The bread board at Birch & Barley in Washington, DC 
I have a bit of a twisted relationship with bread. I love making it, but so often the yeast doesn’t bubble, or I overwork the dough, or the oven’s not hot enough, or it’s not proofing right, or it’s over-proofing. But there’s something magical about that smell of freshly baked bread, and that first bite when it’s still a little warm from the oven. Tiffany MacIsaac’s recipe for Ramp-Bacon Rolls, for example, sounds pretty seductive. Of course, it’s a little late in the season for ramps, but I’m thinking of trying it with green onions and seeing what happens. When you strip away the homey appeal, house-made bread in the restaurant biz is a serious selling point. How many times have you headed back to a restaurant just for the bread?
Francoise Villeneuve 