This fall there are three heavyweights releasing books about easy artisan baking: Peter Reinhart is releasing his Artisan Breads Every Day, Jeff Hertzberg and Zoë François are following up their Artisan Bread in 5 Minutes a Day with Healthy Bread in Five Minutes a Day , and Jim Lahey's book My Bread has just come out.

Jim is the founder of New York City's Sullivan Street Bakery and the inspiration for Mark Bittman's famous No-Knead Bread formula that ran in the New York Times three years ago.  My Bread begins with the basic "bread in a pot" no-knead recipe but expands upon it considerably.  He includes formulas (with both weights and measures) for rye, whole wheat, olive, walnut, and cheese variations of the no-knead bread. Lahey was inspired by Italian breads, so his book includes numerous pizza and focaccia recipes.  Other interesting sounding recipes  in the book include "Peanut Butter and Jelly Bread" and a Carrot Bread.  There is a long chapter on sandwiches that include his recipes for fillings such as Rosemary Roast Beef, Citrus Roast Pork, and Marinated Eggplant and Beets.  Soup and panini recipes are included in the book as well, giving you most everything you would need to run a top-notch neighborhood cafe.

Fan of Sullivan Street Bakery or folks who love the "bread in a pot" no-knead technique will certainly enjoy Lahey's book.   My Bread has much to offer other bakers too and sets a high bar for the other upcoming releases.