Great Bread/Bakery and Cooking Links

Once in a while, I come across a blog or a site that is very helpful, or has great value for those of us interested in baking great bread.

Sometimes it's a site that does great research, then shares that information with folks like me and you.  Other times it may be a site who's purpose is to teach - not just what works for bread, but for life as well.  You know, the whole picture.

So here are my favorite baking/bread sites, and why I love what they do:

The Prepared Pantry: preparedpantry.com

The good folks who run this site do their research and sell great ingredients from a small town in Idaho, but don't let the small town idea put you off.  The folks at preparedpantry.com really know what they are doing.  It's easy to see that they love what they do, and they love to share what they have learned with others.

They offer everything from free baking 101 information, free ebooks, including a 250 page "How to Bake" reference book, quick reads about the science of leavening, and they sell high quality ingredients.  

They sell baking products at great values, and they share awesome recipes that they have developed and tested themselves.  I get my cinnamon chips from The Prepared Pantry (see my Cinnamon Chip blog).

Sign up for their eNewsletter.  It's full of great values and great baking information.

 
Bread Beckers: breadbeckers.com

This site is a wealth of information regarding breads, whole wheat, whole grains, gluten free information, baking products, and the gospel of using whole grains in your diet.

Sue Becker is the inspiration for Bread Beckers.  She has a very compelling story regarding her family and their use of whole grains. 

Sue has a free CD called "The Bread of Idleness", where she explains and shows why using whole grains are so important.  Below is a comment from a Bread Beckers patron.

"Amazing testimony!"

Mary L. on 2/11/2010 8:48:01 AM

Remarks: What an amazing testimony of Sue Becker's faith in, and guidance from, the Lord regarding the ways to vibrant health. Everyone I know that has listened to this CD has either began milling their own wheat, or is saving to buy a mill in order to realize the true health benefits of eating real bread and whole, unprocessed foods. Thank you for your passion and dedication to this ministry, and thank God for you, Sue!

Sue is passionate about whole grains.  Order her CD.  It's free for the asking.

The Beckers are also devoted Christians and use their knowledge and faith to share the Bread of Life in more ways than one.  They also run The Real Bread Company, a family owned bakery where they bake and sell "real" bread (whole grain).

In addition to being successful businesses, Bread Beckers and The Real Bread Company are also out-reach organizations to teach others about the importance of eating healthy, using natural ingredients, and having faith in God to direct our lives for good. 

America's Test Kitchen is my favorite site for true and tested recipes, cooking information, on-line how to videos, baking products, taste tests, and more.

This site is everything you could hope for, for an all-in-one source of some of the best cooking, how to, and recipe information on the web today. The same group also runs Cooks Illustrated, Cooks Country, and Cooks Country TV, all very good sources for great food and how to make the same recipes yourself.

America's Test Kitchen also shares in depth product tests, taste tests, and a weekly television show on various networks where some of the best do-it-yourself (but not difficult) recipes are shared.  And they don't stop there.  The hosts explain why they do what they do, what works, what doesn't work, and show you exactly how the dish is done right.

The weekly eNewsletter highlights different recipes, equipment reviews, valuable how-to segments, and other useful information relating to cooking, baking, ingredients, etc.

They also have a good variety of cook books and magazines.  Unlike The Prepared Pantry and Bread Beckers, America's Test Kitchen requires a paid membership to access most of the information on the site, but it's well worth the cost.