1. Make one different bread recipe every day for one year, except Sundays (because we all need a little bench rest).
2. No purchases of special equipment.
Simple enough.
But what exactly counts as “bread”? According to Merriam-Webster Online, the first definition of bread is “a usually baked and leavened food made of a mixture whose basic constituent is flour or meal.” The Food Lover’s Companion defines bread as “made from flour, water (or other liquid), and usually a leavener. It can be baked, fried, or steamed.” Both of these definitions include the word “usually”. That’s a tricky word, rightly implying that a thing called “bread” can be not-baked and un-leavened. Both mention “leavening”, or how gases get into the bread, raising it and producing air holes, shape, and texture.
Generally speaking, there are three categories of bread: yeast-leavened breads, quick breads (leavened with chemical means, such as baking powder), and unleavened breads.
Examples of yeast breads:
baguettes
ciabatta
croissants
pizza crust
rye
pumpernickel
sourdough
brioche
bagels
Examples of quick breads:
cornbread
tea breads (such as banana bread)
biscuits
crepes
pancakes
Examples of unleavened breads:
matzo
some crackers
some flatbreads
Most of the breads I’ll be making will come from the yeast-leavened category. They take the most time, effort, and care; but they are the most rewarding and, to me, the most delicious. They are also the sort of bread that causes the most anxiety in novice bread-bakers.