Uncle John's Original Bread Book (out of print but available)
A bread book we have depended on for years is Uncle John’s Original Bread Book, first published in the 1960s. We wore out a paperback edition, then bought a second-hand copy of the hardbound 2nd edition from l969. I have checked at various on-line booksellers and there are plenty of second-hand hardbound copies available, if anyone is interested. I'd get the hardbound, if it were me; I tend to wear out paperbound cookbooks very quickly.
Author John Rahn Braue’s father was a baker in Germany who immigrated here to follow his childhood sweetheart and her family. The couple ran a bakery in the Midwest for years after coming to the US. Although the author was not a baker himself, he provides many family recipes; all of the ones I have tried are very good.
The selection includes recipes for a variety of starters of various types, including a number using hops. (I assume beer-making supply stores would be a source for hops; they are also available on line.) There are recipes for yeast, sourdough, white and whole wheat and rye breads, as well as brown bread baked in a can or steamed, and various quick breads. There are also batter or casserole yeast breads and sweet rolls and sweet breads of various types.
I will offer a caution about one of the latter, known as “Dad’s Tannenbaum Brot.” We have baked this for years, and it is excellent, but it’s a good idea to keep an eagle eye on the dough -- it has a tendency to rise quite quickly, and it overflowed the bowl on us one time, even in our coolish kitchen. Don’t time the first rising as if it were regular bread dough -- this stuff is active! Good though!
If you are looking for a bread book that’s a little off the beaten path and, as a second-hand purchase, reasonable in price, I recommend Uncle John.