August 23, 2009 - 7:06am
books
Hi guys.
I have Peter Reinhart's book BBA and I want to ask is there a big difference
between him and the other book: "Crust & crumb" ?
I mean, is there a big differences?
'cause if it only one recipe here & there, I don't think i need it.
What do you think?
Also I have Hamelman's book, is it cover all the side of whole wheat bread or
should I buy Peter Reinhart's book "Whole Grain..."
What do you think?
thanks. Ron
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I don't think there is a huge difference between "Crust and Crumb" and "Bread Baker's Apprentice". I use BBA mostly because it has good photos, and the explanations are very handy, and I use the "Barm", or "Sourdough" starter method in BBA. There is an outrageously good pancake recipe in "Crust and Crumb" though. If I had to choose, I would keep BBA.
I think there are plenty of whole wheat bread recipes in Hammelman's book to keep me for a lifetime. ...I'm not a big fan of 100% whole grain bread anyway. I usually like about a 50/50 mix of whole grain with unbleached bread flour. I like to add small percentages of rye flour to sourdough formulas also....an ounce or two of ryr flour gives a good rustic flavor.
Thanks, it was good piece of info to share.
Me, myself not a big fan of whole wheat also.
I just thought it might good to know if hamelman's
book is enough or not.
Ron
My impression is that Hamelman is the better choice. He believes in the "less is better" rule when it comes to working the dough, and from what I can see in my own experiences, that's the right approach. Reinhart has you machine-kneading quite a bit, and suggests using things like food processors and what not ...and also uses time and temperature to his advantage. Hamelman has you use gentle folds (or similar), time, and temperature alone. Reinhart uses more bread flour which I believe is too high in protein if you study how the French and American protein measurement is accomplished and what protein amount Type 55 (etc) flours contain. I always get a crunchier, more golden, shinier crust with American all-purpose flour than I do with bread flour for example, and it is also closer to Type 55 in protein content ...so why the bread flour? Well for one, rich breads benefit from the additional gluten, as do breads with more bran and other 'additives' ...but for lean white (or near white) artisan breads, I can't see using it since it seems to make it harder for me to get the right results ...maybe it's me, maybe it's the flour, but for me, the flour makes a difference. Hamelman leans more towards using the right flours if you ask me. I'm rambling, but either way, I vote for Hamelman as my favorite (so far.)
Brian
It's look like Peter is the new kid on the block.
with all this convenience-modern method for the baker.
I do feel close to Hamelman then to Peter. But as i said I can't ignor Peter
and I've asked maybe his new book is worth something.
Thanks. Ron
I guess it's just me but I've never liked, or had much success, with anything by Reinhart. I almost gave up on baking my own bread till I got Hamelman's. The only thing from PR I do bake is his 100% whole wheat but, even then, I modified it slightly and use a different method.
I could live on Hamelman alone.
You right, there's a lot differences between those two but I can't ignore
Peter as one of the strong players in the bread world.
I like his vision about making breads.
but (and) of course Hamalman his my choice.
Ron
I have both and I think that BBA is an evolution from C&C. As PR continued to experiment and learn, he tweaked his methods a bit and published BBA.
As for the books, I think you're making a mistake if you use any of these books as "recipe books". The main benefit of the books is that they allow you to develop an understanding of how the variables work together to wind up with the desired product. The recipes are only starting points.
FWIW, I don't think I've made a single loaf of bread from any PR recipe as printed but, aside from an occassional burned crust due to a lack of attentiveness on my part, I've never had a failed bake.
ClimbHi
Pittsburgh, PA
You can never have too many, everyone comes at this from a little different angle so it pays to look around. Personally I have almost all of teh "biggies" but I never paid more than $10 for any of them but mabye 2 you just have to keep your eyes peeled on Amazon or used book stores.