Today, October 24, inside Crust & Crumb Academy! We're baking something special this Saturday. Pan de Muerto, the traditional Mexican bread made for Día de los Muertos, a celebration of remembrance, family, and the people we love. And we're making it TWO ways! 🍞 Traditional Yeasted Pan de Muerto Soft, buttery, lightly sweet, with that beautiful orange aroma. A great choice if you want to mix your dough and bake today. 🥖 Sourdough Pan de Muerto We're using a stiff levain for this version. It takes a little more patience, but that's part of the journey. If you've already prepared your levain, you're ready to join us. We'll talk about the history behind this beautiful bread, shape the traditional bones that decorate the top, and bake it together. 📖 GET YOUR RECIPES: 🍞 Yeasted Version: https://recipepantry.app/recipes/pan-de-muerto 🥖 Sourdough Version: https://recipepantry.app/recipes/sourdough-pan-de-muerto Perfection isn't required. Progress is. Who's baking with me today, yeasted or sourdough? Henry⭐🔥

Tanya set her loaf on the last doily her grandmother ever made. Sandy's bones fell off and her crumb came out tasting like cake. Michele baked between a toilet swap and a barn door. And while I was out with my daughter on Saturday, you ran a 1,112-comment thread without me. Full recap is live, with every finished loaf in the photo carousel: Pan de Muerto Recap This week we featured: @Adam Sellers @Angela Sides-McKay @Ann Snow @Anne Pletcher @Barb Kratzmann @Betsy Carey @Candi Brown-McGriff @Cheryl Odden @Colleen Vergara @Deborah Karaban @Dennis Blevins @Donna Angelo @Ehsan Omara @Heather Lattanzio @Janice Cockfield @Jenny Pichardo @Jill Hart @JoAnn Amato @Judy Lyle @Leigh Skowronski @Linda Glantz @Lizel Maleta @Marilyn Scott @Maureen Kilbride @Mauvette Bailey @Michele Nilson @Michele Smith @Nan Frydland @Noah Trent @Pat Van Schalkwyk @Robert Caldas @Sandy Chong @Sharon Stubbs @Stacey Avraham @Tanya Pritchett @Wendy Vazquez

Before shaping, your dough needs time to ferment, build gas, and develop enough structure to hold that gas. The refrigerator slows that process. It doesn’t stop it immediately, but another 12 hours on the clock doesn’t guarantee the dough will catch up. If your loaf keeps coming out dense, look at the dough before it went into the fridge. Had it risen? Were bubbles forming? Did it feel lighter and more aerated? Watch the dough, not the clock. https://youtube.com/shorts/HtNJEjsqpU0 Come join us inside Crust & Crumb Academy, the #1 bread baking community on Skool. Bring your questions and your next loaf. Nobody bakes alone here. https://skoo.ly/crust-crumb-academy Henry⭐🔥

Watch the video to meet this week’s Ancient Grain Challenge winners. Haven’t registered yet? Get your name in, then keep going. Watch your next lesson, take the quiz, and leave a comment on YouTube. Those points matter! And remember, on December 1, I’m giving away a Bosch Universal Plus stand mixer from NutriMill. Somebody’s getting a serious helping hand with their dough. It could be you. Register here: https://challenge.bakinggreatbread.com/ Come bake with us! https://youtube.com/shorts/u5Ts94H6Hh8?si=e8NQGC8-bBRU7QIq

We know each other as bakers. We share our loaves, compare crumb shots, and spend a lot of time talking about flour, fermentation, and everything that happens in between. But I've been thinking. How much do we really know about the people we're baking alongside? There's a whole lot more to our members than what comes out of their ovens. So, I'm starting something new here at the Academy. The People Behind the Bread. Our first spotlight features @Leigh Skowronski , someone many of you already know from our Bake-Alongs and conversations around the kitchen table. A few months ago, Leigh sent me something that started a conversation I wasn't expecting. The more I learned about her, the more I realized there was a story here worth sharing. And there's a personal connection that makes this one particularly special to me. I've put together a little feature about Leigh, her remarkable talents, and the story behind that unexpected gift. 👉 Meet Leigh Skowronski: The People Behind the Bread I hope you'll take a few minutes to read it. And when you're finished, I'd love to hear what you think. Maybe we'll discover that some of the most interesting stories in this Academy have nothing to do with bread. The Proof Is in the People. Henry Hunter