This fluffy and fragrant bread is a sweet icon of Día de Muertos

This classic white bread has a delicate, golden crust and a tender yet sturdy crumb.

The buns known as vatrushky are stuffed with cheese and baked for a sweet Ukrainian Easter tradition.

This chewy, light, and airy chocolate bread is studded with tart dried cherries and coated in fruity olive oil.

This tender bread is scented with honey and baked to a golden brown. Use this recipe to make one large challah, or two smaller ones.

With a delicate and airy crumb, this focaccia is the perfect showcase for ripe plums, which caramelize in the oven as the focaccia bakes. The delicate sweetness from the fruit is contrasted by fragrant rosemary and a sweet-salty crunch from a sprinkle of turbinado sugar and flaky sea salt, yielding a balanced pastry that's perfect for pairing with a dessert wine; Kate Leahy says late-harvest and ice wines are an ideal pairing.

Artisanal pizza dough is not complicated to make, but it does require a bit of planning. Allow time for a full fermentation to yield flavorful, chewy-crisp crust.

All it takes is a few additional ingredients to transform ho-hum soft pretzels into something magical. A few pats of butter, barley malt syrup for earthy sweetness, and replacing some of the water with beer all lend depth for a more rustic, nuanced taste. An extended fermentation in the refrigerator overnight—rather than a quick rise—adds even more complexity, as does topping the pretzels with crunchy flaky sea salt. But the distinctive “pretzel” flavor comes from dipping the shaped dough in an alkaline solution before baking. (Food scientist Harold McGee discovered that heating baking soda in a low oven alters its pH, making it more similar to lye, and his baked baking soda is the secret ingredient for these exceptional homemade pretzels.) Forming these pretzels can seem tricky at first glance, but once you have the dough ropes in your hands, it flows like clockwork. Follow the instructions about handling the baking soda solution with care; while much safer than lye, it can burn your hands, as well as corrode aluminum pans. (No need to panic; just wear gloves, turn on your oven vent, and line your pans.) These pretzels are best the day they’re made, preferably hot out of the oven.

In a class at Point Reyes's new culinary center, students learn to top focaccia with pears and blue cheese.