I’ve had the lovely book Baking with Julia in my cookbook collection for a while and have made some very successful and delicious recipes from it, but it had somehow gotten buried under the ever-growing pile of newer cookbooks over time. When I discovered that the Tuesdays with Dorie group had chosen this book, which Dorie Greenspan put together from Julia Child’s PBS series of the same name, I dug it out and flipped through the pages thinking all the time “Man, I forgot how good this book is!”
I know the brioche and sticky bun recipes are fabulous, and I love the idea of baking my way through the book in order to try all the other recipes. So, here goes!
The first recipe chosen for the month of February was White Loaves, contributed by Craig Kominiak, which begins a chapter titled “Daily Loaves”. Regular Shortbread readers will know that I have made quite a few loaves of bread in my time, and it was difficult for me to keep from straying from the recipe and doing my own thing. But I tried to use the techniques it called for, and the only substitution I made was using instant yeast instead of active dry because it was all I had in the pantry. (If you find yourself in the same situation, skip the first step of mixing the yeast, sugar, and water together and just stir the yeast and sugar into the first half of the flour before adding the water.)
This dough was definitely on the wet side for me, but the loaves rose quickly and baked up tall and fragrant. It sliced easily and made tasty sandwiches, toast, and was even better with a layer of Nutella.
This week’s TWD/BWJ hostesses are Laurie of slush and Jules of Someone’s in the Kitchen, and on their websites you’ll find this recipe. Visit the Tuesdays with Dorie blog for more information!
Shortbread 
They look beautiful….my son saw the picture and dug out the nutella 😉
Love it!
Karen: Thank you for posting a comment about my blog. I am really new to this and it was fun receiving your response. That let me to your blog and I was thrilled to find your biscuit recipe and tutorial. My husband and I have both lived in the South and love good biscuits. I have been on a search for a really good recipe for years and will definitely try yours.
Yes, my husband “requests” that recipe at least once a week. Hope you like it.
yum…Nutella on a slice of this toast would be just delicious! Lovely job!
Your loaves are so tall & beautiful! Gotta get me some Nutella now. It looks so wonderful spread on that bread. Curious if you used less instant yeast than the active dry called for? I used the same amt because I thought they were a 1:1 substitution. At least that’s what I read somewhere before.
Love your blog & will be poking around some more!
I used the same amount too, not really thinking about it, so I’m assuming I read it somewhere also!
Yum…Nutella!! Looks very good!!
Nutella.looks llike the perfect companion!
Thanks for your visit to my blog…so nice to be baking with you on tuesdays. Your bread looks perfectly beautiful! Love the piece smothered in Nutella! Yum! I am adding you to my google reader.
I wish I had thought to add nutella! It looks so much better than plain bread. Your loaves look perfect.
Wow, those look perfectly perfect, inside and out, and your bread slicing ability leaves me in the dust…you do it by hand with a knife! I use an electric knife, so that is sort of cheating, or at least increasing one’s odds. You had me the whole way on this post until that chocolate stuff appeared…things haven’t changed, still don’t like the stuff. I’m pretending it’s plum butter. 😉 It’s good to be back, isn’t it?
What no chocolate? You still haven’t acquired a taste for it even after all the TwD recipes? Ok, it’s plum butter then.
Our bread went to grilled cheese and toast w/Nutella on top.
Lovely crumb on your bread.
Your bread is beautiful. I bet it was really delicious with nutella.
Oh, that looks good with Nutella! Glad to see you in the new group!
Wow, these are some of the best looking laves I’ve seen!
That should be “loaves.” 🙂
Oh my, do I love Nutella. Pretty loaves too.
Beautiful loaves! Now I’m hungry for Nutella. Thanks for the tip on the yeast, too (different post).
I’m loving this group, too! I have also had this book for a long time, but many of the recipes look difficult, so I’m happy to be baking these as a group. Your bread looks great. I love it warm, but it shines when toasted with butter and jam. I’ll have to try the Nutella! Looks fab!
one down…many more TWD:BWJ recipes to go.
~Carmen
I so want the slice slathered with Nutella – it looks so good!
Wow – beautiful loaves and any “friend” of nutella is an instant friend of mine! Looks so delicious.
Wow, your blog is gorgeous, as are your photos. Well done!
Ou!! Good looking bread! That instant yeast made some good burps!
Beautiful breads, beautiful pictures.