banana bread

Margherita Pizza

This classic pizza is easy to pull off at home. A flavorful make-ahead dough pairs with creamy mozzarella, fresh basil, and uncooked sauce to deliver big flavor.

This snack, also known as focaccia di Recco, is a crisp, flaky, cheese-filled Italian bread, perfect for snacking on at any time of day. The dough is stretchy and easy to work with. Try stretching it over the lip of the pan to help to hold it in place so it doesn't spring back.Focaccia col formaggio is best when made in a tinned copper pizza pan.

Parmesan Herb Cloverleaf Rolls

The unbaked rolls need to be refrigerated overnight, so plan accordingly.

Birria Bao

The filling for these bao may be unexpected, but Claudette Zepeda's recipe for Birria, a chile-rich savory shredded beef, is a delicious match for the chewy and slightly-sweet dough. Birria is a mainstay of Mexican cuisine, a stew that originated in the state of Jalisco traditionally made from goat, beef, or lamb. The meat is marinated in adobo, slowly braised until fork-tender, and then shredded. It's the perfect filling for tacos, quesadillas, or these bao. Be sure to line the bottom of your steamer with parchment paper so the bao dough sticks to the paper, and not the steamer.

Chocolate Babka

This amazing babka cake gets extra flavor in the swirl from cookie crumbs. As a bonus, it's topped with a thick, luscious chocolate glaze.

Rye and Creme Fraiche Strata with Smoked Salmon

In this playful riff on a bagel with cream cheese and lox, Food & Wine’s Justin Chapple makes a custardy rye bread pudding with capers, then tops it with smoked salmon and red onion. It’s warm, comforting and a guaranteed crowd-pleaser.

Sweet Plum Focaccia

With a delicate and airy crumb, this focaccia is the perfect showcase for ripe plums, which caramelize in the oven as the focaccia bakes. The delicate sweetness from the fruit is contrasted by fragrant rosemary and a sweet-salty crunch from a sprinkle of turbinado sugar and flaky sea salt, yielding a balanced pastry that's perfect for pairing with a dessert wine; Kate Leahy says late-harvest and ice wines are an ideal pairing.