Winter Breads

Breads can be made in any season of course, but in the Winter homemade bread is even better. For one thing, winter foods like soups and casseroles are just begging to be served with some really good bread. And in the wintertime, you don't mind having your oven on for hours at a time.

Making your own bread is easier than most people think. It does take time, but if you plan ahead it is pretty simple to do. And the more you do it, the easier it gets and the better your breads will be.

This week I am revisiting bread recipes I have made over the past year:

Easy French Bread is one of the easiest yeast breads I have found. This recipe is so versatile that you can do just about anything to it - make it savory with some herbs or grated cheese, make it sweet by adding sugar and spices, or just do a traditional crusty loaf.

Sourdough Bread takes a lot of planning ahead (you must make a starter first). But mastering Sourdough is a feat that all bread makers set out to accomplish, and being a native Californian, it is my personal favorite type of bread.

Potato Yeast Rolls are the perfect roll for any dinner menu - so soft and moist that you might just forget about any other kind of roll or biscuit.

Chocolate Beer Bread has a very unusual flavor - you taste the cocoa, but it is only mildly sweet. I like it as an appetizer bread, almost like a pumpernickle.

Savory Beer Bread is a rustic bread that goes well with hearty stews and chowders.

Cinnamon French Bread is a variation on Easy French Bread, and it makes a great breakfast bread.