Hi all,

I wanted to draw everyone's attention to an author of excellent bread making books. I have baked for a while but only over the last 7 months has it really become a passion for me. The major inspiration was a book called 'Dough' by Richard Bertinet. He is a professional baker who now lives in Bath in England where he runs a baking school. The author is French and was trained to be a baker in Paris. What sets this book apart for me is the layout, as a beginner certain books were very intimidating to look at... not this one. The book is broken down into 4 sections regarding 4 different types of dough. The really cool thing was the kneading technique that he teaches you (via the book and the included short DVD), this is a technique used in France, I tried it and my bread was so much lighter and airy. This was such an approachable and easy book to use. After 7 months of studying this book I have now bought the sequel "Crust", which goes into more complex breads, such as making sour dough with your own yeast culture. Again this is accompanied by a short DVD, I find this a great help, as written instructions in baking books are not always explicit in the eyes of a beginner.

I bring this book to the attention of the website as I recently moved to the US from England, where I had heard a good deal about the author, however he seems to have slipped under the radar over here. These two books have brought me along leaps and bounds.

Has anyone  else used/enjoyed these books?

Ben