Holiday and Celebration Bread in Five Minutes a Day by Zoë François

Cool completely before using.The tips and techniques section alone makes this book invaluable to anyone attempting to make pizza at home. Cook for about 30 minutes, stirring often, or until it forms a jam that is thick enough to coat the back of a spoon. NOTE: To make 1 cup of Quick Raspberry Jam, combine 1 pound of fresh or frozen raspberries, 1/2 cup of granulated sugar and 1 tablespoon of fresh lemon juice in a medium saucepan over medium-low heat, using a fork to break up some of the fruit. Use the mixture in thirds, in the same way the jam is distributed in the recipe above. VARIATION: To make Cinnamon Star Bread, whisk together 1/2 cup granulated sugar and 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon in a bowl. Transfer to a wire rack to cool before serving. Bake (middle rack) for 25 to 30 minutes, until golden brown and set. Whisk together the egg and water to form an egg wash use some of it to brush evenly over the star loaf. Discard the plastic wrap and remove the cutter slide the parchment with the dough onto a baking sheet. When you're ready to bake, preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Leave the cutter in place cover the dough loosely with plastic wrap and let rest at room temperature for 90 minutes. This will create the 8-point star effect. Working in pairs, twist 2 side-by-side wedges away from each other with 2 rotations, joining them by pinching the ends together into a point. Use the bench scraper or a sharp knife to cut 16 equal wedges all the way through, and up to the cutter.

Place the cutter at the center of the top round of dough, pressing it in lightly but not enough to cut through the 4 layers of dough. Repeat with the next layers of dough and jam, then place the last round of dough on top. Position another round of dough directly on top, then repeat with another third of the jam. Place one of them on a sheet of parchment paper, then spread the dough with about a third of the jam, leaving a narrow margin around the edges. Roll each ball of dough into a 10-inch round, dusting the work surface with more flour as needed. Dust each of those with flour, then quickly shape each one into a ball by stretching the surface of dough around to the bottom, rotating the ball a quarter-turn as you work. Dust the dough lightly with flour, then use a bench scraper or sharp knife to divide the dough into 4 equal portions.

Holiday and Celebration Bread in Five Minutes a Day by Zoë François