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A group of bread bakers around the world answered the call to bake all of the breads in Peter Reinhart’s The Bread Baker’s Apprentice.
We baked all 43 breads in the book and completed the challenge! Although it’s been several years since I completed this challenge, this is still one of my favorite reference books on bread baking.
This post is an archive of the breads from the Bread Baker’s Apprentice (BBA Challenge). Some breads turned out really well, some not so much but everyone had a lot of fun along the way.
View the Breads in the BBA Challenge
How the Bread Baker’s Apprentice Challenge began
It all started when Nicole of Pinch My Salt put out the challenge on Twitter (hashtag #bba). 200+ bakers around the world participated in the challenge at one time or another.
Phyl, one of the bread bakers in the challenge, established a BBA Challenge Facebook Group!
A lot of the bakers in the challenge documented their BBA Challenge experience on their blogs. You can find them on twitter.
The BBA Challenge Breads
BBA Challenge #43 Roasted Onion & Asiago Miche
The final bread in the BBA Challenge is Roasted Onion & Asiago Miche. It is a huge and very flavorful bread made with roasted onions, chives, scallions and cheese. It has a thin and crispy crust on the outside and a soft and flavorful crumb on the inside. Permalink — click for full blog post.
Bread Bakers Challenge #42 Potato, Cheddar & Chive Torpedos
Potato, Cheddar & Chive Torpedos, the 42nd bread in the BBA Challenge, is an extraordinary bread from the Bennett Valley Bread and Pastry Bakery. Permalink — click for full blog post.
BBA Challenge #41 100% Whole Wheat Bread
The 41st bread in the BBA Challenge is 100% Whole Wheat Bread. I made it using freshly milled whole wheat flour from Hard Red Spring Wheat. Permalink — click for full blog post
Bread Bakers Challenge #40 Classic White Bread
Bread #40 in the BBA Challenge, Classic White Bread is an enriched bread. It is a basic white bread that is good for sandwich bread, dinner rolls and buns. Permalink — click for full blog post
Bread Bakers Challenge #39 Vienna Bread
This Vienna Bread is topped with Dutch Crunch – a mixture of rice flour, a little bread flour, yeast, sugar, salt and vegetable oil. Permalink — click for full blog post
Bread Bakers Challenge #38 Tuscan Bread
The 38th bread in the BBA Challenge is Tuscan Bread. This bread is made without salt. I liked it! It has a sweet flavor and tastes good with butter, peanut butter, jam or just about anything. Permalink — click for full blog post
Bread Baker’s Challenge # 37: Swedish Limpa
Swedish Limpa is flavored with molasses, citrus peel, aniseeds, fennel seeds, and ground cardamom. This version also utilizes an overnight sponge made with a barm. Permalink — click for full blog post
BBA Challenge #36: Stollen
The 36th bread in the Bread Baker’s Apprentice challenge is Stollen, a beautiful Christmas bread. Permalink — click for full blog post.
BBA Challenge #35: Sunflower Seed Rye
The 35th bread in the challenge is a delicious Sunflower Seed Rye Bread. Permalink — click for full blog post
BBA Challenge #34 Pumpernickel Bread
The 34th bread in the BBA Challenge is Pumpernickel Bread. Permalink — click for full blog post
Bread Bakers Challenge #33 Pane Poilane
The 33rd bread in the BBA Challenge is Pain Poilâne. Permalink — click for full blog post
Bread Baker’s Apprentice Challenge #32
The 32nd bread in the BBA Challenge is Sourdough Rye and Spelt Bread. Permalink — click for full blog post
Bread Bakers Challenge #31 New York Deli Rye
The 31st bread in the BBA Challenge is New York Deli Rye. Permalink — click for full blog post
Bread Baker’s Apprentice Challenge #30
The 30th bread in the challenge is Basic Sourdough Bread. Permalink — click for full blog post
Bread Baker’s Apprentice Challenge #29 Pugliese
The 29th bread in the BBA Challenge is Pugliese. Permalink — click for full blog post
Bread Baker’s Challenge #28 Potato Rosemary Bread
The 28th bread in the BBA Challenge is Potato Rosemary Bread. Check out the bread-baking blog for more details. Permalink — click for full blog post
Bread Baker’s Challenge #27 Portuguese Sweet Bread
The 27th bread in the BBA Challenge is Portuguese Sweet Bread. Check out the bread-baking blog for more details. Permalink — click for full blog post
Bread Baker’s Challenge #26 Poolish Baguettes
The 26th bread in the BBA Challenge is Poolish Baguettes. Check out the bread-baking blog for more details. Permalink — click for full blog post
BBA Challenge #25 Pizza Napoletana
The 25th bread in the BBA CHallenge is Pizza Napoletana. Check out the bread-baking blog for more details.
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Bread Baker’s Apprentice Challenge #24 Panettone
The 24th bread in the Bread Baker’s Apprentice Challenge is Panettone Permalink — click for full blog post
Bread Baker’s Challenge #23 Pane Siciliano
The 23rd bread in the Bread Baker’s Apprentice Challenge is Pane Siciliano. Permalink — click for full blog post
Bread Baker’s Challenge #22 Pain de Campagne
The 22nd bread in the Bread Baker’s Apprentice Challenge is Pain de Campagne. Permalink — click for full blog post
Bread Bakers Challenge #21: Pain a L’Ancienne
The 21st bread in the Bread Baker’s Apprentice Challenge is Pain a L’Ancienne Baguettes. This formula utilizes the delayed fermentation method to provided additional flavor and texture. Permalink — click for full blog post
Bread Bakers Challenge #20: Multigrain Bread
Today we made the 20th bread in the Bread Baker’s Apprentice Challenge: Multigrain Bread Extraordinare. This bread definitely lives up to it’s name! Permalink — click for full blog post
BBA Challege #19: Marbled Rye Bread
Today in the Bread Bakers Challenge, we made the 19th bread in the book: Marbled Rye Bread. These loaves look beautiful and taste great!
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BBA Challenge #18: Light Wheat Bread
For Day 18 of the Bread Baker’s Apprentice Challenge we made a Light Wheat Bread. It only includes about 33% whole wheat flour, but the combination of bread flour and whole wheat flour makes…
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BBA Challenge #17: Lavish Crackers
For Day 17 in the Bread Baker’s Apprentice Challenge, we made Lavish Crackers. Some people and cultures prefer their Lavish chewy, but I like it crispy.
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BBA Challenge #16: Kaiser Rolls
For Day 16 of the Bread Bakers Challenge, we made Kaiser Rolls. Like several of the other formulas in the book, this version utilizes a pate fermente to improve flavor, texture, and color. Permalink — click for full blog post
BBA Challenge #15: Italian Bread
For Day 15 of the Bread Baker’s Apprentice Challenge, we made Italian Bread. This version is made with a biga.A biga is the Italian version of a firm pre-ferment. Permalink — click for full blog post
BBA Challenge #14: French Baguettes
For Day 14 of the Bread Baker’s Apprentice Challenge we made French Baguettes. This French bread utilizes a Pate Fermentee or pre-ferment to bring out the flavor and improve the structure of the bread.
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BBA Challenge #13: Focaccia
For Day 13 of the Bread Bakers Challenge, we made Focaccia using a Poolish (or pre-fermented dough). Focaccia is rustic slackdough similar to pizza with a thicker (but not too thick) crust, with big, open, translucent holes, like ciabatta. Permalink — click for full blog post
BBA Challenge #12: English Muffin Bread
For Day 12 of the BBA Challenge, we made English Muffins or English Muffin Bread. The bread is really good! It’s made with buttermilk so there is a little bit of a tangy flavor. Permalink — click for full blog post
BBA Challenge #11: Cranberry Walnut Celebration Bread
Today in the bread baker’s challenge, we made a beautiful and delicious Cranberry Walnut Celebration Bread. This festive bread is a wonderful treat for holiday gatherings but it tastes great anytime of the year.
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BBA Challenge #10: Corn Bread
This week in the Bread Bakers Challenge, we made Corn Bread. This particular corn bread is very moist, very sweet and very filling. Permalink — click for full blog post
BBA Challenge #9: Cinnamon Bread
For Day 9 of the BBA Challenge, we made Cinnamon Raisin Walnut Bread. This bread is really good! Permalink — click for full blog post
BBA Challenge #8: Cinnamon Buns
For Day 8 of the BBA Challenge, we made Cinnamon Buns. The dough falls in the enriched category because the fat content is slightly under 20 percent. This version tastes better than any cinnamon buns I’ve ever had. Permalink — click for full blog post
7/11/09: BBA Challenge – Ciabatta: Take Two
Today, just for kicks, I decided to do a remake of Day 7: Ciabatta. The results were very promising if I do say so myself. This version had much better oven spring than the last try and a much prettier brown color. Tastes great too!
Bread Bakers Challenge #7: Ciabatta
The bread bakers challenge just keeps getting better and better. Ciabatta is my favorite so far. I love this bread. I felt like a real Artisan baker making this bread. It’s tastes chewy and wonderful – even at room temperature with just olive oil. Permalink — click for full blog post
Bread Baker’s Challenge #6: Challah
Challah is an enriched bread that is special enough to be served on the Sabboth. It originated in Eastern Europe, but is now a staple in many Jewish-American homes. Permalink — click for full blog post
Bread Baker’s Challenge #5: Casatiello
For Day 5 of the Bread Baker’s Apprentice Challenge, we made Casatiello. Casatiello is an Italian Bread similar in texture to Pannetone, but filled with cheese and meat instead of candied fruit and nuts. Permalink — click for full blog post
Bread Baker’s Challenge #4: Brioche
For Day 4 of the Bread Baker’s Apprentice Challenge, we made Brioche. Brioche is an enriched bread made with a good number of eggs and lots of butter. Permalink — click for full blog post
Bread Baker’s Challenge #3: Bagels
It’s Day 3 of the Bread Baker’s Apprentice Challenge! Today, we’re making bagels. You can make any flavor you like but I decided to make the cinnamon raisin bagels – yummy! Permalink — click for full blog post
Bread Baker’s Challenge #2: Greek Celebration Bread
The second bread in the challenge is Greek Celebration Bread. This is an enriched bread made from a master formula that utilizes a barm or poolish. Permalink — click for full blog post
Bread Bakers Challenge #1: Anadama Bread
The first bread in the challenge is Anadama Bread. Anadama bread is a yeast bread composed of wheat flour, cornmeal, and molasses. It originated in Boston. Permalink — click for full blog post
About the recipes: Since we were participating in a challenge and following the recipes from the book, in most cases, unless we changed something, we don’t include the recipe due to copyright issues. This book is a comprehensive reference for learning how to make great bread. So we encourage you to order the book to view the formulas and read the commentary from the author. It’s worth it!
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