Cooks' Books by Lisa Messinger

"Peter Reinhart's Artisan Breads Every Day: Fast and Easy Recipes for World-Class Breads" by Peter Reinhart (Ten Speed, $30)

Those who frequent boutique bakeries — as well as the artisan chains like Panera Bread that have sprung up like popovers nationwide — often wish they could walk away with more than just crusty souvenirs in their arms. "If only I could snag that recipe" is probably the thought inspired by many a rosemary, olive, Asiago cheese or sun-dried tomato loaf.

Even if the recipes were included in the bread-filled bags, though, would it be realistic to think time and energy would allow regularly creating specialty breads at home? Peter Reinhart bets you are well-suited to the feat and that, in fact, it will fall more into the category of pure joy than challenge.

Reinhart, the multiple James Beard Award-winning author of gems like "The Bread Baker's Apprentice," is a baking instructor at the Johnson and Wales University and owner of Pie Town restaurant in Charlotte, N.C. Reinhart is the one who is up to the challenge, the adventure of making sophisticated recipes simplified for busy home cooks.

"Given the new methods developed by other bakers and authors, and the public interest in new, streamlined methods, the time seems right for a fresh synthesis of all of the techniques that arose in the quest for the perfect loaf and loaves," writes Reinhart in ruminating over the extreme time and effort artisanal baking historically has taken.

"What I intend to do in this book is funnel some of the newer baking methods and ideas through the structure of classic techniques and proven wisdom to broaden your sense of the options available to you."

Reinhart first gives quick explanations of the reasoning behind the method of each recipe, sometimes providing both faster and more time-consuming alternatives. First, he gives tips on baking basics and then navigates through sourdough and French breads, enriched and rich breads.

If that sounds like flat subject matter, the results are not. An onion loaf — with the help of instant yeast — is full of wild rice, buttermilk and brown sugar. Soft cheese bread also uses instant yeast (although a crusty version features sourdough starter) and includes beer, buttermilk, brown sugar and chives. You will be marbling your own rye and making your own hoagie rolls. The practice with bread techniques leads to wonderful baked sweets as well, such as chocolate cinnamon babka, panettone, stollen and hot sticky buns.

SOFT CHEESE BREAD

6 1/4 cups unbleached bread flour

2 teaspoons salt, or 1 tablespoon coarse kosher salt

5 tablespoons brown sugar or granulated sugar or 3 1/2 tablespoons honey or agave nectar

1 cup beer or lukewarm water (see Note)

1 cup, plus 2 tablespoons, lukewarm buttermilk or any other milk (heated to about 95 F)

1 1/2 tablespoons (.5 ounce) instant yeast

1/4 cup melted unsalted butter or vegetable oil

1 small bunch fresh chives, minced, or 1 3/4 cups diced onion (about 1 medium onion), optional

2 1/2 cups grated, shredded or cubed cheese of your choice (see recipe instructions regarding cheese type choices)

Yields 2 large loaves.

Do ahead: In a mixing bowl, whisk flour, salt and sugar together (if using honey or agave nectar, dissolve it in lukewarm water instead). Separately, combine the beer and buttermilk, whisk in the yeast until dissolved, and then pour the mixture and the melted butter into the dry ingredients. If using a mixer, use the paddle attachment and mix on the lowest speed for 2 minutes. If mixing by hand, use a large spoon and stir for about 2 minutes. Let the dough rest for 5 minutes.

Switch to the dough hook and mix on medium-low speed, or continue mixing by hand, for 3 minutes, adjusting with flour or liquid as needed.

The dough should be soft, supple and tacky, but not sticky. Add chives and mix on lowest speed or continue mixing by hand for 1 minute, until the chives are evenly distributed.

Transfer the dough to a lightly floured work surface and knead for 1 or 2 minutes to make any final adjustments. Then form the dough into a ball.

Place the dough in a clean, lightly oiled bowl, cover the bowl with plastic wrap and immediately refrigerate overnight or for up to 4 days. (If you plan to bake the dough in batches over different days, you can portion the dough and place it in two or more oiled bowls at this stage.) The dough should double in size in the refrigerator. If you want to bake the bread the same day you mix the dough, don't refrigerate the final dough; let it rest at room temperature for 60 to 90 minutes, until it doubles in size. Then proceed to shaping and baking as described below.

On baking day: Remove dough from the refrigerator about 2 hours before you plan to bake. Transfer the dough to a lightly floured work surface and divide it into 2 equal pieces, each weighing about 2 pounds. Dust each piece with flour, then use a rolling pin to roll them into rectangles about 8 inches wide and 12 inches high.

Spread half of the cheese over the surface of one rectangle and roll the dough up like a rug, from the bottom to the top, to form a log. If any cheese falls out, tuck it back in or save it for a second loaf. Seal the seam with your fingertips.

For a sandwich loaf, proof in a greased 4.5-by-8-inch loaf pan (or a 5-by-9-inch pan if using onions, which increase the volume of the dough). Mist the dough with spray oil and cover loosely with plastic wrap, and then let the dough rise at room temperature for about 90 minutes. In loaf pans, the dough should dome about 1 inch above the rim.

About 15 minutes before baking, preheat oven to 350 F, or 300 F for a convection oven. Because of the cheese, there may be air pockets or tunnels in the risen dough that could cause it to separate in the spirals (cubed cheese creates fewer air pockets than grated or shredded cheese). To minimize this, poke through the top crust in a few spots with a skewer or toothpick. The dough may fall a bit, but it will recover in the oven.

Bake loaves for 20 minutes and then rotate pans. The total baking time is about 50 minutes for loaves. The bread is done when it's a deep golden brown and the internal temperature is about 185 F in the center.

Carefully remove from the pans and cool on a wire rack for at least 1 hour before slicing.

Note: You can use any kind of beer in this recipe, as both light and dark brews add subtle flavors that will complement cheese.

A homemade glaze atop cinnamon buns, hot sticky buns or other pastries is delicious. It's even a treat used lightly on toast.

CREAM CHEESE GLAZE

2 ounces cream cheese

1/8 cup melted unsalted butter

1/2 cup confectioners' sugar, sifted

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/8 teaspoon lemon or orange extract or 1/2 teaspoon lemon juice or orange liqueur

Pinch of salt

Yields about 12 servings.

Combine the cream cheese, butter and sugar in a mixing bowl. If using a mixer, use the paddle attachment and mix on the lowest speed for 2 minutes. If mixing by hand, stir vigorously for 2 to 4 minutes. The ingredients should be evenly incorporated and smooth. Add vanilla, lemon extract and salt and mix on medium speed or continue mixing by hand, for about 1 minute, until the ingredients form a smooth paste. Increase the speed to medium-high or stir more vigorously for about 20 seconds to fluff up the glaze.

Once whatever you want to spread glaze on has cooled for 5 minutes, use an offset spatula or a table knife to spread on your desired amount of glaze. Stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator. Any unused glaze will keep for up to 2 weeks.

Lisa Messinger is a first-place winner in food writing from the Association of Food Journalists and the author of seven food books, including "Mrs. Cubbison's Best Stuffing Cookbook" and "The Sourdough Bread Bowl Cookbook." She also writes the Creators News Service "After-Work Gourmet" column. To find out more about Lisa Messinger and read features by other Creators Syndicate writers and cartoonists, visit the Creators Syndicate website at www.creators.com.

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