Bread

Half of one of these loaves is enough for the croutons for the White Bean and Ham Hock Soup with Arugula.

Elusively spiced, this bread is great spread with margarine or butter substitute or toasted for breakfast.

A delicious new take on an old favorite.

This pizza is made with no toppings other than oil and salt and should be served as a snack. It's not really a cracker, but it's crisper than focaccia. Active time: 25 min Start to finish: 25 min

A unique no-knead loaf developed for baking in coffee cans to create that special mushroom shape, this white bread is a savory loaf that fills the kitchen with an incredible aroma while it bakes. Since it takes only one rise in the molds, you can plan on 2 hours from mixing to table. In my travels around the United States, home bakers most often surprise me when they tell me this is their favorite bread recipe. It utilizes creamy evaporated milk, which has 60 percent of its water removed and gives the bread an especially delicate, moist texture. I think you will find it exceptionally easy to prepare, and each variation is as good as the master recipe. I use two glass baking canisters in lieu of coffee cans, which are not so often readily available.

Along with croissants and pains au chocolat, these buns are ubiquitous in the morning bread basket that arrives after you order your express or café crème in Paris. It's the pastry cream that makes them unique. We used our favorite brioche recipe (by Sally Darr, a former gourmet editor) as the base.

Patrice Bedrosian of Brewster, New York, writes: "In the days that followed September 11, 2001, I — like so many Americans — gravitated toward roast chicken, meat loaf, and anything that brought comfort and ease to my home. You see, my stepbrother, Jerry O'Leary, a 34-year-old chef working at Cantor Fitzgerald's corporate dining room in One World Trade Center, was among the many victims on that terrible day. "I feel quite certain that Jerry's love for cooking stemmed from his mother, Julie Lestrange. And as long as I can remember, she has always had something delicious waiting for my family whenever we visit. "I would like to share a recipe that Julie has given to me. My hope is that you will, in turn, share it with my fellow readers, encouraging them to enjoy this delicious and comforting Irish bread, to smile, and to remember the love between a mother and a son." Offer this easy-to-make bread with plenty of butter and your favorite jam.

This playful take on classic Italian rum babà soaks a giant, plush brioche loaf in a fiery rum syrup infused with plenty of citrus.

This breakfast-for-a-crowd crams everything good about babka into a hearty casserole: sweet custard, cinnamon, chocolate, and tender slices of bread.

Sweet potatoes lend a soft orange glow and beguiling sweetness to this tray of dinner rolls with its shiny top coat of melted butter.

This sunny mango bread is ultra-moist and bursting with tropical flavor; the loaf is topped with a tangy mango-lime glaze that sets to a glossy finish.