Use it for sandwiches or eat it toasted with a smear of butter or jam.

{sauceless} When we found out our dear friends Katie and Parker got engaged, we packed up our pizza dough and big bag of greens from our garden and headed to their place for an impromptu celebration that's become a tradition in both our homes. Though the best pizza dough takes a little preparation {it gets more supple as it sits overnight}, a pizza topped with little more than fresh farmers' market finds can be thrown together on the fly like a grand game of Twister, with everyone's arms cutting, slicing, patting, and rolling in a tangle that is soon to become a very good dinner. Sip: Snappy and crisp Sauvignon Blanc from New Zealand

In the halls of Winterfell, black bread is easy to find. Of course, bread can be found in many lands and nations, but the black bread of the North is fitting for its inhabitants. It possesses a darker color, higher fiber, and stronger flavor than other breads. It's denser as well, implying a great inner strength. Such food seems to symbolize the soul of the Stark family: gritty and stronger than anyone gives them credit for, with hidden resources that emerge when needed. Flavorful and healthy, it's both a treat and practical nourishment. (A Game of Thrones, Chapter 5—Jon)

All ingredients except the milk and water should be at room temperature. This bread can be stored in a resealable plastic bag at room temperature for up to 2 days.

White bread is known under many names, including pullman, milk dough, pain de mie (bread of the crumb), and just plain old white bread. It has many uses, including dinner and knotted rolls, sandwich bread, burger buns, and hot dog buns. This style of dough is often referred to as milk dough because in most versions the hydration is primarily from fresh milk (or powdered milk and water). These white breads fall into the category of enriched breads, as they are made with the most often used natural dough conditioners: fat (butter or oil), sugar, and milk. These cause the crust to caramelize quickly and, when fermented correctly, give the finished bread a light-as-air quality with a very soft texture. The internal temperature need only reach just above 180°F for rolls and 185° to 190°F for loaves. Because of the enrichments, it is best to bake full-sized loaves at 350°F and small rolls at 400°F, but never at 450°F, as you would with lean hearth breads. The three variations that follow give you some flexibility regarding ingredients. You may substitute powdered milk (DMS) for the liquid milk and vice versa, and you may also substitute in equal measure low-fat milk, buttermilk, or skim milk for the whole milk. Making these substitutions will affect the final outcome slightly in both flavor and texture, so try making the breads with the variations and see which version you prefer (I tend to be a buttermilk guy). You can also freely substitute margarine or shortening or even liquid oil for the butter. Again, the type of fat you use will affect flavor and texture, but they all tenderize the bread. Shortening gives the softest texture, butter the best flavor.