Carbs of 2020

The only New Year's resolution I stuck to in 2020 was baking a new bread recipe every month. 

Yep, I'm doing this. I'm going to bore you with a list of all the new bread recipes I tried, and provide links to the recipes if you are interested. Here goes - they are in alphabetical order because (with the exception of the F-bread) they were all pretty delicious, if I do say so myself, so it's not worth ranking.

Challah Bread (recipe lost to history - there are a bunch out there via Google): Part of the fun of trying new recipes is also getting to try new techniques, like braiding the ropes of Challah together (I got better with loaf #2).

Look at these beauties!

Cheddar Scallion English Muffin Bread: I am usually not a savory person, but this just hit the spot - it's really really good toasted, with great flavor. 

Cheddar. Scallions. Toasted Bread. #isthisheaven

Ciabatta (recipe lost to history): This bread was good, but I wasn't happy with how flat my loaves turned out. I did make a lot, so I had enough to share with some neighbors. Will need to work on this in 2021 - any volunteers for tasters?

Doesn't look great, but tasted okay

Cobh Loaf: An ode to Paul Hollywood's piercing blue eyes, I thought this was a pretty simple yet tasty recipe - the butter made it super soft and rich.

Paul's Cob Loaf. Would I get a handshake? Probably not, but tasted alright to me.

Fougasse (Fail!): being a huge fan of the "Great British Bakeoff," I decided to try my hand at one of the show's easier technical challenges: an herby bread called "Fougasse." It was, as they say, an epic fail. Way too flat, not enough flavor, and just looked and tasted bad. Not a keeper recipe, as it turns out. 

Fougasse Fail - didn't look or taste good. Further evidence I don't belong in the tent!

Ligurian Focaccia: Despite making this twice (once for my mom's birthday!), I managed to not get a picture of it. It has a lot of salt, but if you don't mind that (I don't) it's delicious!

No-Knead Oat Bread: Just like people say they don't have favorite children, I probably don't have a favorite bread, but if there was one of these recipes that I could save from a burning building (or remake again and again), it would probably be this one. Very yummy.

I just love recipes that don't involve kneading. This is so good, I might have devoured this whole loaf. 

NY Times No-Knead Bread: This is just so easy - the biggest ingredient it requires

is time (essentially a whole day). It's a very very very simple recipe and technique, but yields some delicious bread.

Another Lazy, Yet Delicious. Loaf

Rosemary Parmesan Skillet Bread: I didn't get a picture of this one, but it was yummy and flavorful, despite being relatively flat - didn't rise as much as it probably should have.

Swirled Garlic Herb Bread: Mine was definitely not as pretty as the picture (needed more herbs, I think) but it tasted great, which was no surprise given how much butter is involved!

Swirled, herby, buttery - what's not to like?

White Cheddar Bacon Apple Biscuits: I pinned this recipe on Pinterest because I like all of these things individually, but wasn't sure if they would go well together, so I was intrigued. Well, they do go very well together, so you should definitely try this recipe!

A full sheet of these beauties.

Up Close and Personal with One of Our Delicious Friends

For my final recipe of the year, I'm trying my hand at a Nutella babka for my family's New Year's Eve party tomorrow. Here's hoping it turns out well!