I baked the yeasted version tonight so I could tell you what to expect on Saturday. That's my loaf in the photos, shaped on the pan and then out of the oven. The one thing I want you to know going in: these two doughs are going to fool you, and in opposite directions. 🌾 THE YEASTED DOUGH STARTS DRIER THAN YOU THINK Before the butter goes in, it's going to feel stiffer than you think it should be, and you'll want to reach for more milk. Don't. That's exactly where it should be. The butter goes in a tablespoon at a time, and as it works in, the dough softens, turns glossy, and comes together. Give it the full knead. 🫙 THE SOURDOUGH DOUGH LOOKS WETTER THAN IT SHOULD Dissolving the levain into the milk and eggs makes that first mix look slack and sticky. You'll want to add flour. Don't do that either. Keep kneading. The gluten builds, the butter goes in, and by the time it passes the windowpane it'll be smooth and easy to work. Trust the process. Both doughs end up in the same place. 💧 DON'T FORGET THE WATER Before you lay the bones on, give the loaf a light dab of water where they'll sit, and wet the base of the knob too. Water is the glue. Dry bones slide off when the loaf springs in the oven. Wet ones fuse right on. 🍊 THE SMELL The orange zest in this dough is something else. My kitchen smelled amazing from the first mix, and once it hit the oven, forget about it. That smell alone is worth the bake. Sourdough bakers, your levain goes together Friday night. Thinking about going savory? Check this week's savory post first. Yeasted Pan de Muerto https://recipepantry.app/recipes/pan-de-muerto Sourdough Pan de Muerto https://recipepantry.app/recipes/sourdough-pan-de-muerto Got questions before Saturday? Drop them below and the crew and I will get you sorted. Perfection is not required. Progress is. Henry ⭐🔥

This Saturday, October 24, we're baking something special at Crust & Crumb Academy. Pan de Muerto, the traditional Mexican bread prepared for Día de los Muertos. But before we get our hands in the dough, I wanted to share something with you. I've put together a video that explores the history, traditions, and meaning behind this beautiful bread. We'll also look at the ingredients, shaping techniques, and what makes this bread different from the ones we normally bake. We're making it TWO ways this Saturday! 🍞 Commercial yeast, for a soft, rich, orange-scented loaf. https://recipepantry.app/recipes/pan-de-muerto 🫙 Sourdough, using a stiff levain for a different fermentation experience. https://recipepantry.app/recipes/sourdough-pan-de-muerto I'd love for you to watch this before Saturday's Bake-Along. There's a story behind those little dough bones we shape across the top, and I think you'll appreciate the bread even more once you know it. 🎬 WATCH THE VIDEO: https://youtu.be/rzgkqN5qifk And tell me in the comments, are you baking the yeasted version or the sourdough? Every bread has a story. This one's worth sharing. Perfection isn't required. Progress is. Henry Hunter Crust & Crumb Academy

I got a new USA Pan popover pan as a gift this week, and I couldn't wait to break it in. If you've never had one, a popover is a light, hollow bread that rises from nothing but eggs, milk, and flour. No yeast, no starter. Steam does all the lifting. If that sounds like Yorkshire pudding, you're right, they're cousins. Yorkshire pudding is the British original, baked in hot beef drippings and served alongside the Sunday roast with gravy. The popover is the American take, baked with butter in deep, steep-sided cups like these, so it climbs tall and comes out hollow in the middle. Same batter, different fat, different pan, different table. I made mine a little differently, with a touch of vanilla and a little sugar, and these were so good. Crisp and deep brown on the outside, soft and custardy inside. I ate four of them in one sitting and stuffed two with ham. That sweet and salty bite is hard to beat. Recipe's below, so grab a pan and give them a shot this weekend. (You can also do these in a muffin tin.) Yield: 6 popovers in a popover pan, or 10 to 12 in a muffin tin Ingredients - 3 large eggs, room temperature: 150 g (about ¾ cup beaten) - Whole milk, warm to the touch: 240 g (1 cup) - All-purpose flour: 125 g (1 cup, spooned and leveled) - Granulated sugar: 12 g (1 tbsp) - Pure vanilla extract: 5 ml (1 tsp) - Fine salt: 3 g (½ tsp) - Melted butter: 14 g (1 tbsp), plus about 15 g (1 tbsp) for the pan Method 1. Blend or whisk the eggs, milk, sugar, vanilla, salt, and 1 tbsp melted butter until smooth. Add the flour and mix just until there are no lumps. A few small bubbles are fine. 2. Rest the batter at least 30 minutes at room temperature. You can also refrigerate it overnight, then let it warm up before baking. 3. Put the empty pan on a middle rack and heat the oven to 450°F (230°C). Give it a full 15 minutes so the pan gets hot. 4. Pull the pan, add about ½ tsp butter to each cup, and fill each one half to two-thirds full. Work fast. 5. Bake 20 minutes at 450°F (230°C), then drop to 350°F (175°C) and bake another 15 to 20 minutes, until they're deep brown and firm. Don't open the door during the first 30 minutes. 6. Turn them out and poke each one with a paring knife to let the steam out. That keeps them from collapsing. Serve hot.

We know each other as bakers. We share our loaves, compare crumb shots, and spend a lot of time talking about flour, fermentation, and everything that happens in between. But I've been thinking. How much do we really know about the people we're baking alongside? There's a whole lot more to our members than what comes out of their ovens. So, I'm starting something new here at the Academy. The People Behind the Bread. Our first spotlight features @Leigh Skowronski , someone many of you already know from our Bake-Alongs and conversations around the kitchen table. A few months ago, Leigh sent me something that started a conversation I wasn't expecting. The more I learned about her, the more I realized there was a story here worth sharing. And there's a personal connection that makes this one particularly special to me. I've put together a little feature about Leigh, her remarkable talents, and the story behind that unexpected gift. 👉 Meet Leigh Skowronski: The People Behind the Bread I hope you'll take a few minutes to read it. And when you're finished, I'd love to hear what you think. Maybe we'll discover that some of the most interesting stories in this Academy have nothing to do with bread. The Proof Is in the People. Henry Hunter

I wanted pancakes this morning so here we go! They are fluffy with great flavor!