Best Tips For Holiday Bread-Making

Rise to the occasion this holiday, or rather, let your bread rise. Baking is one of the most therapeutic and rewarding acts you can perform in the kitchen, and there's no better time than the holidays to enjoy freshly baked bread.

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Baking doesn't need to be stressful, says Nick Malgieri, director of the baking program at the Institute of Culinary Education in New York City. The author of several critically acclaimed cookbooks (his most recent, Bread, was one of our picks for best cookbooks of the year) and an award-winning pastry chef, Malgieri bakes a ton around the holidays. He loves serving freshly baked breads while entertaining during this time of year because they're easy to prepare ahead of time and don't require fussy serving methods. The best part about baking, says Malgieri, is that it's not always about plain old bread. There are plenty of recipes to prepare that will help you master bread-making, and Malgieri shares some of his favorites with The Daily Meal, along with must-know tips that will take the scary factor out of kneading.

Whether you have a hankering to try bread-making for the first time or would like to become a more seasoned baker, Malgieri's tips will help you get over any hurdle, and his recipes will inspire you to create loaf after loaf. After learning how easy it can be, you'll never imagine your holidays without a batch of freshly baked bread.  

Anne Dolce is the Cook Editor at The Daily Meal. Follow her on Twitter @anniecdolce