Baking Bread – Old and New Traditions has some basic breads I make quite frequently. The Farmhouse White Bread with Cardamom is a good recipe for beginning bakers and makes four 9-by-5-inch loaves. If you like you can cut the recipe in half and just make two loaves. I prefer freshly ground cardamom so I put the pods in my spice grinder and then sift out the powder from the ground pods.
The Orange Cinnamon Swirl is another favorite among kids and makes delicious toast. I try to use fresh oranges from the farmer’s market if available. The aroma of the cinnamon and orange makes it hard to wait for it to cool once out of the oven.
If you prefer something not too sweet try the Golden Italian Coffee Cake. It makes two 8-inch bundt cakes and with a dusting of powdered sugar is a nice addition to your menu.