The Fresh Loaf

A Community of Amateur Bakers and Artisan Bread Enthusiasts.

Peter Reinhart's New Book is out..

Paddyscake's picture
Paddyscake

Peter Reinhart's New Book is out..

Just received my copy of "Artisan Breads Every Day", Peter's latest book. I, along with many other TFLers, was a tester. The San Francisco Sourdough, Wild Rice and Onion, Soft Cheese Bread and Chocolate Cinnamon Babka were particular favorites of mine.

Betty

arlo's picture
arlo

I went to the book store the day that came out this week to get the new Kurt Vonnegut and realized it was also the day Reinhart's new book was being released. So I flipped through while sitting down but it didn't pull me in like his other works. I didn't think it would help me enchance my knowledge of sourdough bread baking the way Bread, of Bread bakers apprentice have done for me.

 

I am interested to hear what others thought of the book though : )

Paddyscake's picture
Paddyscake

was to enhance knowledge of sourdough breads. My impression was that formulas were offered to "speed up",  albeit by a day rather than hours, breads that had artisan qualities. (Please let's not get into the "artisan" definition, please). These formulas reduce hands on time spent.

Betty

hansjoakim's picture
hansjoakim

Hi Betty,

Based on your recipe testing, how does one make artisan breads "fast" with minimal sweat and effort? Is it mainly about no-knead techniques, various yeasted preferments and retarding in fridge, or does Reinhart introduce a new, novel approach in the book?

xaipete's picture
xaipete

Hi Hans. The breads in PR's new book are not no-knead techniques. I wouldn't say that his approach is new or novel so much as a hybrid approach that allows bakers to produce great tasting breads with less effort and greater flexibility. Most interesting, at least to me, is the way that he treats the starter.

--Pamela

amazonium's picture
amazonium

I know what I am going to do on my lunch hour today- go to the bookstore!!

Amaz.

Floydm's picture
Floydm

I'm looking forward to getting it!

SylviaH's picture
SylviaH

My copy just arrived today.  I pre-ordered some time ago.

ehanner's picture
ehanner

I got the email telling me my copy is winging its way to Wisconsin.

Eric

flourgirl51's picture
flourgirl51

Mine is on the way to me too! Can't wait to check it out.

gaaarp's picture
gaaarp

My copy is on the way -- should arrive tomorrow or Friday. I already have my autographed faceplate from Peter to put in the front of the book.

I helped test, too, but didn't get to make as many recipes as I would have liked. The bagel recipe was the best I've ever made. I'm looking forward to trying some of the others.

bassopotamus's picture
bassopotamus

The recipies I tried were great. A couple with a few tweak of my own are among my farmer's market offerings, and they are crazy popular

arlo's picture
arlo

See I had no idea what the book was about, so I didn't know if it was going to be about sourdough and 'artisan' bread, that's why I wasn't pulled in when I flipped through it. I am sure the breads are tasty though!

Now I know what it is about though! Thanks!

Trishinomaha's picture
Trishinomaha

I, for one, tend to be intimidated on some occasions by the complex formulas and recipes in this blog - this book sounds like something that I could actually understand and use. I'm looking foward to seeing if it's a book that would work for me. I wish I was better in math than I am but when I see lists of percentages my eyes glaze over and my brain goes numb. Right brain left brain thing?

ques2008's picture
ques2008

i know what you mean.  i, too, have felt intimidated by the complexities in some of the formulas posted.  i don't do them, i just admire them.  i love soft /sweet bread recipes though, but can't bring myself to experiment with crust and crumb types...not yet anyway!

LindyD's picture
LindyD

Unfortunately Mr. Reinhart's latest book is not available for an online peek at Amazon or Barnes & Noble and I know our local small-town bookstore won't have it in stock.

I recall that PR's book initially had "fast" in the title and am curious how it compares to Jim Lahey's new book, or even the artisan-bread-in-five method that came after Lahey's original NYT recipe.

copyu's picture
copyu

BUT...formulas that are ONLY in cups and ounces with temps all in Fahrenheit can be a real pain in the butt for me.

Also, Brother Reinhart's hardback books are usually "squarish" in shape—it makes them hard to read on the train, in the bath or in bed. Seriously!

I'll still buy the book, when it becomes available, because I like his style and the formulas are always great!  

Paddyscake's picture
Paddyscake

The new book has all three..

Betty

copyu's picture
copyu

That's the best news I've heard in weeks!

LindyD's picture
LindyD

Please let him know he or his publisher should contact Amazon and get the title of his new book updated under Amazon's product description.

This is the information that appears at Amazon.com:

"Product Description

"Renowned baking instructor Peter Reinhart distills his professional techniques down to the basics, delivering artisan bread formulas that require minimal effort and time. PETER REINHART'S ARTISAN BREADS FAST replaces the breakthrough methods of the past, the various preferment methods, and the no-knead craze, and offers high-caliber versions of classic breads using the best techniques to create the highest quality loaves in a fast and convenient fashion. A conscientious teacher, Reinhart coaches readers on shaping tricks, oven techniques, and methods for doing away with expensive bakery tools."

 

Rosalie's picture
Rosalie

The picture of the cover on the Amazon page includes the word "fast".  Are you saying that that's not the real cover?

Rosalie

LindyD's picture
LindyD

I've not seen the book in real time and have no idea what the cover is supposed to look like, but according to Betty, the title of the book is Artisan Breads Every Day.

I recall reading that "fast" was initially in the title, then removed.  Probably a wise thing to do as "fast bread" doesn't sound very appealing.

 

Yumarama's picture
Yumarama

The book was, for a long while, tentatively titled "Peter Reinhart's Best Breads Fast" but there was some grumbling about it from the testers (and likely others). In April Peter announced the title had been officially changed.

xaipete's picture
xaipete

There was a lot of grumbling from Peter with the publisher too. He might have been the last person to learn of the original title.

--Pamela

SylviaH's picture
SylviaH

Title on my book reads   artisan breads every day...   under the title it reads..Fast and Easy Recipes for World-Class Breads

Kroha's picture
Kroha

I am curious to know if there is a significant number of whole grain recipes in the new book.  If someone can give me an idea, I would greatly appreciate that.  I mainly bake whole grain breads, and have been enjoying Reinhardt's Whole Grain Baking.  For not whole grain breads, I have such a backlog of breads to try, that buying another book right now would not make sense. Thank you!  Kroha

Paddyscake's picture
Paddyscake

Very diverse offering, crackers, sourdough, whole wheat, soft pillowy breads, pretzels.

No no-kneads that I tried, or saw in trial. Long, cool retardation, starter and starter/yeast combos,ready dough available for rolls one night, a loaf the next, from one batch.

New, novel approach, Hansjaokim, not really. It is a combo of techniques..dough handling, temp and retardation put together to streamline your time. Peter took the time to figure out how you can work,  pick up your kids from soccer and still come home and bake a fresh loaf of bread.

Basics for new bread bakers, lots of pics showing..starter stages, folding and shaping, slashing techniques.

For the engineers out there, probably not what you would relish. For visual and new baker enthusiasts, this is one for you.

Every formula I tried was spot on for kneading with a KA Pro 600 mixer,(times also approximated by hand in the book) scaled measurements, temps and baking times.

Betty

PS Very good tasting breads..my fav sourdough, soft cheese bread to die for and chocolate cinnamon babka...you try it and tell me!! Extra plus, Peter Reinhart is a very, very NICE PERSON!! If you have any questions, he will answer you right away via e-mail.

Trishinomaha's picture
Trishinomaha

I ran over during my lunch period from work and took a few minutes to sit down and look through it before purchasing. I think this will work for me and get me back into the bread baking mode. Lots of pictures and some simple looking recipes and techniques. I find baking bread is like any other skill - if you don't practice it regularly your skills get rusty :). I'm taking the book to work with me today to pick something to try this week-end.

Trish

Janwa's picture
Janwa

The sourdough starter recipe that he gives in ABE is a firm starter 66%-75%.  I made a starter using his recipe from ABE but now I find it difficult to use this starter on the sourdough recipes in his BBA because in BBA, he makes use of a more liquid barm.  Wish he was just consistent in the starter recipes he gives so it could be used in all of his recipes. 

I know I can probably convert this firm starter into a more liquid one but can't seem to get around the math aspect of it...sigh.

 

Yumarama's picture
Yumarama

Take 10g (1 heaping teaspoon) of your current starter. Add 2 or 3 grams of water and this is now 100% or darn close enough.

Now add 20g more water + 20g flour, stir. 

Done. You now have ~50 gram 100% mother starter, feeding at 1:2:2 ratio.

Use the remainder of the stiff starter in another recipe as flavouring, or in pancakes and the usual suspects for extra starter use.

See? Very simple! Next feed, take 10g of starter, add 20g water, 20g flour and repeat into the future as required.

As an aside: you may want to make a point of avoiding the term "barm", it's just going to add confusion. Let's just call it "starter" and most everyone will know you're talking about that gooey pet you keep in a little pint jar in the fridge.

Paul,
http://MellowBakers.com
A Hamelman BREAD baking group

008cats's picture
008cats

Since the internet I never purchase cookbooks, but I had some time to fill and bought this book to see what everyone was talking about. 

Since PR uses a volume in building his mother culture, I was not sure how to adjust for the hydration of my starter. I also didn't like how entire paragraphs describing simple maneuvers (such as doing a stretch and fold) were repeated endlessly throughout the book without using a short-form - it made keeping my place difficult. I didn't like being intrigued by a photo and having no caption to illuminate me; I overlooked a few text omissions of small details; I found the sequences of still photos showing dough-handling to be more like wall-paper than instruction; I was perplexed for a day as to how the starter had gained 5.5g weight between the bottom of pg 61 & the top of pg. 62 (it's okay, I got it!), and I found the method for the levain to be fussy with no discernable improvement upon my own.

One used volume for sale!

mrfrost's picture
mrfrost

Half price equals exactly what?

Thank you.

008cats's picture
008cats

*sorry, typo corrected!

Unless you are in Canada, this deal may not work out too well for you...

I'm in Ontario, so even with the 1 to 1 dollar I still had to pay over $42 for the book...

I'm not sure what shipping would be (could check if you wanted to verify), but am guessing it would be at least $12...

I could mark the content as 'used book', but your government may charge you duty, I don't know (mine does on stuff sent to me)...

That makes it (21+12) $33 dollars, and I see on the jacket flap it says in the U.S. the book goes for $30, so unless you can't get it elsewhere I don't know if it is a very good deal for you!

Cross border shopping - always a challenge!