Ingredients

　　1 cup (8 oz / 227 g) unsalted butter, melted or at room temperature

　　1/4 teaspoon salt, or 3/8 teaspoon coarse kosher salt

　　1 teaspoon (0.25 oz / 7 g) almond extract

　　Combine all of the ingredients in a mixing bowl. If using a mixer, use the paddle attachment and mix on medium-high speed for about 2 minutes. If mixing by hand, stir vigorously with a large spoon for about 2 minutes. The mixture should be smooth and homogeneous.

　　"Reprinted with permission from Peter Reinhart's Artisan Breads Every Day: Fast and Easy Recipes for World-Class Breads by Peter Reinhart, copyright © 2009. Published by Ten Speed Press, a division of Random House, Inc." Photo credit: Leo Gong © 2009Peter Reinhart is a baking instructor and faculty member at Johnson and Wales University in Charlotte, North Carolina. He was the cofounder of Brother Juniper's Bakery in Santa Rosa, California, and is the author of seven books on bread baking, including Crust and Crumb, the 2002 James Beard Cookbook of the Year and IACP Cookbook of the Year, The Bread Baker's Apprentice, and the 2008 James Beard Award-winning Peter Reinhart's Whole Grain Breads.