This easy-to-slice rye bread (no crumbling!) is perfect for sandwiches: pastrami, corned beef, a Reuben, or just plain grilled Swiss. It also makes tasty toast, a nice accompaniment to scrambled eggs. Its secret ingredient is dill pickle juice, which gives the bread delightful tang and contributes to its moist texture. Our guarantee: This bread will be moist, fine-grained, and easy to slice, with assertive flavor typical of rye bread: caraway and a touch of sharp mustard, with a mildly sour tang. It's not a high-riser, but should be about 4" to 4 1/2" tall at the center when done.

Combine all of the dough ingredients, and mix until clumps form; the dough may seem dry at this point. Let it rest for 20 minutes, for the flour to start to absorb the liquid. Knead the dough—by mixer or bread machine set on the dough cycle—to make a stiff, but fairly smooth dough. It'll take about 7 minutes in a stand mixer at second speed, using the dough hook. The dough should clean the sides of the bowl; if it doesn't sprinkle in a bit more all-purpose flour. We don't recommend kneading this dough by hand, as it's hard to develop the gluten sufficiently. If you DO knead by hand, realize that the dough will take longer to rise, and won't rise as high. Place the dough in a lightly greased bowl, cover the bowl, and let the dough rise till it's puffy, about 1 to 2 hours. It may or may not have doubled in bulk, but it definitely will have expanded. Gently deflate the dough, and shape it into a log. Place the log in a lightly greased 8 1/2" x 4 1/2" loaf pan (for a stiffer dough), or 9" x 5" loaf pan (for a slacker dough). Press it to the edges of the pan, and flatten the top. Tent the pan with greased plastic wrap, and allow the loaf to rise till it's crowned about 1" to 1 1/2" over the edge of the pan, about 1 to 1 1/2 hours. Towards the end of the rising time, preheat the oven to 350°F. Bake the bread for 20 minutes. Tent it lightly with foil, and bake for an additional 20 minutes. When done the bread will be golden brown, and its internal temperature will register 190°F on an instant-read thermometer. Remove the bread from the oven, wait 5 minutes, remove it from the pan, and allow it to cool completely on a rack before slicing. Store for up to a week at cool room temperature.

Place all of the ingredients into the pan of your bread machine in the order recommended by the manufacturer. Program for white or basic bread, light setting, and press Start. Check the dough's consistency about 7 minutes after the kneading cycle begins, adding additional water or flour to form a smooth, soft ball of dough. Allow the machine to complete its cycle. Remove the bread when it's done, and let cool completely before slicing.

Oats make a bread which is characteristically tender, moist and just slightly sweet, the perfect foil for sandwich fillings as disparate as peanut butter and Marshmallow Fluff or bologna and American cheese. And cinnamon toast made with oatmeal bread — the smell of toasted oats mingling with the heady aromas of cinnamon and melting butter — is enough to get anyone's day off to a very good start indeed.

In a large mixing bowl, or in the bowl of an electric mixer, combine all of the ingredients, mixing to form a shaggy dough. Knead the dough by hand (10 minutes) or by mixer (5 minutes) until it's smooth. Place the dough in a lightly greased bowl, and allow it to rest for 1 hour; it'll become quite puffy, though it may not double in bulk. Gently deflated the dough, and transfer it to a lightly oiled work surface. Shape it into an 8" log. Place the dough in a lightly greased 8 1/2" x 4 1/2" loaf pan, cover the pan with loosely with lightly greased plastic wrap, and allow the dough to rise for 45 minutes to 1 hour, until it's crested 1" to 2" over the rim of the pan. Towards the end of the rising time, preheat the oven to 350°F. Bake the bread for 35 to 40 minutes, until a digital thermometer inserted into the center registers 190°F. If the bread appears to be browning too quickly, tent it with aluminum foil for the final 10 minutes of baking. Remove the bread from the oven, and turn it out of the pan onto a rack to cool. Store the bread well-wrapped, at room temperature, for several days; freeze for longer storage.

We've all had it at least once. It has a crisp crust, a chewy interior, large, irregular holes and a slight tang. When toasted, it soaks up butter like nobody's business. In short, it's leavened perfection. French bakers Lionel and Max Poilane have mastered this bread. The rustic bread has become upper crust, but its roots are peasant. Its many names reflect this: rustic bread, farm bread, country bread, pain de campagne and hearty country loaf. Although it requires time, this bread thrives on long periods of "neglect", making it ideal for busy farm (and city) kitchens. But can this bread be made in the bread machine? We weren't sure until good friend and freelance food writer Marcy Goldman, sent us a recipe she'd developed for her bread machine. After following her formula and tasting her delicious rustic loaf, we concluded that this bread can indeed be made with the help of a bread machine. Watching friend and local restaurateur Rebecca Cunningham turn out her near-perfect, Poilane-inspired loaves by hand made us even more eager to take up the challenge of making a bread machine version. So, with thanks to Marcy, and after experimenting with different proportions of liquid to flour, as well as alternate rising and baking methods (which you'll find detailed in the notes at the end), here's a loaf the Poilane family would be proud of.

To make the sponge: Place all of the sponge ingredients in the bucket of your bread machine. Program the machine for dough or manual, press start, and let the machine run until everything is thoroughly combined. Close the lid, cancel the machine, and let the sponge rest at room temperature overnight, or for 8 to 12 hours. The next day, add all of the dough ingredients to the sponge in the bucket. Program your machine for dough or manual, and press start. As the dough begins to mix it should form first a soft mass, then eventually a ball that's soft, but not overly sticky. Adjust with additional flour or water as necessary. When the cycle is complete, remove the dough from the machine. Cover it and let it rest for 30 minutes. If you want to leave the dough all day, place it in a lightly greased bowl, cover the bowl, and refrigerate it. When you're ready to work with it, deflate the dough gently and form it into a round ball, Place the ball, seam side-down, on a cornmeal-dusted baking sheet. Cover the dough lightly. Let it rise a second time until it's puffy and about 30% to 40% larger, about 1 hour (or longer, if the dough has been refrigerated). Don't let it rise too much, since it rises some more in the oven and, if it's over-proofed initially, it'll collapse as it bakes. Preheat the oven to 475°F. Make several 1/4" to 1/2" slashes or crosshatches in top of the loaf. Using a clean plant mister, spritz the loaf with water. Spray some water into the oven, and place the bread on the lowest rack. Spritz the oven walls every few minutes for the first 15 minutes of baking. Lower the heat to 425°F (this reduction in heat mimics the "falling oven" used by brick-oven bakers, and will give your bread an incredible crust), and continue to bake until well-browned, about 35 minutes. The interior temperature of the bread should register at least 190°F on a digital thermometer. Remove the bread from the oven, and cool it on a rack before slicing. Store, cut side down, on a counter (do not cover). Yes, this really works; your bread will remain fresh but not soggy for several days. (See "tips," below).

To make the starter: Mix the 1 1/4 cups flour, salt, yeast, and 1/2 cup water in a medium-sized bowl. Mix till well combined; the starter will be very dry. Cover and let rest overnight at room temperature; it'll become bubbly. To make the dough: Combine the risen starter with the water, salt, flour, and yeast. Knead—by hand, mixer, or bread machine set on the dough cycle—to make a smooth dough. Place the dough in a lightly greased bowl, cover, and let it rise for 1 1/2 to 2 hours, till it's nearly doubled in bulk. Gently deflate the dough, and pat and stretch it into a 3/4"-thick rectangle, about 9" x 12". Spritz with water, and sprinkle with the grated cheese. Starting with a long side, roll it into a log, pinching the seam to seal. Place the log, seam-side down, on a lightly floured or lightly oiled surface. Cover it and let it rise for 1 to 1 1/2 hours, till it's puffy though not doubled in bulk. Towards the end of the rising time, preheat the oven to 425°F. Gently cut the log into four crosswise slices, for mini-breads; or simply cut the dough in half, for two normal-sized loaves. Place them on one (for two loaves) or two (for four mini-loaves) lightly greased or parchment-lined baking sheets, cut side up. Spread them open a bit, if necessary, to more fully expose the cheese. Spritz with warm water, and immediately place them in the preheated oven. Bake for 20 minutes (for the mini-loaves), or 35 minutes (for the full-sized loaves), or until the cheese is melted and the loaves are a very deep golden brown. Remove them from the oven, and cool on a rack.

Combine all of the ingredients, and beat at high speed, using an electric mixer, for 2 minutes. To use your bread machine, put everything in the bucket, and let the dough go through its dough or manual cycle; skip to step 3 below if you're using a bread machine. Place the dough in a lightly greased bowl or rising bucket, cover it, and let it rise for 60 to 90 minutes, until it's noticeably puffy. Gently deflate the dough, and divide it into 6 pieces; each will be about 111g, a scant 4 ounces. Shape the dough into balls, and place them in the wells of a lightly greased hamburger bun pan. If you don't have a bun pan, space them on a lightly greased or parchment-lined baking sheet. Gently flatten the buns with your hand to fill the bottom of the pan's wells, or until they're about 3 1/2" to 4" wide. Cover the buns, and let them rise for 60 to 90 minutes, until they're noticeably puffy. Towards the end of the rising time, preheat the oven to 350°F. Brush each bun with some of the melted butter. Bake the buns for 16 to 19 minutes, until they're a light, golden brown, and their interior temperature is at least 190°F, measured with an instant-read thermometer. Remove the buns from the oven, transfer them to a rack, and brush with the remaining melted butter. Allow the buns to cool completely, then store airtight at room temperature. Yield: 6 big buns.

To make the biga: Mix all of the biga ingredients in a medium-sized bowl until well-blended. Cover the bowl, and leave it at cool room temperature (68°F-70°F) for 12 to 20 hours, until the biga is very bubbly. To make the dough: Mix the biga and the remaining dough ingredients, except the cheese, using an electric mixer set on slow speed, for 2 to 4 minutes. Increase the speed to medium and mix for about 4 minutes; the dough should be soft and slightly sticky. Add additional water or flour if necessary. Mix in the cheese; don't worry if some pieces pop out. To make dough in a bread machine: Add all of the ingredients and mix this dough on the dough cycle; add the diced cheese several minutes before the end of the final kneading cycle. Allow the dough to rise, in a greased, covered bowl, for 1 to 2 hours, until it's very puffy. Turn the dough out onto a well-floured surface, and shape it into two long loaves, about 12" x 4" inches each. Place the loaves, floured side up, onto parchment paper (if you plan to bake on an oven stone) or baking sheets. Cover the loaves with a proof cover or well-greased plastic wrap, and allow them to rise for 45 minutes, or until they're very puffy. Sprinkle them with additional grated cheese. While the bread is rising, preheat the oven to 450°F. Bake the ciabatta for 22 to 26 minutes, until it's golden brown. Remove it from the oven, and cool on a rack. Wrap well, and store for 2 days on the counter. Freeze for up to 3 months.

Mix, then knead together all of the ingredients except the ham and cheese, making a dough that's smooth and resilient. Knead in the ham and cheese. Gather the dough into a ball and place it in a greased bowl. Cover the bowl and let the dough rise for 1 hour, or until it's noticeably puffy. Gently deflate the dough and divide it into 7 pieces. Shape each piece into a ball. Place the dough balls in a lightly greased 1 ½-quart baker or 9" round cake pan. Cover the pan and allow the dough to rise until puffy, 30 minutes to 1 hour. Near the end of the rising time, preheat the oven to 325°F. Bake the buns for 35 to 40 minutes, tenting after 20 minutes to prevent over-browning. Remove them from the oven, turn them out of the pan, cool completely, and serve. Yield: 7 buns.

In a medium-sized mixing bowl, combine all of the ingredients except the paprika to make a cohesive dough, sprinkling in a tablespoon or so of water if the dough doesn't seem to want to come together. As soon as the dough starts to come together, turn off the mixer and gather it into a rough ball. Transfer it to a lightly floured work surface, and roll it into a 16" log about 1 1/2" in diameter. Wrap the log in waxed paper or plastic wrap, and chill it in the freezer for 30 minutes. Using a serrated knife, slice the log crosswise into 1/8" rounds. Place them on an ungreased or parchment-lined baking sheet, leaving only about 1/2" between them; they won't spread much as they bake. Sprinkle them with a bit of paprika, if desired. Bake the cheese pennies in a preheated 400°F oven for 11 to 13 minutes, or until they're just beginning to brown. Remove them from the oven, and allow them to cool on the pan for several minutes before transferring them to racks to cool completely. Store, well-wrapped, for up a week.

In a large bowl, mix together all the ingredients except the cheese, stirring them to form a shaggy mass. Let the mixture sit for 15 minutes, then knead it — by hand or machine — until you've formed a smooth, elastic dough. Knead in the cheese, place the dough in a greased bowl, cover it, and let it rise for 1 hour. After the hour it should be puffy, though not doubled in size. Lightly grease or spray an 8 1/2" x 4 1/2" loaf pan. Turn the dough out onto a lightly greased or floured work surface, and shape it into a loaf. Place it in the pan, and let it rise for about 1 hour. Toward the end of the rising time, preheat the oven to 375°F. Bake the bread for 25 minutes, or until a digital thermometer inserted into the center reads 190°F. Store the bread, well-wrapped, for up to 5 days at room temperature or in the freezer for up to a month.

In a small bowl, combine the sponge ingredients. Stir well to combine, loosely cover with plastic wrap, and set aside to proof for 10 to 15 minutes. In the bowl of your stand mixer combine the sponge, yogurt, butter, eggs, sugar, salt, and flavoring. Add 4 1/2 cups of flour and mix with the paddle attachment until the dough is a rough, shaggy mass. Switch to the dough hook and knead on speed 2 until a soft, smooth dough forms, about 5 to 6 minutes, adding more flour if needed to achieve the correct consistency.If you're using a bread machine, combine all the dough ingredients in the pan and set the machine on the dough cycle. Be sure to check the dough as it kneads and adjust the flour or water as needed to achieve a soft, supple consistency. Let the cycle complete itself. If working by hand or stand mixer, place the kneaded dough in a lightly greased bowl, cover with plastic wrap, and allow to rise for 60 to 90 minutes, until quite puffy and nearly doubled. While the dough is rising, prepare the filling. Combine all the filling ingredients (except the lemon curd) in a small bowl, mixing until smooth and lump-free. Reserve the filling and lemon curd until ready to fill the braids. Gently deflate the dough and divide it in half. Cover half with plastic wrap and set it aside as you roll out the first piece into a 10" x 15" rectangle. Rolling on parchment paper makes moving the bread to the baking sheet much, much easier. Lightly press two lines down the dough lengthwise, to divide it into 3 equal sections. Spread half the cream cheese filling down the center section, and top with half the lemon curd, leaving 1" free on all sides of the filling. To form the mock braid, cut 1" crosswise strips down the length of the outside sections, making sure you have the same number of strips down each side. Beginning on the left, lift the top dough strip and gently bring it across the filling diagonally. Repeat on the other side with the top dough strip, so that the two strips crisscross each other. Continue down the entire braid, alternating strips to form the loaf Repeat the rolling, filling, and braiding steps for the second piece of dough, using the remaining cream cheese filling and lemon curd. Set both loaves aside, lightly covered, to rise for 45 to 50 minutes, or until quite puffy Preheat the oven to 375°F. Brush the loaves with egg wash (one lightly beaten egg, 2 teaspoons water and a pinch of salt), and sprinkle with coarse sparkling sugar, if desired. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, or until the loaves are golden brown. Remove from the oven and cool for 15 to 20 minutes before serving. Yield: 2 loaves.

This soft white loaf features a lovely spiral of cinnamon-sugar inside. It makes a delicious peanut butter and jelly sandwich. And, of course, it's ideal for cinnamon toast, and French toast. Our guarantee: This tender, close-grained loaf rises to a lovely dome, and bakes up golden brown. The thin layer of cinnamon filling forms a pretty spiral inside. From amaranth to teff, ancient grains offer a world of baking possibilities. Find out how to make this recipe using ancient grains in our complete guide to baking with ancient grains.

If you're using "highly active" or active dry yeast, dissolve it with a pinch of sugar in 2 tablespoons of the lukewarm water. Let the yeast and water sit at room temperature for 15 minutes, until the mixture has bubbled and expanded. If you're using instant yeast, you can skip this step. Combine the dissolved yeast (or instant yeast) with the remainder of the ingredients. Mix and knead everything together—by hand, mixer or bread machine set on the dough cycle—till you've made a smooth dough. Adjust the dough's consistency with additional flour or water as needed; but remember, the more flour you add while you're kneading, the heavier and drier your final loaf will be. If you're kneading in a stand mixer, it should take about 7 minutes at second speed, and the dough should barely clean the sides of the bowl, perhaps sticking a bit at the bottom. In a bread machine (or by hand), it should form a smooth ball. Place the dough in a lightly greased bowl. Cover the bowl, and allow the dough to rise, at room temperature, until it's nearly doubled in bulk, about 1 hour. Rising may take longer, especially if you've kneaded by hand. Give it enough time to become quite puffy. While the dough is rising, make the filling by stirring together the sugar, cinnamon, and flour. Transfer the dough to a lightly greased work surface, and pat it into a 6" x 20" rectangle. Brush the dough with the egg/water mixture, and sprinkle it evenly with the filling. Starting with a short end, roll the dough into a log. Pinch the ends to seal, and pinch the long seam closed. Transfer the log, seam-side down, to a lightly greased 8 1/2" x 4 1/2" loaf pan. Tent the pan loosely with lightly greased plastic wrap. Allow the bread to rise till it's crested about 1" over the rim of the pan, about 1 hour. Again, it may rise more slowly for you; let it rise till it's 1" over the rim of the pan, even if that takes longer than an hour. While the dough is rising, preheat the oven to 350°F. Bake the bread for 40 to 45 minutes, tenting it lightly with aluminum foil after the first 15 minutes. The bread's crust will be golden brown, and the interior of the finished loaf should measure 190°F on an instant-read thermometer. Remove the bread from the oven, and gently loosen the edges with a heatproof spatula or table knife. Turn it out of the pan, and brush the top surface with butter, if desired; this will give it a soft, satiny crust. Allow the bread to cool completely before slicing.

To make the dough: Whisk together all of the dry ingredients, then add the butter, vanilla, egg, and milk, mixing until a shaggy dough forms. If your schedule permits, let the dough rest for 30 minutes; this resting period allows the flour to absorb the liquid fully, making it easier to knead. Knead the dough — by hand, using a mixer, or in a bread machine set on the dough cycle — until it's smooth and soft, though still slightly sticky. Place the dough in a greased bowl, turning to coat. Cover the bowl, and let the dough rise until it's almost doubled in bulk, about 1 1/2 to 2 hours. The amount of time this takes will depend on the temperature of your kitchen; yeast works the fastest at about 85°F, but we prefer the flavor the bread gets from a longer, cooler (about 70°F) rise. If you're using a bread machine set on the dough cycle, simply allow it to complete its cycle. While the dough is rising, make the filling. To make the filling using cornstarch: Toss the grated apple with the lemon juice in a saucepan. Whisk together the sugar, cornstarch, salt, and cinnamon, and add to the pan, stirring to combine. Cook over low heat, stirring frequently, until the apple starts to release its juice. Increase the heat to medium, and bring to a simmer. Simmer, stirring, until the mixture thickens, 1 to 2 minutes; drawing a spatula across the bottom of the pan should leave a track that doesn't readily fill in. Remove from the heat, and set aside to cool to room temperature; if you want to hasten the process, place in the refrigerator. To make the filling using Instant ClearJel: Whisk together the sugar, ClearJel, salt, and cinnamon. Toss the grated apple with the lemon juice, then add that to the sugar mixture. Mix well, and set aside. To assemble the loaf: Gently deflate the risen dough and turn it out onto a lightly floured or greased work surface. Divide the dough in half. Roll the first half into a 10" x 12" rectangle. Spread half the filling over the rolled-out dough, leaving a 1/2" margin clear of filling along all sides. If adding chopped nuts, sprinkle them evenly over the filling. Starting with a long side, roll the dough into a log, sealing the edge. Use a bench knife, pizza cutter, or sharp knife to cut the log in half lengthwise. Place the half-logs, filled side up, side by side on a well-greased or parchment-lined baking sheet. Keeping the filling side up, twist or "braid" the two logs together, working from the center to each end. Pinch the ends together. Repeat with the second piece of dough. Cover the twists lightly, and set them aside to rise for 1 to 2 hours; they should be puffy but not doubled in bulk. Want to make the bread ahead, then refrigerate overnight and bake the next morning? See "tips," below. To bake the bread: Bake the loaves in a preheated 350°F oven for 30 to 40 minutes, until they're lightly browned. Check the loaves after 20 minutes and tent with aluminum foil if they're browning too quickly. When the loaves are fully baked, a digital thermometer inserted into a loaf (be sure to position the thermometer in the bread, not the filling) should register about 190°F. Remove the bread from the oven and allow it to cool for about 1 hour before glazing and serving. To make the glaze: Mix together all of the glaze ingredients. Drizzle over the loaves once they're cool. Store leftover bread, loosely covered, at room temperature for several days; freeze for longer storage. If you know ahead of time you're going to freeze one or both of the loaves, don't glaze; wrap completely cooled, unglazed bread tightly in plastic, and freeze for up to a month. When ready to serve, remove from the freezer, unwrap, cover loosely with plastic, and let thaw at room temperature. Glaze and serve.