1. If using compressed yeast, finely crumble it into the bowl of a heavy-duty standing mixer. Add the sugar and let it rest until the yeast gives off some moisture, about 3 minutes. Whisk well to dissolve the yeast, then stir in the milk.

If using active dry yeast, sprinkle the yeast over 1/4 cup of the milk that you’ve warmed to 105° F to 115° F (40°C to 46°C) . Let it rest until the yeast softens and begins to foam, about 5 minutes. Whisk well to dissolve. Pour into the bowl of a heavy-duty standing mixer and then stir in the sugar. Add the remaining 1 cup cold milk.

2. Mix the bread and pastry flours together. Add 2 cups of the flour mixture and the salt to the yeast mixture in the bowl. Attach the bowl to the mixer and fit it with the paddle attachment. Mix on low speed, adding enough of the remaining flour mixture as it takes to make a soft, sticky dough. Do not overmix, as the dough will be worked and absorb more flour during the rolling and folding processes.

3. Transfer to a floured work surface and knead a few times to smooth the surface. Shape the dough into a ball. The ball will hold its shape but will spread slightly as it stands.

4. Dust a half-sheet pan with flour. Place the dough on the flour and use a small, sharp knife to cut an X about 1-inch deep in the top, marking it into quadrants. Sprinkle the top with a little flour and refrigerate.

5. Clean the mixer bowl and paddle attachment. Add the butter to the bowl and beat with the paddle attachment on medium speed until the butter is almost smooth, about 30 seconds. Add the flour and continue beating until the mixture is smooth, cool, and malleable, about 30 seconds more. Transfer the beurrage to a lightly floured work surface and press any remaining lumps of butter out with the heel of your hand. Shape the beurrage into a 4-inch square, place it on the half-sheet pan with the detrempe, and refrigerate them for about 15 minutes. The detrempe and the beurrage should be the same consistency and temperature after this slight chilling.

6. Flour the work surface again. Place the detrempe  on the work surface with the ends of the X at approximately 2, 4, 7, and 10 o’clock positions. You will notice 4 quadrants of dough between the crosses of the X at the north, south, east, and west positions. Dust the top with flour. Using the heel of your hand, flatten and stretch each quadrant out about 2 1/2 inches to make a cloverleaf shape with an area in the center that is thicker than the “leaves.” Use a rolling pin to roll each “cloverleaf” into a flap about 6-inches long and 5-inches wide, leaving a raised square in the center. Using the side of the rolling pin, press the sides of the raised area to mark the square.

7. Place the butter square in the center of the cloverleaf. Gently stretch and pull the north-facing flap of dough down to cover the top and sides of the butter square, brushing away any excess flour. (This dough is very extendable and will stretch easily, but don’t tear it.) Now stretch and pull the south-facing flap  up to cover the top and sides of the butter square. Turn the packet so the open ends of the square face north and south. Repeat folding and stretching the north- and south-facing flaps (originally the east and west flaps) to completely cover the butter square, making a butter-filled packet of dough about 6-inches square.

8. Dust the work surface with flour. Turn the packet over so the 4 folded flaps face down with the open seam facing you. Dust the top with flour. Using a large, heavy rolling pin held at a slight angle, lightly pound the top to widen it slightly and help distribute the butter inside. Roll the dough into a 17-by-9-inch rectangle. Fold the dough into thirds, like a business letter, brushing away any excess flour. This is called a single turn. Roll the rectangle lightly to barely compress the layers. Transfer to a half-sheet pan and refrigerate for about 20 minutes.

9. Lightly flour the work surface. Place the dough on the work surface with the long open seam facing you. Dust the top with flour. Roll out the dough into a 17-by-9-inch rectangle. Fold the right side of the dough over 2 inches to the left. Fold the left side of the dough over to meet the right side. Fold the dough in half vertically from left to right. This is a double turn (also known as a book turn). Roll the rectangle lightly to barely compress the layers. Return to the half-sheet pan and refrigerate for another 20 minutes.

10. Repeat rolling and folding into a final single turn. With the long seam facing you, cut the dough in half vertically. Wrap each piece  tightly in plastic wrap, then wrap again. Freeze for at least 24 hours or up to 4 days. The night before using the dough, transfer it to the refrigerator and let thaw overnight, about 8 hours. Once defrosted the dough will begin to rise, so make sure to roll it out immediately.

11. Line 2 half-sheet pans with parchment paper. Dust your work surface with flour. Place the dough on the work surface with the open seam facing you. Dust the top with flour. Using a large, heavy rolling pin, roll out the dough into a 16-by-12-inch rectangle. Don’t press too hard; let the weight of the pin do much of the work. If you change the position of the dough while rolling it, keep track of which side contains the seam.

12. Turn the packet so the seam faces you. (If you’ve lost track, look carefully at the sides of the dough, and you should be able to discern it, even though it’s faint.) Using a pizza wheel and a yardstick or rule, neatly trim the rough edges so you have a neat rectangle. Cut in half lengthwise to make two 16-by-6-inch rectangles. Fold each rectangle into thirds, place on a half-sheet pan, and refrigerate, uncovered, for about 15 minutes.

13. Remove the dough from the refrigerator. Working with one piece at a time and using a pizza wheel and a yardstick, start at the top left corner of the dough and make your way downward diagonally to make a half-triangle with a 2-inch base. Measure 3 1/2-inches from the top left corner of the strip and mark this point with a notch from the wheel. Cut down diagonally from the notch to meet the bottom left edge of the dough strip to make another triangle with a 3 1/2-inch base. Continue cutting, alternating diagonal cuts, to cut out 6 triangles. The last cut will yield a half-triangle with a 2-inch-wide base. Repeat with the second strip of dough to make 6 more large triangles and 2 half-triangles. You should have a total of 12 large triangles and 4 half-triangles.

14. (See slideshow above) Place a single “complete” triangle on the work surface with the base of the triangle facing you. Stretch the bottom slightly so it is about 5-inches wide. Pick up the triangle. With one hand, hold the dough triangle at the bottom and stretch it with your other hand until it is about 7-inches long. Return the triangle to the work surface. Starting at the bottom, roll up the triangle, and finish with the tip underneath the croissants on the pan. Curve the croissants by bringing the 2 ends together and then cross one end over the other, and press together. Repeat rolling the remaining dough triangles, placing them 1 1/2-inches apart on the pan. Overlap 2 of the half-triangles at their long sides, and press the seam together. Roll up as described for the large triangles and add to the pan. Repeat with the remaining half-triangles.

15. Choose a warm place in the kitchen for proofing. Slip each pan into a tall plastic bag. Place a tall glass of very hot water near the center of each pan. Wave the opening of each bag to trap air and inflate it like a balloon to create “head room,” being sure that the plastic does not touch the delicate dough. Twist each bag closed. Let stand until the croissants look puffy but not doubled, 1 1/2 to 2 hours.

16. Meanwhile, position racks in the center and top third of the oven and preheat to 375°F (190°C). Remove the glasses from the bags, then the pans. Lightly brush the croissants with the beaten egg. Bake for 10 minutes. Reduce the heat to 350°F (176°C) and continue baking until the croissants are crisp and golden brown, about 15 minutes longer. Serve the croissants warm or cool to room temperature.

1. Rinse the apples under cool running water. Remove the stems and cut the apples into quarters without peeling them.

2. Place the apples in a preserving pan or other large, wide pot and cover with 3 1/4 cups of the water. Bring to a full boil, then reduce the heat to low and simmer gently for 30 minutes. The apples should be soft.

3. Collect the juice by straining the apple mixture into a large bowl, lightly pressing on the apples with the back of a skimmer or a spoon. Discard the solids.

4. Filter the juice a second time by pouring it through cheesecloth that was wet under cool running water and wrung out, letting the juice run freely into a glass container. Refrigerate the juice overnight.

5. Measure 2 1/8 cups of the apple juice, leaving in the container the sediment that formed overnight. Discard the remaining juice and sediment.

6. Squeeze the blood oranges, saving any seeds, until you have 2 1/8 cups of juice. Place the seeds in a cheesecloth bag.

7. Rinse and scrub the navel oranges under cool running water. Slice the oranges into very thin rounds.

8. Place the sliced oranges in a preserving pan or other large, wide pot. Add 1 cup of sugar and the remaining 7/8 cup of water and bring to a gentle boil. Reduce the heat to medium and gently simmer until the slices are translucent.

9. Add the reserved apple juice, blood orange juice, the remaining 4 2/3 cups of sugar, the lemon juice, and the reserved orange seeds in cheesecloth. Bring to a boil, stirring gently. Skim any foam from the surface. Continue cooking on high heat, stirring constantly, for about 10 minutes. Skim again if need be. Remove the cheesecloth with the seeds. Return to a boil. Remove from the heat.

10. Immediately ladle the jam into hot, sterilized jars and seal.

1. Place the quinoa, milk, and water in a tall-sided but small saucepan. (If using soy milk, add it only during the final 10 minutes of cooking.) Bring the mixture to a boil over medium-high heat. Drop the heat to medium-low, cover partially, and cook, stirring occasionally, for 15 minutes.

2. Add the dried fruit, spices, vanilla extract, and orange zest, recover, and continue to cook just until the quinoa is soft and the little curlicue on each seed becomes pronounced in appearance, about 15 minutes more. If the pan looks dry at any point, add a splash of warm water.

3. Before you pull the pan from the heat, adjust the consistency of the quinoa to your liking. If it’s too soupy, evaporate any excess liquid over high heat. If the quinoa is too dry, add a splash of warm water or some more milk.

4. Remove the pan from the heat and sweeten the quinoa to taste with maple syrup, honey, or agave nectar. Sprinkle with the pumpkin seeds.

1. In a small saucepan over high heat, bring the cider to a boil. Cook until reduced to 1/2 cup, 8 to 10 minutes or so, depending on the size of the pan. Cool completely.

2. In a large bowl, sift together the 3 1/4 cups flour, the granulated sugar, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt. Add the butter and, using a handheld mixer on low speed, beat until the mixture forms fine crumbs.

3. In another bowl, whisk together the buttermilk, eggs, 1/4 cup of the reduced cider, and the vanilla until combined. Add the buttermilk mixture to the flour mixture and stir until a soft dough forms. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured work surface and knead until smooth, about 1 minute, adding up to 1/4 cup more flour if needed. Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper. Transfer the dough to the baking sheet and pat it out to a 1/2-inch thickness. Freeze until slightly firm, 15 minutes.

4. In a heavy, deep saucepan, pour oil to a depth of at least 3 inches. Heat over high heat to 350°F (176°C) on a deep-frying thermometer. Set a large wire rack on another rimmed baking sheet and place it near the stove.

5. Cut out as many doughnuts as possible with the doughnut cutter, dipping the cutter in flour before each cut and pressing it straight down into the dough and lifting it straight up. Transfer them and the holes to the parchment paper–lined baking sheet. Gather the scraps and repeat the rolling and cutting.

6. Using a metal spatula, carefully lower a few of the doughnuts into the hot oil, being sure not to crowd the pan. Deep-fry, turning them once at the halfway point, until golden brown, about 3 minutes total. Using a wire skimmer, transfer the doughnuts to the rack to drain. Repeat until all of the doughnuts have been fried, then add the doughnut holes to the oil and deep-fry until golden brown, about 2 minutes total. Let cool.

7. In a small saucepan over medium-high heat, bring the remaining 1/4 cup reduced cider to a boil. Add the confectioners’ sugar and whisk until smooth. Immediately remove from the heat. Holding a doughnut or doughnut hole by its edges, briefly dip it, smooth side down, into the glaze, letting the excess drip back into the saucepan. Place the doughnut on the wire rack, glazed side up, and let stand until the glaze is set, about 10 minutes. Repeat with the remaining doughnuts and doughnut holes. Devour while warm or at room temperature.

1. To make the pumpkin quick bread, preheat the oven to 350°F (176°C).

2. Toast the walnuts in the oven on a rimmed baking sheet until fragrant and very lightly browned, about 5 minutes. Transfer to a cutting board to cool. Chop and set aside

3. Meanwhile, measure out the oil, dip a basting brush or your fingertips into the measuring cup, and oil a standard size loaf pan (8 1/2 by 4 1/2 by 2 3/4).

4. In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine the brown sugar and oil on low speed. Add the eggs, 1 at a time, and then add the buttermilk, pumpkin, and extract, if using. Continue to mix on low speed while you sift together the remaining dry ingredients in a large bowl. Slowly and carefully add the dry ingredients to the bowl and continue to mix, still on low speed, scraping down the sides just once. Mix just until combined.

5. Stop the mixer and gently fold in the chopped walnuts. Scrape the batter into the oiled pan and bake until you can resist the aroma no longer and a tester inserted in the center  of the quick bread comes out clean, 65 to 70 minutes. Cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then turn the quick bread onto a wire rack and cool for another 20 minutes before serving.

Homemade Pumpkin Purée Note: There’s nothing wrong with canned pumpkin purée, other than that it lacks a bit of poetry. But it’s easy to make pumpkin purée yourself. You just cut a little sugar pumpkin in half and bake it in a 300°F (149°C) oven until it submits. Spoon it right out of its softened shell, or, if you’re a stickler for smoothness, throw it in the food processor. The whole thing takes maybe an hour, and it makes your house smell totally mythic.

1. Prepare a sheet pan or baking dish by lining it with parchment paper and rubbing it with butter.

2. In the bowl of a standing mixer, stir together by hand the warm milk, yeast, and sugar. Let stand for 5 minutes. Add the flour, salt, butter, and eggs. Using the dough hook, mix until the dough is completely developed, 8 to 10 minutes. (By “completely developed” we mean that the dough should “clean” the side of the bowl, with no extra flour at the bottom; you might need to add a little more flour. The finished dough will be tacky but not sticky.) Remove the dough hook and cover the bowl with plastic. Set the bowl in a warm place and let stand until it’s double in size.

3. In a medium bowl, stir together the honey and the butter until completely combined.

4. In a small bowl, stir together the sugar and cinnamon until completely combined.

5. Place the dough on a lightly floured surface. Roll it out into a rectangle roughly 18 inches by 24 inches and about 1/2 inch thick. Liberally brush the dough with half of the room-temperature honey butter. Sprinkle with as much of the cinnamon-sugar mixture as you please.

6. Beginning with the 24-inch side of the dough, roll it tightly from the bottom to the top of the rectangle, gently pulling the dough to make an even, semi-tight spiral. Divide the long roll into individual rolls by cutting it in half crosswise with a serrated knife, then cut each portion in half again. Divide each quarter into 5 pieces. Place each spiral roll on its side. Carefully take the tail end of the piece of dough from one roll and gently pull and wrap it around the rest of the spiral dough, tucking it underneath. Place the roll in the pan and press down slightly on it. Repeat with the rest of the rolls, fitting them sort of snugly in little rows in the pan.

7. Preheat the oven to 350°F (176°C). Cover the pan with a clean kitchen towel or plastic wrap and set it in a warm place. Let them rise again until while the oven preheats.

8. Bake the cinnamon rolls for 15 to 20 minutes, until they are a deep golden brown, rotating the pan once halfway through. Remove from the oven and lightly brush with the remaining honey butter.

9. Place the cream cheese and butter in the bowl of a standing kitchen mixer, and mix on low speed until smooth. Add the confectioners’ sugar, cream, and vanilla, and whip until smooth.

10. When the cinnamon rolls are completely cool, slather them with icing. Serve the cinnamon rolls as-is or warm them in the oven at 325°F (163°C) for 2 to 3 minutes.

1. To make the applesauce bread, preheat the oven to 350˚F (176°C). Lightly butter 2 standard-size loaf pans or place paper liners in 24 cupcake or muffin tins.

2. Place the eggs and sugar in the bowl of a mixer fit with a paddle and beat until the mixture is lemon-colored and thickened, 2 to 3 minutes.

3. Add the applesauce and then the butter, beating well and scraping down the sides of the bowl after each addition. (The mixture will break and appear curdled, and while you may think you’ve ruined it, just keep on going because everything is fine.)

4. Place the flour, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon in a separate bowl and mix well. Stir it into the applesauce mixture and beat to combine. Add the nuts, if desired, and mix well. Scrape down the sides of the bowl.

5. Scrape the batter into the prepared loaf pans or, if making muffins, use a 2-ounce ice cream scoop or heaping tablespoon to fill the prepared tins. Bake the applesauce bread until golden brown and firm in the center, about 1 hour for loaves and 20 to 25 minutes for cupcakes. Let the bread cool in the pan for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack and set aside to cool.

1. In a large bowl, whisk together the cornmeal, baking powder, and salt.

2. In a second bowl or large liquid measuring cup, whisk the
egg and 1 cup water until smooth. Stir the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients, using as few strokes as possible.
The batter should be soupy but not watery.

3. Heat 1/4 cup of the oil in a cast-iron skillet over medium heat. Ladle 1/4 cup of batter into the heated skillet for each cake, being careful not to crowd the skillet. The batter should immediately sizzle at the edges.

4. Cook the cakes until the bottoms are a rich brown and bubbles form on the tops and along the edges, 2 to 3 minutes. Turn and brown the other side, an additional 2 to 3 minutes. Serve immediately, flipping those little babies onto a plate and passing them along while you fry up the remaining cakes, adding oil to the skillet as needed.