Homemade Tomato Soup & Open Faced Vegetable Melts (Plus: How to Bake with Yeast)
Those of you who live in areas that see a lot of snow will understand when I say that sometimes a 10 minute drive to the market for a loaf of bread is so not worth it. Like last week, when Connecticut was being covered in sheets of snow and freezing rain, and I realized I’d forgotten to buy a loaf of wheat bread for our soup and sandwich dinner plans. Doh! I had a pre-sliced loaf of Arnold’s bread on hand, but I wanted to make hearty, open-faced vegetable melts… and for that commercially produced bread just would not do. Melts called for the thicker texture and nuttier flavor of bakery bread, yet the prospect of braving the falling snow and ice was unappealing and potentially dangerous. What to do?
Rather than abandon our dinner plans I decided to make a light wheat bread from scratch. I mixed a bit of this and a bit of that, and a few hours later a fresh loaf emerged from my oven, all aromatic and ready to be made into the satisfying meal you see pictured above.
The benefits of being on friendly terms with yeast are innumerable, yet too often I find that folks shy away from working with these amazing microorganisms. “It’s too complicated,” one friend said while munching on a loaf of my Yeasted Chocolate Chip Pumpkin Bread, while another remarked later, “Who has the energy to bake bread?! I’d rather go to the grocery store.” I have to say that, while I understand where my friends are coming from, I can’t help but feel sad for them too. Why? Because their conceptions about working with yeast are so off-target that they’re missing the opportunity to make some incredible loaves of bread in their homes. Isn’t that sad? It is.
This post is for everyone who loves the ‘idea’ of making bread but feels a little hesitant about working with yeast. I hope that those of you who have already formed a fast friendship with this fabulous fungi will forgive me for talking about something you already know – for your benefit, I’ve included three recipes in this post. 
Ari’s Super Simple Guide to Baking with Yeast
Yeast is a teeny-tiny microorganism that does three things: eat, multiply and produce CO2 and ethanol. CO2 is the gas that makes dough rise, while ethanol ultimately lends extra flavor to bread. This process is called fermentation and yeast needs warmth, moisture and food to do it. Create the right environment for your yeast and you will be rewarded:
- Warmth & Moisture: Yeast is a living organism, so it shouldn’t come as a surprise that too much heat will kill it – and sabotage your baking endeavors. The hottest temperature that yeast can stand is around 140 degrees F, but it is happiest between 80 degrees to 98 degrees F. When I warm water or milk for use with yeast I test the liquid on the inside of my wrist, just as you would when testing formula for a baby’s bottle. Place a few drops on your wrist and if the liquid feels lukewarm to warm, then add the yeast and let the warmth revive it from its dormant state. If the liquid feels hot or very warm, then let it cool off a bit before adding the yeast. My rule of thumb: if the liquid is too warm to feed to a baby, it’ll probably kill the yeast.Since cool temperatures inhibit yeast, it also helps to have all of your ingredients at room temperature before you start mixing your dough.Warmth also comes into play once you’ve mixed your dough and are allowing it to rise. Yeast dough needs a warm place to rise – ideally someplace between 80 to 85 degrees F – so that the yeast can multiply and produce that helpful gas that will raise your dough. If your kitchen is cold you can always allow your dough to rise in an unheated oven. Simply place your dough in a slightly oiled bowl and cover it lightly with plastic wrap or a damp kitchen towel. Put the bowl on the upper rack of your oven and place a large bowl of hot water below it on the lower rack.
- Food: Yeast eats the sugars and complex carbohydrates found in flour. It uses the energy it gains from eating to rapidly multiply, and the by-product of this growth is ethanol – a kind of alcohol that gives raw dough its beerlike smell – and CO2, which is a gas. As the yeast produces more and more gas (a process Alton Brown likes to describe a burping) the CO2 slowly fills thousands of balloon-like bubbles in the dough. When you bake your bread the oven kills the yeast and burns off the alcohol while setting the porous texture of the dough.
Keeping these elements – warmth, moisture and food – in mind will help you create the ideal environment for your yeast. This is really the trick to easy baking. Mixing and kneading your dough does not require much effort, then the yeast will do the majority of the work for you by adding volume and flavor. All that’s left for you to do is shape the dough and pop it into the oven. Doughs high in sugar or fat, or filled with extras like nuts, will take longer to rise than other doughs – so don’t fret if you’re making a rich bread and it doesn’t rise as quickly as you expected.
There are different types of yeast used in bread making: regular active dry yeast, instant yeast (also called rapid-rise yeast) and fresh cake yeast. Bakers often favor one form of yeast over another, though they all work equally well if you know how to use them.
- Active dry yeast: Dry yeast can be stored in the refrigerator for up to one year but isn’t active until it’s dissolved in warm liquid. Activating your yeast is called “proofing” and is done by allowing the yeast to sit in warm liquid with a dash of sugar or flour until it takes on a slightly spongy appearance. In addition to activating the yeast, this process also verifies that the yeast is still good – which it generally is if the expiration date hasn’t passed. Active dry yeast is sold in 0.25 ounce packages, 4-ounce jars and in bulk at some natural food stores. The most common brand is Fleischmann’s Active Dry Yeast, which is what I use 99.9% of the time. Why? Because it’s easy to find at the grocery store and is great for those impromptu baking sprees.
- Instant yeast: This is a European strain dried in small batches until it has very little moisture. It is coated with ascorbic acid and a form of sugar that allows it to activate immediately upon contact with a warm liquid, so it doesn’t need to be proofed. Instant yeast has three times as many yeast cells as active dry yeast, so you can use 25% less instant yeast in a recipe that calls for active dry. It is usually sold in 1lb bags and should be kept in an airtight container in the refrigerator. Although instant yeast is sometimes called “rapid rise,” master baker Peter Reinhart notes that it is actually slower to awaken than active dry yeast, but that it only requires one rise. He prefers this yeast to others as does Susan of Wild Yeast. You can order it online or, as Sandy points out, Fleischmann’s sells it as Rapid Rise Yeast. Still, I’m a creature of habit and generally use the active dry variety.
- Fresh cake yeast: This kind of yeast is sold in 0.06 ounce cubes, 2-ounce cakes and 1lb blocks. It is highly perishable because of its high moisture content and will go bad in about 2 weeks. There are smaller cakes sold in some supermarkets that have been stabilized with starch for a longer shelf life, but this tends to decrease their overall potency. When cake yeast is fresh, it is tan-gray in color with no discolorations and breaks with a clean edge. It should be refrigerated and wrapped in plastic. I do not use this form of yeast because its difficult to find and doesn’t last long enough to make it worth my time to search for it. That’s just my opinion though.
Most of the recipes on Baking and Books use active dry yeast because that is the kind I like using best, though little by little I’m starting to use instant yeast more often. Any form of yeast can be used so long as you make the proper adjustments (i.e. the differing amounts for active dry vs. instant yeast). Everyone has their own preferences and the best way to discover yours is to start baking. Here are a few of my favorite yeasted bread recipes to get you started:
- Sugared Monkey Bread
- Honey-Vanilla Challah
- Apple-Honey Challah
- Pulla
- Autumn Apple Bread
- Yeasted Chocolate-Chip Pumpkin Bread
- Chocolate-Cranberry Sweet Buns
Also, below is a recipe for Peter Reinhart’s “Light Wheat Bread” from The Bread Baker’s Apprentice. It is very easy to make and would be a great loaf to start with if you want to venture into the realm of yeast baking and are interested in taking a savory, rather than sweet, route. As you can see in the photo at the beginning of this post, I made this bread into open-faced vegetable melts with zucchini, sliced onions, thyme and a bit of mozzarella and provolone cheese. I served it with a quick, homemade tomato soup that takes about 25 minutes from start to finish. Delicious.
Before the recipes, I wanted to share a bit of bloggy news with you: I got a video camera! Fingers crossed, how-to videos featuring yours truly will soon be showing up in posts. Also, check out my recent interview on MaTweeps!
Light Whole Wheat Bread
Reprinted with permission from The Bread Baker’s Apprentice, by Peter Reinhart. The loaf in the pan, pictured above, is this bread.
Ingredients: Makes 1 loaf
- 2 1/2 cups bread flour
- 1 1/2 cups whole-wheat flour
- 1 1/2 tablespoons granulated sugar or honey
- 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
- 3 tablespoons powdered milk
- 1 1/2 teaspoons instant yeast (I used 2 teaspoons active dry yeast)
- 2 tablespoons shortening or unsalted butter, at room temperature
- 1 1/4 cups water, at room temperature
Stir together the bread flour, whole-wheat flour, sugar (if using), salt, powdered milk, and yeast in a 4 quart mixing bowl or the bowl of an electric mixer. Add the shortening, honey (if using) and water. Stir (or mix on low speed with the paddle attachment) until the ingredients form a ball. If there is still flour on the bottom of the bowl, dribble in additional water. The dough should feel soft and supple. It is better for it to be a little too soft than to be too stiff and tough.
Sprinkle flour on the counter, transfer the dough to the counter, and begin kneading (or mix on medium speed with a dough hook). Add more flour if needed to make a firm, supple dough that is slightly tacky but not sticky. Kneading should take about 10 minutes (6 minutes by machine).
Lightly oil a large bowl (I used olive oil for this) and transfer the dough to the bowl, rolling it around to coat it with the oil. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap. Allow to rise for 1 1/2 to 2 hours, or until the dough doubles in size.
Remove the dough form the bowl and press it by hand into a rectangle about 3/4 inches thick, 6 inches wide and 8 to 10 inches long. Working from the short side of the dough, roll up the length of the dough one section at a time, pinching the crease with each rotation. Pinch the final seam closed with the back edge of your hand or with your thumbs. Rock the loaf to even it out, do not taper the ends. Place the loaf in a lightly oiled loaf pan. The ends of the loaf should touch the ends of the pan to ensure an even rise. (View an illustration of this procedure here. Scroll up a bit to view Page 81). Mist the top of the dough with spray oil and loosely cover with plastic wrap.
Allow to rise at room temperature for approximately 90 minutes, or until the dough crests about the lip of the pan. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F with the oven rack on the middle shelf.
Bake for 30 minutes, then rotate the pan 180 degrees and continue baking for an additional 15 to 30 minutes, depending on the oven. The finished loaf should be golden brown on the top and the sides, and sound hollow when thumped on the bottom.
When the bread is finished baking, remove it immediately from the loaf pan and cool it on a rack for at least 1 hour before serving.
Open Faced Vegetable Melt (My Recipe)
Ingredients: Makes 4 melts
- 2 teaspoons extra virgin olive oil
- 1/2 cup thinly sliced onion
- 1/2 cup zucchini, halved lengthwise, then sliced
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1/2 cup seeded, coarsely chopped tomato. Unpeeled.
- 1/4 teaspoon dry thyme
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 1/2 cup shredded provolone cheese
- 1/2 cup shredded mozzarella
- 4 slices of thick, light wheat bread
Heat the oil in a medium skillet over medium heat. Add onion, zucchini and garlic and saute about 5 minutes, until tender. Add the chopped tomato and thyme, cook an additional 1-2 minutes. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
Sprinkle 2 tablespoons of cheese on each slice of bread, then top with the vegetable mix. Top the veggies with 2 tablespoons of cheese. Place the melts on a baking tray, then melt the cheese under your oven’s broiler. Keep an eye on the melts because broilers get very hot and you don’t want the cheese to burn. Once the cheese is melted, remove melts from the oven. Serve immediately.
Homemade Tomato Soup (My Recipe)
Ingredients: Makes about 6 servings
- 2 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 1 large yellow onion, sliced
- 3 cups canned crushed tomato (1 28 oz can)
- 3 cups vegetable broth
- 1 teaspoon dry thyme
- 1/2 teaspoon dry rosemary
- Salt and pepper to taste
Heat the oil in a large, deep soup pot or dutch oven over medium heat. When heated, add the tomato paste and let it cook for about 1 minute, stirring constantly. Add the onion and cook for about 5 minutes, stirring constantly. Season with a pinch of salt and a pinch of pepper.
Add the crushed tomato, vegetable broth, thyme and rosemary. Bring soup to a boil, stir, then cover and let cook for 15 minutes over medium-low heat.
Stir the soup again, then blend using an immersion blender (ideal) or an stand blender. If you use a stand blender, don’t close the lid completely because the heat from the soup will create a lot of pressure in the blender and cause the soup to explode. Rather, leave a small opening for the heat to escape and hold the lid with your hand. Puree the soup in bursts to prevent the pressure from building up.
Taste the soup, adding salt or pepper if needed. If the soup is too thick you can add some extra vegetable stock put it back on the stove until heated through.
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This looks yummy. There’s nothing better then the smell of fresh baked bread. Thanks for sharing.
That looks like an advert right out of a magazine… but better. Yum!
Thanks so much for the tutorial! I definitely fall into the “afraid to play with yeast” category. And the veggie sandwich looks amazing – I’m going to try and recreate for lunch right now!
What a delicious soup and gorgeous vegetable melt! Really appetizing…
Cheers,
Rosa
Not to mention how wonderful the house smells as the bread bakes! My house is a bit cool by usual rising instructions, but I just let it go longer. I’m also experimenting with retarding the dough overnight in the refrigerator – it’s supposed to add to the flavor, and it often fits better into my schedule that way. Bread dough is a lot more forgiving than many people realize, and a lot of the “time” involved in making bread you’re not actually doing anything. So go for it!
The recipe for whole wheat bread looks good and not too difficult, so I think I’ll add it to my list of “recipes to try”. Thanks.
Everything looks so good. Thanks for the great post.
Ari, both your soup and sandwich look wonderful, but to me, your bread is IT! I’m keeping the recipe in my to-do file.
One thing I’d like to mention is that instant yeast is also available in the little 3-pack envelopes that are sold in grocery stores. It’s sold under the brand type “RapidRise” and it’s made by Fleischmann’s. Red Star has a supermarket 3-pack too. Also, instant yeast and bread machine yeast are the same thing, so you can use them interchangeably.
I almost never use Active Dry yeast anymore because the instant is so much more productive.
Once again, thanks for your scrupulous writing and great photos!
~Sandy
Sandy – Thanks for the reminder about Flesichmann’s! I added your note to the post.
Thank you so much! I am always scared to use yeast. When you say that the ingredients should be at room temperature, does that include the yeast? That might be my problem.
Ashley – Yup, though it’s more important that all the other ingredients are at room temperature (except for the warm liquid used for proofing the yeast).
Great post for baking!! I love Peter’s book, it is the best. I love his cinnamon raisin walnut loaf, the lavsah crackers, bagels, baguettes, etc. I could go on and on!! The soup sounds fabulous as well!!
I can’t even tell you how delicious I think this whole meal is! It’s like the classic tomato soup and grilled cheese has grown up and turned into something good for you! I’m putting these recipes aside to try very, very soon–like maybe this weekend. Yum!
This looks so delicious!! Reminds me of the veggie pockets (melts in pitas) that I cherished back in college. Also, huge lover of tomato soup, so can’t wait to make this!
Ohhhhhh! Now I understand my previous screw-ups with bread. LOL. I am definitely going to make this tomato soup for myself… the hubby gets too much heartburn. More for me!!
Just came back to say, great interview! Now I know where those pretty eyes of yours came from!
I was yeast-phobic until a few years ago. Now that I have my heavy duty Kitchen Aid to do the kneading I love working with yeast. So, thank-you for this post. I’ve never thought of doing the hot water in the oven thing for the rising period. I usually set it on top of my refrigerator!
By the way, the tomato soup would really hit the spot right now. Waking up to double-digit below freezing temps just isn’t making life fun or easy at the moment.
Homemade bread right out of the oven is one of the best pleasures!
Your bread recipes are so delicious looking that I’m sure it will entice even the most frightened yeast-o-phobe out there. Your posts have inspired me to give yeast a chance in my kitchen. I started with pizza dough last week and I hope to move onto one of your yummy sweet breads soon! I have a couple of quick questions. Do you store the yeast in the fridge to prolong its life? Should I keep yeast packets in the fridge? And in many of your recipes you use olive oil, is it ever extra virgin olive oil? Thanks for the great post!
Nicole – So glad to hear my posts have been helpful! To answer your questions: yes, I always store my yeast in the fridge, even if it’s in those packets. Some kinds of yeast don’t need to be refrigerated, but most of them will only remain dormant if they are kept in an environment that is 50 degrees F or cooler.
I really enjoyed the information about yeast bread making. I am going to try it very soon!! (A newbie!)
Classic comfort food meal!!
Thank you for the guide to baking bread. In my house, my sister does the bread baking,but your guide makes it look really much easier than I have thought.
If I were to win the cookbook for this month,I would try my hand at baking with yeast!
Oh my goodness! That soup and sandwich combo looks so yummy! I absolutely love reading your posts because you combine wonderful recipes with a whole bunch of information about the food you are cooking with. I have made homemade bread a few times and have to agree, there is NOTHING like the smell and taste of fresh bread out of the oven–and it wasn’t TOO scary to use yeast
Thanks for the great post. And the interview was great too. Have a happy Thursday…
Kaye
This looks so good! I just started Weight Watchers a few weeks ago so this will be going on the menu (with just a few tweeks to get it into my diet). I have some wheat flour on hand and will have to try your loaf. I agree with you in saying that anyone who doesn’t make their own bread is really missing out!
I love making fresh baked bread. It makes the house smell wonderful. I usually mix my dough up the night before and shove it into the fridge. Then I take it out about 30 minutes or so before I want to bake it to help wake the yeasties the rest o the way up. Works fine and means I don’t have to pay quite so much attention to how much time I have for the rising.
(And it is so cold that the soup seems even more amazing!)
sadly, i am one of the sad ones who think yeast is scary. i’ve made yeast breads before, but only with mixed results. with this tutorial, i think i’m ready to give it another try. wish me luck!
Perfect timing! I made a February resolution a couple days ago: get over my fear of yeast! I bought packets of active dry yeast just yesterday, but your post explaining yeast, what it is, and how it works, has been helpful in calming some of my anxiety. The soup and the melts look delicious too! Hope to try them soon.
Yay to bread baking!! Unfortunately for me tonight, I’ve caught the bread bug… and am putting off dinner for a couple hours so we can have a fresh loaf tonight!
I actually bought a jar of active dry yeast recently, but haven’t gotten around to baking any bread yet. I definitely need to pick up some whole wheat flour next time I’m at the grocery store, because your loaf looks delicious!
Thanks once again for in-depth information and inspiration. We are now eating more vegetarian dishes because of the recipes you provide!
We just had fresh tomato soup that my husband made for dinner. There was a leftover sweet potato so he added that, along with some Cholula hot sauce — after reading the story about your mother having it in her purse, I had to buy some. Love it!
I love homemade bread. Not only eating it, but the atmosphere it creates in the home. Aroma and warmth.
Very tempting meal. I would love to sit down at the dinner table and find this plate of outstanding food just waiting for me to indulge.
Enjoyed your interview on MaTweeps.
Delicious!! ^_^
Oooh that looks like a yummy meal.
Question, though: What is the purpose of powdered milk in whole wheat bread? I see it in recipes pretty frequently, but never know why it’s there!
Thanks!
Merav – That’s an excellent question. I remember reading something about the lower fat content in dry milk being good for some kinds of breads, but it’s certainly not a whole wheat thing since another Peter Reinhart recipe (this one for 100% whole wheat bread) does not use powdered milk. I will keep an eye out for more info on this question & let you know if I find something interesting!
I am excitedly confused. Should I go for the sandwich first or the soup
This seems like the perfect cold weather dinner!
Love this play on the traditional tomato soup with grilled cheese (which, by the way, was one of my favorite lunches when I was a kid). Of course, in my mom’s hands, it was Campbell’s tomato soup and a grilled cheese sandwich made with American cheese. But I remember thinking it was simply delicious!
what a beautiful spread. healthy yet delicious, filling yet light. very nicely done, ari!
I LOVE baking bread and I love The Bread Baker’s Apprentice. That light wheat bread is a good recipe, though when I make a sandwich loaf out of it, I always seem to end up with a big hole in my bread, so the last few times I’ve made this recipe I’ve just baked it as a round loaf–I guess I’m just better at shaping those!
OMG, I was gonna make lentil soup for dinner but now I am making your tomato soup recipe!! Thanks for sharing!!
Oh my……. that first picture is terrific!!! You’re getting better and better each day with your camera… Oh I can’t wait for Winter to come…
Yum! That whole dinner looks delicious! I could eat it all!
I just wanted to let you know that I waited to read your post until I had a fresh capuccino. I thought that would make you proud
Nik – Ha! Yes that does make me proud, lol.
Hi Ariela
Your tomato soup looks so nummy and warming at this time of the year. I canned about 50 quart jars of fresh tomatoe juice/sauce with garden seasonings last fall – so I’m enjoying it tremendously now too. I love to sprinkle some parmesan in my soup.
I can’t get past making the Artisan Breads in 5 minutes, though yours sounds wonderful. Just too impatient these days LOL!
Thanks for another good post!
The book looks terrific – I keep hoping.
I love baking bread and a lot of my friends have said the same kinds of things you report- “I don’t know how to work with yeast” or “it never works for me”. I decided to treat them all to a “workshop” in my kitchen and show them that there is nothing to fear with yeast. Your explanations on the actual functions of how it all works is easy to understand and makes it all much more approachable. With your permission I will use your explanation when explaining the process to them. We will bake a few simple breads and hopefully, I will gain some “bread baking partners’!! Thanks!
Yael – Sure, go for it! I’m always happy to help bring more folks into the baking circle. I only ask that if you write anything up (on your blog, for instance) that you give credit for the text and link back to this entry.
This sounds like the perfect winter meal. I might have to make it for our Saturday dinner. Thanks for the gentle nudge in bread baking. I have baked bread before and have really wanted to do it again.
I have just ventured into the world of yeast baking so this was super helpful! And I am definitely going to try the Light Whole Wheat Bread soon!
I am a beginner yeast baker. So far I’ve had some good results. The smell of bread baking in the house is amazing and the loaves are usually gone immediately. The stress relief from kneeding is a nice bonus too!
Glorious yeast! Love your blog, making veggie melts today, what a treat! Thanks for sharing. Von
Perfect rainy day meal! As in perfect for our current California rainy day lunch in a couple of hours.
Two of my favorite foods, tomato soup and homemade bread. Thanks for the adding the idea of the veggie melt, something I would not have thought to do.
Looks very fresh,yummy and delicious!
You can’t go wrong with tomato soup on a cold day. Everything looks really good.
I’ve only recently jumped the baking with yeast hurdle, and I LOVE baking my own bread. I’m trying your honey vanilla challah this weekend! Thanks for the info on the yeast, I wonder about that everytime I buy!
Thank you so so much, Ari for this post on yeasts and breads. I wrote to you about a month back on the same topic and since then tried your dinner rolls with great success (haven’t left my foot-print yet!).
Latha – So happy to hear you had success with the dinner rolls. I look forward to hearing about the other things you’ll be baking in your kitchen.
This soup looks great. I’ve tried to make tomato soup at home a couple times but never with great success. I can’t wait to try this recipe.
One of my baking goals for the year is get over my fear of working with yeast. And I’m making steps forward… I’m looking at recipes now.
I can almost smell the fresh bread in your picture! My previous attempts at bread making have been miserable failures, Finally had to admit I don’t have the ‘kneading gene’, but I’ll give it another try. Thank you for sharing your ideas & recipes!
Yummmmm. Hot tomato soup and a sandwich is such a good meal. The veggies would be better for me than a grilled cheese sammie. Will definitely try your tomato soup and maybe, just maybe, I’ll give the wheat bread a go, too. I love the idea of making bread, but I tend to be a spur of the moment cook rather than a planner, which complicates trying to get yeast bread on the table. I am, however, managing so far to remember to feed a sourdough starter, from which I’ve made but one loaf of bread. Thanks for the recipe and encouragement!
I used to love grilled cheese and tomato soup on rainy days as a kid, but I’ve so often found that feeling of comfort is difficult with such a meal these days. I think the veggie sandwich is the perfect grown up version of my favorite comfort food!
the bread looks great. i can just taste it toasted w/ peanut butter and homemade cherrry jam. yummm. what a way to start a cold winter morning. thanks for the concise description of the different types of yeat – it always confuses me…
I made my own homemade tomato soup for dinner tonight. WIth canned SUMMER tomatoes. Thanks for the awesome picture at the top of your post. IT inspired an excellent family dinner! All the best, xoxo MMW
I just ran across your blog via a link to this delicious-looking post. As a student who foists baked goods on her classmates, I am now unable to stop making my way through your old posts, and enjoying every one!
Melissa – Yay! Glad to hear it. And your classmates are lucky to have a generous baker around.
That looks great, perfect for a winter day lunch. I used to be “afraid of yeast” for no good reason really – just because I had heard it’s something to be afraid of… Once I got my hands into some dough, I could never stop.
As always – looks fabulous. I’ve read and read and read about yeast, but I still hate working with it. I think bread-making is a talent, and I just don’t got it …..
Everything looks delicious. I recently began experimenting with baking my own bread. The process was less scary than I thought it would be. Before that, I was unaware of the differences in active dry and instant yeast. Your post further clarified things for me.
Thanks for the recipe! I can’t wait to try the tomato soup. I’ve heard about the Breadbaker’s Apprentice book from a few other people. If I don’t win the drawing, I think I’ll have to buy it myself. =) I’ve never been 100% in love with the whole wheat bread recipe my mom used when I was growing up. I’m always looking for new recipes to try.
This recipe looks delicious-and I was thinking of making tomato soup this weekend.
Thanks for the bread recipe. We’ve been making homemade bread in our house for ages now (much more tasty and less expensive than store bought) and I’ll have to give this recipe a try.
Oh wow, that looks divine… and is SO simple!
This is super helpful (and the picture is gorgeous by the way)
I’m new to reading your blog, but I love what I’ve seen. The butternut Squash Lasagne in particular looks really unusual and delicious.
I make a similar tomato soup all the time. It’s got to be the tastiest yet easiest soup to make! Your version looks delish.
Hello Ariela.
Yore meal looks delicious– just as masterpiece.Tomato soup+ homemade bread= perfect combination.Tomato soup reminded my the Ukrainian borsch.Did you tested it?
I’m coming to you for lunch – it looks so yummy, that melt – oh my!
I feel guilty leaving another comment for the contest on the original article. Not guilty enough to not try for that great cookbook.. just a little left over Catholic guilt from my school days. Enjoy your day!
Forgot to tall you.. I made your vegetable melt this morning, served on bagel 1/2s. Tastes as good as it looks! Thank you.
Thanks so much for all the helpful info on how to use yeast… I’m always a little intimidated when it comes to baking my own bread, so it’s nice to see really detailed explanations like this.
Your photos are so inspiring I just had to try the bread this weekend. It turned out the best loaf of bread I’ve made. Thanks for sharing!
You’ve been tagged! Please visit my blog in order to learn more about it (http://rosas-yummy-yums.blogspot.com/2009/02/tag.html)…
Cheers,
Rosa
I love baking bread and am always on the lookout for good bread recipes, so Thanks! I’ll be trying this one soon and looking at some of the other ones on your site.
I love baking with yeast. My current favorite – whole wheat bagles. Lovely.
OK. I’m getting ready to make the Tomato Soup. I’ve been fighting the urge, but can’t resist any longer. (sigh)
It must be the day for tomato soup-we had some for dinner tonight. It is cold outside-but with a great loaf of bread, the tomato soup warmed us up.
How funny – I just made tomato soup this morning! We’re on a wavelength.
Thanks for the tips for baking with yeast
I’ve been baking bread for a while now but I know that if I’d had some sort of E-Z tutorial like this with hints and stuff it probably would have made the learning curve a little less sharp.
Love the pictures too <3 Warm on a cold day.
I loved the part about the explanation about the different varieties of yeast. Thanks for the recipe for the open face vegetable melt, school’s starting, it would be nice make it and have it for lunch though may have to tweak it a little to prevent it from getting soggy. Winning the book will be like icing on the cake.
I made a tomato soup and veggie melts (enjoyed a nice brie and gouda for that) and as we enjoyed a family day with some friends after voting, we enjoyed some really good food that was satisfying yet so simple.
Hi Ari, it’s my first time here. I am loving it and will be back from time to time.
I like making bread my self, this bread of yours sounds really tempting.
Cheers,
Elra
Homemade bread, soup, and a sandwich? You’re a superwoman, Ari!
Yesss to all of this!! The color of your tomato soup is sooo vibrant and beautiful. I need to make this soon before it starts warming up in Boston, which will hopefully be soon!
Yummy recipes! What I like about Reinhart is that he uses very little yeast in his bread recipes.
It is one crappy, blustry day here in San Francisco, and the picture of tomato soup and that lusciously melty sandwich brought a burst of warmth to my heart. This may be dinner tonight.
Sean – Oo, this would be the perfect meal on a blustery day. (And wow, you comment is downright poetic with all that talk about sandwiches warming the heart!)
WOW! I’m a beginner when it comes to bread baking and was searching for info about yeast when I stumbled upon your site. Not only have you provided me with really substantial info about yeast, but also some really super sounding recipes! I can’t wait to make your (husbands) homemade tomator soup, the creamy potato carrot soup AND the sweet madeleines (perfect for my new madeleine forms!). I will look forward to reading all of your posts past, present & future! And…as far as the yeast info, thanks so much for the invaluable information!
Suzanne – So glad you found my site! Happy cooking and baking.
I agree with you! Baking bread is not as hard as it seems and the rewards are great! You have put together a wonderful post here
Your dinner looks delicious!
I admit that I belong to all those afraid of working with yeast. But you’ll never know until you try. Very encouraging post, Ari,
Comfort food at its best. In a word: yes! (Didn’t mean for that to rhyme!)
Always make my bread in the bread machine but this recipe of yours might tempt me to tackle making bread from scratch!
Both soup and sandwich look awesome! The sandwich especially, I think I’d really like that, better go make it for myself!
I wonder how powdered buttermilk would work. As usual, your photos are excellent!
This is such an amazing post! I absolutely LOVE baking, and the fact that you threw toppings and a soup to the mix?? YUMMmmm! Definitely know what’s for dinner tonight
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Those are some really helpful tips! I have a lot of trouble cooking with yeast, and this is so helpful.
Just thought I’d let you know that you’re a lifesaver – I’ve been looking for a decent light wheat bread recipe that will rise and be a good sandwich loaf for ages – and now I’ve found it! I made it earlier this week and it’s almost gone. Even the wheat bread-hating DH likes it!
Kate