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Oct 1 2005 - 9:16pm

The Fresh Loaf
Pocket Book of Bread Baking

Books are where amateur bakers get most of our information about how to bake. We are fortunate, because there are a lot of wonderful bread baking books out there, with new one's coming out each year. Whenever I get a chance to read another bread baking book, I read and review here. There is also a forum for site members to post their book reviews [1]. If I am missing your favorite baking book, please, post something about there! The links to my reviews, each with a teeny synopsis:

  • If you are looking to buy your first artisan baking book, Peter Reinhart's The Bread Baker's Apprentice [2] is it.
  • Ken Forkish's Flour Salt Water Yeast [3] is the most popular book in 2013.
  • Jim Lahey's My Bread [4] is praiseworthy and contains no-knead and Italian inspired bread recipes.
  • Daniel Leader's Local Breads [5], though I've never done a full review of it, is one of my favorites for Northern European breads.
  • Ciril Hitz published Baking Artisan Bread [6] in 2008.
  • Artisan Bread in Five Minutes a Day [7] takes the no-knead technique to a whole new level.
  • Jeffrey Hamelman's Bread: A Baker's Book of Techniques and Recipes [8] is a great book for advanced bakers.
  • Bernard Clayton's New Complete Book of Breads [9]. An excellent collection of over 300 bread recipes from around the globe.
  • Beth Hensperger's Bread Bible [10]. Similar in format to Clayton's book. The tone of much of the writing annoys me, but there are some excellent recipes in here.
  • Peter Reinhart's American Pie [11] is a good one if you are interested in pizza.
  • Peter did a Q&A with us about his recent book Peter Reinhart's Whole Grain Bread [12].
  • Eric reviewed Peter Reinhart's first book, The Brother Juniper's Bread Book [13].
  • 6000 Years of Bread [14] is an interesting history of bread.
  • Bread Science: the Chemistry and Craft of Making Bread [15] is an excellent self-published book on the science of bread.
  • Good Bread is Back [16] is an interesting read for a Francophile.
  • Maggie Glezer's A Blessing of Bread: The Many Rich Traditions of Jewish Bread Baking Around the World [17] is an excellent book on Jewish baking traditions and the winner of the 2005 James Beard Award for best baking book.
  • Her previous book, Artisan Baking Across America [18], is a beautiful book and a favorite of many bakers I know.
  • Joe Ortiz's The Village Baker [19] is the book credited with launching the artisan bread movement in America.
  • Finally, I also should mention my e-book, The Fresh Loaf Pocket Book of Bread Baking [20]. Not nearly as comprehensive as Peter's books or the others listed here, but I think it is a nice, economical, unintimidating place for new bakers to get started.

Book Reviews


Source URL: http://www.thefreshloaf.com/bookreviews

Links
[1] http://www.thefreshloaf.com/forum/15
[2] http://www.thefreshloaf.com/bookreviews/bba
[3] http://astore.amazon.com/froglallabout-20/detail/160774273X
[4] http://www.thefreshloaf.com/node/13910/new-book-my-bread
[5] http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0393050556/froglallabout-20
[6] http://www.thefreshloaf.com/node/9643/book-review-baking-artisan-breads
[7] http://www.thefreshloaf.com/node/5389/artisan-bread-five-minutes-day-discovery-revolutionizes-home-baking
[8] http://www.thefreshloaf.com/bookreviews/hamelmanbread
[9] http://www.thefreshloaf.com/bookreviews/bernardclaytonsnewcompletebookofbreads
[10] http://www.thefreshloaf.com/bookreviews/henspergerbible
[11] http://www.thefreshloaf.com/bookreviews/twopizzabooks
[12] http://www.thefreshloaf.com/node/4276/interview-peter-reinhart
[13] http://www.thefreshloaf.com/node/16204/brother-juniper039s-bread-bookupdated
[14] http://www.thefreshloaf.com/node/24
[15] http://www.thefreshloaf.com/bookreviews/breadscience
[16] http://www.thefreshloaf.com/bookreviews/goodbreadisback
[17] http://www.thefreshloaf.com/bookreviews/ablessingofbread
[18] http://www.thefreshloaf.com/bookreviews/artisanbakingacrossamerica
[19] http://www.thefreshloaf.com/bookreviews/villagebaker
[20] http://www.thefreshloaf.com/node/24090/now-available-fresh-loaf-pocket-book-bread-baking