Good bread makes a meal

Tear off hunks of classic baguette to eat with Tunisian shakshuka and slow-cooker corn chowder.

View in browser|nytimes.com Continue reading the main story August 5, 2023 Johnny Miller for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Laurie Ellen Pellicano. Build your meal around bread We know it might be borderline irresponsible to suggest cranking your oven to 500 degrees at the height of summer, but trust that we'd nudge you to do so only for baguettes. Specifically the tawny brown, shattery-crust, chewy-interior baguettes that Claire Saffitz shows us how to make in the newest episode of New York Times Cooking's "Try This at Home." Having taught us the art of homemade croissants, bagels and sourdough, Claire now takes us step-by-step through making our own baguettes, from selecting flour to reviving stale loaves. It's a worthy weekend project that yields deeply satisfying results: "A wonky baguette will still taste great," Claire says, "and I doubt anyone will care when they tear through the crackly crust." Featured Recipe Classic Baguettes View Recipe → To go with your baguette — or ciabatta or focaccia or stray sandwich slices — you'll need something saucy. Shakshuka loves a crusty loaf, and this Tunisian shakshuka with shrimp from Jamel Charouel is spicy, peppery and compulsively scoopable. Kay Chun's recipe for herb-marinated swordfish requires some bread to catch all those capery, lemony juices, as does Melissa Clark's recipe for sweet and spicy grilled vegetables with burrata in a tangy honey-vinegar sauce. Sarah DiGregorio's slow-cooker corn chowder, which uses both cobs and kernels, is also a strong bread buddy contender. (Note: Summer is a great time to turn on your slow cooker, not your stove.) And whether your baguette comes from your kitchen or the bakery, you'll want one for Melissa's peanut butter and chocolate ice cream sandwiches. Split hunks of baguette are slathered with peanut butter and chocolate spread, then stuffed with ice cream and banana slices — Parisian boulangerie meets American ice cream parlor. Sign up for the Five Weeknight Dishes newsletter Fresh dinner ideas for busy people who want something great to eat, with NYT Cooking recipes sent to you weekly. Get it in your inbox Continue reading the main story ADVERTISEMENT Ryan Liebe for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Hadas Smirnoff Tunisian Shakshuka With Shrimp By Jamel Charouel 30 minutes Makes 4 servings David Malosh for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Hadas Smirnoff. Herb-Marinated Swordfish By Kay Chun 30 minutes Makes 4 servings Andrew Purcell for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Carrie Purcell. Sweet-and-Spicy Grilled Vegetables With Burrata By Melissa Clark 45 minutes Makes 6 to 8 servings David Malosh for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Hadas Smirnoff. Slow-Cooker Corn Chowder By Sarah DiGregorio 5 1/4 hours Makes 4 to 6 servings Linda Xiao for The New York Times Peanut Butter and Chocolate Ice Cream Sandwiches By Melissa Clark 10 minutes Makes 8 to 10 ice cream sandwiches Johnny Miller for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Laurie Ellen Pellicano. Classic Baguettes By Claire Saffitz 1 hour 45 minutes, plus 20 hours' resting Makes 3 baguettes Continue reading the main story Continue reading the main story ADVERTISEMENT Need help? Review our newsletter help page or contact us for assistance. You received this email because you signed up for Cooking from The New York Times. To stop receiving Cooking, unsubscribe. To opt out of other promotional emails from The Times, including those regarding The Athletic, manage your email settings. To opt out of updates and offers sent from The Athletic, submit a request. Subscribe to NYT CookingGet the NYT Cooking app Connect with us on: Change Your EmailPrivacy PolicyContact UsCalifornia Notices The New York Times Company. 620 Eighth Avenue New York, NY 10018