The recipe for success is simple; time and warmth are all it takes to transform a few basic ingredients into springy silky dough that bakes to a crackly, crusted loaf. It is like most things- easy when you know how, with practice making perfect. If we had to choose one single phrase that I feel is essential to bread making, it would be this; bread is alive, growing entity and, the product of it’s ingredients and surroundings; it responds to its environment- “treat the rising dough as if it were alive’’ While we advocate the use of scales, warmers and thermometers, remember that observation is the baker’s traditional tool. The more you make bread, the better your bread will be.Essential Ingredients and TechniquesFlour is the main ingredients of most bread, accounting for about three-quarters of the finished loaf. The flour you choose will give your bread its individual character. The choice of flour affects not only the quality of the baked bread but also the bread baking process , Flour will absorb more, or less, liquid depending on the verity of wheat that it was made from, the place were it was harvested, and the way in which it was milled. Such variables are compounded by the humidity in the air – on a damp day, flour will adsorb less liquid than on a dry day. The quantities of liquid given in the recipe can never be more than guidelines. Our mixing technique suggests that you hold back a proportion of liquid and add as needed. The method acts as a safeguard against overly wet dough and the consequent need to add extra flour; which upsets the balance among flour, salt and yeast. If you require a little more liquid than stated in the recipe, do not hesitate to add it; your aim is to produce dough conforming to the consistency specified in the recipe, be it firm, soft or wet. Observing; and understanding the condition of your dough, and what it requires, is the key to successful bread baking.

    There, mother-daughter bakers Kaye and Liv Hansen turn out some of the most charming, refreshingly eccentric cakes ever to grace a birthday or wedding celebration. Kaye and Liv believe that a cake should taste as good as it looks, so they skip esoteric (and inedible) decorations in favor of simple buttercream, flavored whipped cream, and tinted candymaker's chocolate, covering their luscious cakes with amusing designs and gorgeous color that are easy to make and delicious to eat. The cakes themselves are no less enticing, pairing old-fashioned favorites like Banana Cake and Spice Cake with sumptuous fillings such as French Custard and Chocolate Mousse. Simple step-by-step lessons, illustrated with photographs, explain how to re-create Liv's charming chocolate designs, from the bright polka dots that shine against dark chocolate glaze to the shimmering stars that adorn the enchanting "Starry Night." Templates for the delightful designs allow you to adapt these techniques to create your own unique decorations. With time-tested tips and complete information on everything from mixing colors to adjusting pan sizes, the Hansens explain all you need to know to get started. Whether you're dreaming of an elegant Chocolate Apricot Pecan Torte or a three-tiered butter cake filled with spiked mocha cream and embellished with fantastical spring flowers, The Whimsical Bakehouse is the ultimate guide to creating delicious, showstopping confections that are completely original.