Artisan Pizza and Flatbread in Five Minutes a Day is out TODAY

pizza party

Today Artisan Pizza and Flatbread in Five Minutes a Day is finally available in stores. That sound you hear is me clinking a glass of bubbly. Please join us on our book tour, which starts TODAY at noon in the Har Mar Barnes & Noble. To find details and dates in your city click on the Events page.

Jeff and I wrote this book because we love pizza. So, when it came to making a video about the process, it had to reflect what a riot we have creating these recipes. You basically can’t bake a pizza without creating a party, whether it is for a night in front of a movie or a big gathering of friends in the back yard. Pick the crust and toppings to suit your mood and within minutes you have pizza, lots and lots of fresh pizza.

We knew instantly who could capture the heart and soul of this project; Todd Porter and Diane Cu of White on Rice Couple. Their work is visually stunning and they have such a joy about them, which is captured in their images. When they said they would do this video with us, I danced around my kitchen, I haven’t stopped yet. We hope you enjoy watching the video just as much as we did making it.

Here are some more images captured the day of the video shoot. All the pictures in this post were created by Todd Porter and Diane Cu and used with their permission. Thanks you two, they are all gorgeous.

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Artisan Pizza and Flatbread in Five Minutes a Day!

Artisan Pizza and Flatbread in Five Minutes a Day | ZoëBakes | Zoë François

This has been a big week in my household. My eldest child turned 12 and got an electric guitar, we celebrated Mother’s day with breakfast in bed, and my first book Artisan Bread in Five Minutes a Day made the Wall Street Journal Best-sellers list. I have all of you to thank for this last piece of good news. We are beyond thrilled and grateful that the book continues to bring homemade bread into so many homes!

Finally, after two years of eating artisan pizza at nearly every meal (my kids love me for it), our third book is available on Amazon for pre-order. It is a thrill to see it alive and in color after working so hard on it. Though the official publication date for the Pizza book is October 25, 2011 (just in time for cooler weather), you can place a pre-order for Artisan Pizza and Flatbread in Five Minutes a Day now on Amazon.

Cheers! Zoë

Please visit breadin5.com for recipes and if you have any questions about the books.

On Book Tour, Please Come Visit!

This is a picture my dad took of Jeff and me at our first book signing at Barnes & Noble in Edina, MN. From there we jumped on a plane and spent the next two days in Chicago and Milwaukee. Thanks to all of you who have come out to see us along the way. We would love to meet all of you and if we are coming to your town please stop by to say hello! Here is our book tour schedule. We are adding cities to the tour so check back in a few days if your town isn’t on the list yet.

Please visit www.healthybreadinfive.com to see our recipe for Whole Wheat Brioche and other Bread in Five news.

Thanks, Zoë

Two Winners and a Loser!

The FAIR has come to a close and with it the end of food-on-a-stick season, although I have a feeling I’ll continue just a bit longer. Someone astutely commented that “everything tastes better on a stick” and I think you are really on to something. My kids will apparently eat anything if it is impaled by a skewer, which immediately turns into a mighty dagger. The end of the FAIR also brings the winners of our raffles!!! Read More

Baking Bread in Chicago, Seattle and San Francisco in June.

choc bread

(photo of chocolate ganache bread (page 195) by Mark Luinenburg for Artisan Bread in Five Minutes a Day)

Jeff and I are heading out on the road in June. We’ll be in Chicago, Seattle and San Fransisco doing demos, teaching classes and baking bread, what we love most. Below is the the itinerary as of now. Our publisher seems to be adding new events all the time so please check back in the next week to see what else they have in store for us. Hope to see you!

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Homemade Doughnuts

Stack of Homemade Doughnuts | ZoëBakes | Photo by Zoë François

I made a batch of chocolate filled beignets for a dinner party. The next morning the oil was still on the stove, albeit cold and I had brioche dough left in the bucket. My boys were waiting for something to eat and the coffee machine was doing its magic. In as much time as it would have taken me to make oatmeal I whipped together a batch of warm fresh homemade doughnuts. The boys were thrilled and my coffee had the perfect companion! Read More