Three Influential Chefs Share Warm Bread Recipes That Will Melt In Your Mouth And Your Heart

Source: Ervin, Riddock, Walters / Chefs

Under the cool, crisp chill of autumn season, nothing slaps better than the way warm bread hits the palate. The warmth of Sara Lee’s Artesano bakery bread coupled with the perfect amount of sweetness from its Cinnamon or Maple & Brown Sugar loaves is the equivalent of a warm, sweet-loving hug from a loved one. Both melt the heart. These three Black influential chefs–Briana Riddock, Omar A. Walters, Yvette S. Ervin–know firsthand the value of pairing–the mood with the food. Each chef shares their unique spin using Sara Lee’s new Artesano bakery bread, so that you, too, can set the tone right in your own kitchen and spread the taste and warmth forward on a nippy night.

Chef Yvette S. Ervin

Source: Courtesy of Yvette S. Ervin

Yvette S. Ervin, also known as chef Deliche, founder and executive chef of Ms. Deliche specializes in Soul Food American cuisines. Her sweet bread recipe is a cinnamon cream cheese bread pudding:

Sara Lee Cinnamon Cream Cheese Bread Pudding

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 60 minutes

Total Time: 1 hour 10 minutes

Ingredients:

1 cup raisins
1 loaf Sara Lee Cinnamon Loaf, cut into 1-inch cubes
4 cups almond milk
3 large eggs
2 cups of sugar
2 tablespoons vanilla extract
1/4 cup Kentucky bourbon or whiskey
1/4 teaspoon allspice
1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
3 tablespoons butter, melted
8 oz. cream cheese, melted
Fresh mint leaves

Source: Courtesy of Yvette S. Ervin

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees

Soak bread in milk: place milk in a large mixing bowl and add the bread that has been cut into squares. Press the bread into the milk with your hands until all of the milk is absorbed.

Add the egg mixture in a separate bowl. Whisk the eggs and then whisk in the sugar, vanilla extract, allspice and cinnamon. Pour over the bread and milk mixture. Add the bourbon soaked raisins (with or without the remaining soaking liquid according to taste) stir gently to combine.

Transfer to pan and bake. Pour the melted butter into the bottom of a 9 x 13″ baking pan. Coat the bottom and the sides of the pan well with the butter. Pour the bread milk and egg mixture into the baking pan.

Bake at 350 degrees for 35 to 45 minutes, until the liquid has set. The pudding is done when the edges get a bit brown and pull away from the edge of the pan. Drizzle melted cream cheese and fresh mint.

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Chef Briana Riddock

Source: Courtesy of Briana Riddock

Chef Briana, the founder of The Seasoning Bottle LLC, a culinary media startup and boutique catering company based out of Atlanta, Georgia shares her bread bite on a grilled goat cheese sandwich with sweet potato bisque. Peep the deets:

Sweet Potato Bisque

Prep time: 5 minutes

Cook time: 50 minutes

Total time: 55 minutes

Serves: 2

Ingredients:

1 ½ pound sweet potatoes (about 2 to 3 medium-sized potatoes)
2 cups heavy cream
1 cup whole milk
1 rosemary sprig
5 to 6 thyme sprigs
½ teaspoon nutmeg
1 teaspoon kosher salt
2 tablespoons roasted pistachios, roughly chopped (optional)

Method/Directions:

Preheat oven to 400F. Wrap sweet potatoes in foil and place a baking dish. Roast sweet potatoes for 40 minutes or until softened. Prick with a fork to check the doneness. Allow potatoes to slightly cool to touch.

In a medium saucepan add heavy cream, milk, rosemary, thyme, nutmeg, and salt. Heat to medium and bring to a rolling simmer. (Do not boil mixture because it will boil over and curdle.) Reduce heat to low and simmer for 6 to 8 minutes. Remove and discard rosemary and thyme sprigs.

Unwrap sweet potatoes from foil and remove the skin. (The skin will be easy to pull off.) Add sweet potatoes and cream mixture to the blender bowl. Cover with lid and blender for 3 minutes or until mixture is smooth.

Divide evenly into two bowls and garnish with pistachios.

Prepare Grilled Goat Cheese Sandwich and serve with bisque.

Source: Courtesy of Briana Riddock

Sara Lee Maple & Brown Sugar Grilled Goat Cheese Sandwich

Prep time: 5 minutes

Cook time: 6 minutes

Total time: 11 minutes

Yield: 2 sandwiches

Ingredients:

4 oz goat cheese, softened
1 teaspoon Cajun seasoning
4 slices Sara Lee Maple & Brown Sugar Artesano bakery bread
2 vine-ripened tomatoes, sliced
4 to 6 fresh basil leaves
2 tablespoons unsalted butter

Method/Directions:

In a small bowl, combine goat cheese and Cajun seasoning.

Spread goat cheese evenly over two slices of bread. Top goat cheese with 2 slices of tomato and 2 to 3 basil leaves on each slice of bread. Use remaining slices of bread to close sandwiches.

Heat a large skillet to medium-low. Melt in butter. Add sandwiches and cook for 3 minutes or until bread is golden brown. Flip and cook and an additional 3 minutes.

Serve warm with Sweet Potato Bisque.

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Chef Omar A. Walters

Source: Courtesy of Omar A. Walters

Chef Omar, who blends a Caribbean twang with an urban New York twist, invites us to recreate his robust bread pudding:

Sara Lee Cinnamon Bread Pudding

Ingredients

2 cups milk
1/4 cup butter
2 eggs, slightly beaten
1/2 cup brown sugar
1teaspoon ground cinnamon or nutmeg
1/4teaspoon salt
7 cups soft bread cubes (about 7 slices of Sara Lee Cinnamon Loaf)
1/2cup raisins
1/2 cups of cherries
2 cups Whipping (heavy) cream
1 table spoon of vanilla extract
1 table spoon of almond essence

Source: Courtesy of Omar S. Waters

Steps

Heat oven to 350°F. In 2-quart saucepan, heat milk and butter over medium heat until butter is melted and milk is hot.

In large bowl, mix eggs, brown sugar, cinnamon, almond essence and vanilla extract. Stir in bread cubes and raisins. Stir in milk mixture. Pour into ungreased deep round pan. Bake uncovered 40 to 45 minutes or until knife inserted 1 inch from edge comes out clean and serve.

Three Chefs Share Warm Bread Recipes That Will Melt In Your Mouth