Yeasted Puff Pastry Is the Long, Satisfying Baking Project You Need Now

This original article was written to detail the process of specifically making my croissant loaf and rolls from homemade yeasted puff pastry. For the March episode of Bake it Up a Notch, we took a deep dive into all things yeasted puff, and I wanted to…

This original article was written to detail the process of specifically making my croissant loaf and rolls from homemade yeasted puff pastry. For the March episode of Bake it Up a Notch, we took a deep dive into all things yeasted puff, and I wanted to update the article to discuss the broader scope of this process—one of my favorite pastry doughs.


Yeasted puff pastry is one of those items on your “to-bake” list that may seem especially nerve-wracking: after all, it’s a dough that combines both the difficulty of an enriched yeast-raised dough with the process of lamination, where the dough goes through a series of folds to evenly incorporate butter and achieve a beautifully layered, flaky result. But the result is truly epic: this dough produces pastries that are light as air on the inside, layered and crispy on the outside.

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All About Pie Birds, the Whimsical Victorian-Era Baking Tool

While you’ve likely heard the nursery rhyme “Sing a Song of Sixpence,” with its “four and twenty blackbirds baked in a pie,” it would probably surprise you to find a bird’s head peeking out of your fresh-from-the-oven dessert, whether or not it “began …

While you’ve likely heard the nursery rhyme “Sing a Song of Sixpence,” with its “four and twenty blackbirds baked in a pie,” it would probably surprise you to find a bird’s head peeking out of your fresh-from-the-oven dessert, whether or not it “began to sing” upon being sliced.

Don’t worry, though—there aren’t live birds in most pies, let alone two dozen. While the rhyme possibly alludes to the trials and tribulations of Henry VIII and Ann Boleyn, it may have served as inspiration for pie birds: hollow ceramic figurines designed to vent steam from the pastries, according to Linda Fields, author of Four & Twenty Blackbirds, Vol. 1 and 2, an anthology about the avian kitchen helpers.

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23 Sweet & Puckery Rhubarb Recipes for Spring

Rhubarb is spring’s biggest challenge and its best reward. On the heels of winter, its stalks emerge bitter and brittle, but no mind—with a bit of coaxing, it turns sweet and inviting, like spring. This beautiful vegetable (yes, vegetable) has a …

Rhubarb is spring's biggest challenge and its best reward. On the heels of winter, its stalks emerge bitter and brittle, but no mind—with a bit of coaxing, it turns sweet and inviting, like spring. This beautiful vegetable (yes, vegetable) has a stunning ombré effect, which ranges from a deep strawberry pink to a pale yellow-green when you near the top of the stalks. It’s only available for a short time during spring, so stock up and make use of it in strawberry-rhubarb cupcakes, pies, shortcakes, and scones. Like most other fruits and vegetables, you can also slice the stalks into one-inch pieces and freeze them in a single layer. That way, you can still enjoy the best of spring’s tart superstar in even more dessert, drink, and even savory recipes.

Soon enough, we realize that its tough exterior is just a ruse. Feisty rhubarb loves a stiff cocktail just as much as a tart dessert and a savory main course. It's up for anything—because really, it's just as happy as you are that it's spring. To prove it, here are nearly two dozen rhubarb recipes to let loose with.

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Preserved Lemons Belong in Dessert (Yes, Dessert!)—Here’s Why

Preserved lemon is one of those ingredients that, once it becomes a regular part of your cooking routine, it’s nearly impossible to do without. Savory dishes like crunchy salad, oil-slicked pasta, and tender roast chicken all beg for a hit of tangy, sa…

Preserved lemon is one of those ingredients that, once it becomes a regular part of your cooking routine, it’s nearly impossible to do without. Savory dishes like crunchy salad, oil-slicked pasta, and tender roast chicken all beg for a hit of tangy, salty preserved lemon. But what happens when, instead of stirring chopped preserved lemon into salad dressing or couscous, you fold it into cake batter? Magic, that’s what.

To back up: Preserved lemon, or salted whole lemons fermented until soft, is typically used as a seasoning or condiment in Tunisian, Moroccan, Israeli, Iranian, Turkish, and other North African and Middle Eastern cuisines, as well in dishes around the Indian subcontinent, where it’s known as lemon pickle, and is also seasoned with additional flavors like turmeric, chili powder, and cumin, among others, depending on the region. Chopped whole (yes, pith and peel, too) and seeded, preserved lemon can be stirred into nearly any dish that calls for fresh lemon, adding all the brightness of tart citrus with a bit more complexity. The brine, a deeply seasoned, lightly lemony syrup, should also be used in cooking, even after the lemons are gone.

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Baked Oats Are Turning Oatmeal Haters into Lovers

Oats are like the chameleon of the breakfast table, occupying many forms and disguising themselves as a bevy of morning meal options. They appear in pancakes, poured into coffee, softened by an overnight soak, or even—can you believe it?—as simply, wel…

Oats are like the chameleon of the breakfast table, occupying many forms and disguising themselves as a bevy of morning meal options. They appear in pancakes, poured into coffee, softened by an overnight soak, or even—can you believe it?—as simply, well, oatmeal. Now there's a new oaty permutation to hit the breakfast table, and this time it’s baked.

Baked oats seem to be cropping up all over the internet, especially on a tiny little video-sharing platform called TikTok. Ever heard of it? The crux of the baked oats phenomenon is simple, and much like baked oatmeal: oat flour (or rolled oats ground in a blender), adhered together with a fat and some type of binding agent, flavored with a mixture of your choice, tossed into a ramekin or other small oven-safe container, baked for a short amount of time, and garnished with a topping. It has all the ease, simplicity, and quick deliciousness of your classic mug cake.

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The New Five Two Bench Scraper Will Be Your Kitchen Superhero

When it comes to the kitchen, there are myriad tools I want, but only a handful I need, and near the top of my list is a bench scraper. The flat rectangular tool (you can find some made of flexible plastic, others of sturdy metal) is sort of a cross be…

When it comes to the kitchen, there are myriad tools I want, but only a handful I need, and near the top of my list is a bench scraper. The flat rectangular tool (you can find some made of flexible plastic, others of sturdy metal) is sort of a cross between a chef's knife and a spatula, and it will become your kitchen superhero in no time.

And before you say but I’m not a big baker, I don’t need this!, know that while you can certainly use a bench scraper for trimming laminated pastry and frosting layer cakes, I still think one of the best reasons to keep such a tool around is to seamlessly transfer chopped vegetables from the cutting board to a sizzling skillet (more on that later). Plus, I bet you’ve made a tray of brownies lately that would have benefited from evenly sliced squares? Or wanted to scrape up stubborn bits of food stuck to your kitchen counter? A bench scraper, specifically a metal one, can help.

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How a Self-Taught Baker Became a Pro Bagel Consultant

Making bagels is sort of like practicing law. At least, it is according to lawyer and full-time “bagel consultant” Beth George.

The 57-year-old is the mastermind behind Fair Lawn, N.J.–based BYOB Bagels (the acronym is for both “Build Your Own Busines…

Making bagels is sort of like practicing law. At least, it is according to lawyer and full-time “bagel consultant” Beth George.

The 57-year-old is the mastermind behind Fair Lawn, N.J.–based BYOB Bagels (the acronym is for both “Build Your Own Business” and “Be Your Own Boss”), a bagel-focused consulting firm that has helped open more than 60 bagel shops across five continents.

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How to Organize Your Baking Tools Like a Baker

Welcome to Storage Wars, a new series about the best ways to store, well, everything. From how to keep produce orderly in the fridge (or not), to ways to get your oddball nooks and crannies shipshape; and yes, how to organize all those unwieldy contain…

Welcome to Storage Wars, a new series about the best ways to store, well, everything. From how to keep produce orderly in the fridge (or not), to ways to get your oddball nooks and crannies shipshape; and yes, how to organize all those unwieldy containers once and for all—we've got you covered.


Creating an Instagram-worthy layer cake or decorating festive cookies with your kids can be a challenge when your kitchen is a cluttered mess. If you feel like you're always searching the back of the pantry for a container of sprinkles, or if there’s that one cumbersome whisk jamming up a kitchen drawer, now's the time to learn how to organize your baking tools and get all your utensils, appliances, and ingredients sorted and in their proper places.

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How to Master Pâte à Choux (For Éclairs, Gougeres & Cute Little Cream Puffs)

This original article was written to detail the process of specifically making crullers, a fried pâte à choux based pastry. For the February episode of Bake it Up a Notch, we took a deep dive into all things pâte à choux, and …

This original article was written to detail the process of specifically making crullers, a fried pâte à choux based pastry. For the February episode of Bake it Up a Notch, we took a deep dive into all things pâte à choux, and I wanted to update the article to discuss the broader scope of this process—one of my favorite pastry building blocks and baking standbys.

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Our 10 Most Popular Recipes in January

For the first stretch of 2021, as I’ve been eating popcorn covered in cheese powder—and, um, more popcorn covered in cheese powder—our Food52 community has been cooking and baking up a storm. Good for you! Behold: our top 10 new recipes this month. For…

For the first stretch of 2021, as I’ve been eating popcorn covered in cheese powder—and, um, more popcorn covered in cheese powder—our Food52 community has been cooking and baking up a storm. Good for you! Behold: our top 10 new recipes this month. Forty percent of which involve Parmesan. Yes.

10. Auntie Adele’s Phyllo With Sutlaj

“These particular cigar-shaped pastries, my great-aunt's recipe, are the answer to the question that has plagued pudding for centuries: Where is the texture contrast?” writes Charles Dabah for our My Family Recipe column.

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