Sarah Jampel
Sarah Jampel is a writer, editor, recipe developer, and food stylist based in Vermont. She was a senior staff writer and stylist at Food52 before joining Bon Appétit as senior cooking editor in 2019, which entailed heading up the Basically vertical, editing and developing recipes, and writing about everything from her favorite brownie mix to her must-have cooking tools. Sarah now serves as the recipe development and test kitchen manager at King Arthur Baking.
This Recipe Is Everything I Love About Chicken Soup, Minus the Meat
I never thought a veg broth could live up to a chicken one—I was wrong.
Chickpeas and Dumplings
This recipe gives off major chicken-soup vibes but is entirely vegetarian—and you don’t have to simmer vegetables or cheese rinds for hours to get there. The lightning-fast broth gets its flavor from caramelized miso and nutritional yeast (a trick we picked up from Bay Area cookbook author and food writer Andrea Nguyen). The gluten-free dumplings are soft on the outside and pleasantly chewy on the inside.
The Easiest Way to Tell If Your Dough Is Done Rising
The poke test should be applied to dough, never to family members.
The Basically Guide to Better Baking
10 weeks, 10 recipes, 10000 ways to become a cooler, smarter, more confident baker.
Make a Whole Galette For Yourself Because You’re Worth It
Who says the only joy of cooking is cooking for others?
8 Tools to Make Washing the Dishes a Little Less Miserable
They can't make dishwashing fun, but they can make it better.
My Dishwashing System Saves Soap, Water, and Time
How to treat a pile of dirty dishes like a game of strategy.
How to Fold a Galette So It's Rustic But Not TOO Rustic
It's not a pie—but it can still look pretty.
Toothpicks Are the Only Cake Testers You Need
Save your officially-named cake tester for prodding vegetables or fish fillets.
Don’t Stress Over Caramel When You Can Make Butterscotch Instead
A case for caramel's low-key cousin.
Tahini Billionaire Bars
We took millionaire bars—shortbread plus caramel plus chocolate—and gave them an upgrade (hence, billions) with sesame seeds and tahini. The shortbread is tender, the filling is gooey, and the chocolate ties it all together.
I’ll Be Baking A LOT Over the Next Few Weeks—Here’s My Plan to Keep It Under Control
I'm giving myself one non-negotiable rule.
Cocoa Powder is the Secret to Superior Brownies
We picked apart every element of these brownies—but the cocoa powder was never in question.
Camouflage Chocolate Fudge Brownies
The secret to the fudgiest, most chocolaty brownies is cocoa powder—not melted chocolate. We borrowed chocolate expert Alice Medrich’s technique, then added a cream cheese topping for tangy balance. Don’t overthink your camo design; the brownies will look even better when sliced.