36 leaven recipes

Crisp, light Belgian waffles made with malted milk powder and whipped egg whites folded into the batter, then crowned with ice cream and a warm rum-spiked banana, strawberry, and pecan sauce.

Whole wheat bread baked in the bread machine with applesauce for moisture and instant potato flakes for tenderness. A soft, high-fiber loaf with no added fat or oil.

Rich homemade chocolate sauce made with unsweetened chocolate, butter, and evaporated milk. Smooth, glossy, and stores in the fridge for weeks.

Himmel und Erde (Heaven and Earth) layers German blood sausage with sweet apple compote, mashed potatoes, and fried onions. A traditional Rhineland comfort dish.

Vegetarian penne pasta with fresh Roma tomato sauce, broccoli, zucchini, sugar snap peas, carrots, and Parmesan. A colorful one-pot weeknight dinner.

A layered Southern dessert with a buttery pecan shortbread crust, creamy sweet potato and cream cheese filling, and billowy whipped topping. Crunchy, creamy, and utterly indulgent.

Green peppercorn bread: a rustic German rye and wheat sourdough flavored with green peppercorns soaked in apple juice. Earthy, fragrant, faintly peppery, made the traditional leavened way.

Flourless chocolate mousse cake with a pound of butter, bittersweet and unsweetened chocolate, strong coffee, and 8 eggs. Dense, fudgy, and intensely chocolatey with no flour at all.

Peanut butter mousse filling made with cream cheese, whipped cream, and 2 cups of peanut butter. No-bake, ready in 20 minutes, and rich enough to fill a full layer cake for 12.

Died-And-Went-To-Heaven Light Chocolate Cake recipe

Homemade naan bread: whole-wheat flatbread leavened with yogurt and yeast, shaped into teardrops, and grilled with a brush of ghee for smoky char. No tandoor required.

Snowshoe naan is a hand-stretched, sponge-leavened flatbread baked on hot quarry tiles and topped with nigella seeds. Long oval shape with crisp edges and pillowy centers, dairy-free and rustic.

Irish raisin soda bread studded with sweet raisins and caraway seeds, leavened by the tang of buttermilk and baking soda. A quick, no-yeast loaf with a tender crumb. A St. Patrick's Day classic.

Whole grain apple pancakes leavened with yeast and packed with bran, grated fresh apple, and apple juice. Thicker than regular pancakes, naturally egg-free, high-fiber, and sweet without a drop of added sugar.

Russian torte: a yeast-leavened pastry layered with cinnamon-walnut filling and apricot preserves, then crowned with meringue and sugared nuts. The Old World dessert that disappears at every gathering.

Quick sourdough cinnamon rolls leavened with baking powder and soda instead of yeast, so they go from starter to oven in 45 minutes. Sticky brown sugar caramel topping and a tangy sourdough crumb make these worth the discard.