Olive oil balances the sweetness in this breakfast bread. Plus, anything Melissa Clark makes is usually a winner!

This recipe calls for just apples, but mixing in pears is a nice combination. Excellent with grilled pork chops or on a cream biscuit.

Here is one of my favorite bread recipes, courtesy of Jim Lahey, owner of Sullivan Street Bakery. It requires no kneading, uses no special ingredients, equipment, or techniques, and takes very little effort—only time. You will need 24 hours to create the bread, but much of this is unattended waiting, a slow fermentation of the dough that results in a perfect loaf.