June 29, 2014 - 6:21pm
Bread book
Hello everyone
I am hoping to get some tips on bread baking books as I would like to purchase one or two rather than having to rely on (sometimes conflicting) information on the internet.
I am not new to sourdough baking but not at all a professional :-). I have one book by Yoke Mardewi (I don't think it is very well known) on sourdough, that is how l learned to bake with sourdough. It's been very satisfactory but I would like to learn more about artisan baking.
Anyone have any books they would suggest??
Thanks!
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Tartine Bread gives a very thorough explanation of why we do what we do in the basic recipe. This recipe is 40 pages long, and none of it is waste. If you spend the time on the basics, you will soon master the basics and then build off of that firm foundation. This book has a few recipes, but it would be well worth the money just for the first one. Chad Robertson is a true master of his craft and his in depth explanations are invaluable.
Plus, the resulting bread is extremely tasty. You will experience just what ranges of flavor and texture you can achieve with just flour, water, and salt. Quite amazing.
This topic surfaces with regularity and naturally everyone has his or her favorite book(s). The one book that almost always tops the favorite list is Bread by Jeffrey Hamelman. It is truly a great book and if I could have one and only one book on this subject, Hamelman's book would be it. I have the book by Mardewi and it too is a nice book but entirely different from the Hamelman book.
Jeff
Thank you and sorry if I'm flogging a dead horse. It is sometimes not easy fishing in a sea of information. I have heard/read a lot about Hamelman's classic. Some people say though it is more for the professional bread baker not so much for the home baker. I am definitely interested though as I see his name cited everywhere.
I will probably buy the first Tartine book as I've looked into it for a while. Would just like something different too for 'balance' :-)
Before buying, maybe you might want to go to your nearest library to take a look at the books and see if you like them?
That's exactly what I would do if I could!! However I live in Papua New Guinea at the moment and there's no such things as a library in probably the whole country...I do have internet thankfully so I rely on it a lot instead of books. I order things online and have them shipped to a friend's address in Australia and whenever I'm travelling I'll pick up the things I ordered.
Also it is interesting to read what other people like and why.
You're in Papua New Guinea at the moment, but do you belong to a library somewhere else? Lots of libraries offer eBooks that you can either read with your browser, or download for later reading. For example, the San Francisco Public Library has 18 bread books that can be borrowed through the Internet, including Tartine Bread by Chad Robertson, Flour Water Salt Yeast by Ken Forkish, and Peter Reinhart's Artisan Breads Every Day.
I've noticed that some of the eBooks have a few formatting errors. For example, a table might display incorrectly, or a page break might occur in the wrong place. Most of them are fine, though; enough to test-drive the book and decide if you want to buy it.
Janet
I bought 5 books via amazon 1 month ago. Selected them because they are often quoted. Have not finished reading all. I doubt I can finish. :p
Peter Reinhart's
Whole Grain Breads: New Techniques, Extraordinary Flavor
Artisan Breads Every Day
The Bread Baker's Apprentice: Mastering the Art of Extraordinary Bread
Beranbaum, Rose Levy's
The Bread Bible The Bread Bible
Hamelman, Jeffrey's
Bread: A Baker's Book of Techniques and Recipes
You can also check out the Books link at the top of the page and the ensuing discussions there. I've bookmarked this thread on the topic as well. If you're interested in a particular book, type it into the search bar. People have probably talked about it.
If you do, I would try Hamelman's book. It's just so comprehensive, and even if doing tartine-style high-hydration loaves, his book will still have gems of wisdom that will guide your baking in every type of artisan bread. His book also includes a comprehensive section on rye breads, something most bread books gloss over. Hamelman's book's wheat formulas, however, are designed for improved mix, and so need a mixer. If you do not wish to use a mixer, try tartine bread with the intention to buy Hamelman's book later.
I started down this bread path about 4 years ago, after baking out of one old copy of Bernard Clayton's "Breads" for decades. Since then the "gentle madness" of bread books (see A Gentle Madness by Nicholas A. Basbanes) has taken hold and I am up to more than a dozen. I know I'm actually a conservative when it comes to some folks on this list, I'm sure there hare folks with dozens if not hundreds...
When you talk about "conflicting information on the internet" be aware that every author has his/her own way of making bread, and some are indeed conflicting.
The best thing, I've found, is read, analyze, experiment, and you'll find your own path.
Best of luck and send us a few photos!
Books I use most often:
All of these are great for different reasons, but all are worth it. However, you can never have enough.
Almost every bread book has either at least one good recipe or one good tip. My favorites are Bread by Hamelman and Healthy Bread in Five Minutes a Day. I also really like breadtopia.com, which is not a book.
I like and use Bread even though I do not use a mixer, make one loaf at a time, and all of my breads (except challah) are sourdoughs. The same for Healthy Bread in Five Minutes a Day. I've adapted the recipes I like to sourdough recipes with great results.
I have a bread book review webpage that goes from starting out to advanced books. As an aside, I love the book Six Thousand Years of Bread, though it contains no recipes.
from the 1970's, 80's and 90's (and some in the early 2000's), available to read for free online at the OnlineLibrary.com. Just fill out a free application for an online library card:
https://openlibrary.org/search?q=bread&has_fulltext=true&subject_facet=In+library
https://openlibrary.org/
The following baking ebooks (most for professional bakers) are
available for free at Archive.org: (They were all published before
1922 and not subject to copyright. They are in the public domain.)
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Perfection in Baking by Emil Braun (1902) - Recipes for the
professional baker and housekeeper - ebook in various formats
https://archive.org/details/perfectioninbaki04brau
.
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Modern practical cake baking by William Brooks (1921)
https://archive.org/details/modernpracticalb00brooiala
.
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Richard F. Nehring's modern ideas in baking; (1907)
https://archive.org/details/richardfnehrings00nehr
.
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Book of American baking; a practical guide covering various branches
of the baking industry .. (1910)
https://archive.org/details/bookofamericanba00amer
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A treatise on flour, yeast, fermentation and baking, together with
recipes for bread and cakes (1914)
https://archive.org/details/treatiseonfloury00wilh
.
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Ornamental confectionery and the art of baking in all its branches
(1905)
https://archive.org/details/ornamentalconfec00huegrich
.
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The royal baker and pastry cook; a manual of practical cookery (1907)
https://archive.org/details/royalbakerpastry04roya
.
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Modern mixes for bakers .. (1914)
https://archive.org/details/modernmixesforba00calu
.
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The baker's hand book (1895)
https://archive.org/details/bakershandbook00schu
.
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Baxter's practical up-to-date receipt book for bakers; (1922)
https://archive.org/details/baxterspractical00baxt
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Paul Richard's pastry book (1907)
https://archive.org/details/cu31924000657522
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Dr. Price's delicious desserts : containing practical recipes carefully selected and tested : excellent, simple, delicate (c1904)
https://archive.org/details/drpricesdelidess00priciala
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The American woman's cook book (1939)
https://archive.org/details/americwomanscook00delirich
.
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The peerless pastry book containing recipes for baking and pastry work
(1910)
https://archive.org/details/peerlesspastrybo00blit
.
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The American pastry cook : a book of perfected receipts... (1894)
https://archive.org/details/americanpastryco00whitrich
.
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Baker's friend; up-to-date receipts (1921)
https://archive.org/details/bakersfriendupto00mack
.
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Cakes for bakers (1922)
https://archive.org/details/cakesforbaker00rich
.
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Paul Richards' book of breads, cakes, pastries, ices and sweetmeats, especially adapted for hotel and catering trades (1907)
https://archive.org/details/cu31924000461495
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Merrell-Soule products in the bakery (1919)
https://archive.org/details/merrellsouleprod00merr
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A Practical Guide for the Cake and Bread Baker (1884)
https://archive.org/details/apracticalguide00schlgoog
.
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Bakery Equipment Catalog (1907 ca.)
https://archive.org/details/catalog00bruc
.
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The modern baker, confectioner and caterer - Vol 2 (1907)
https://archive.org/details/modernbakerconfe02kirkuoft
.
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The modern baker, confectioner and caterer - Vol 3 (1907)
https://archive.org/details/modernbakerconfe03kirkuoft
.
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The modern baker, confectioner and caterer - Vol 4 (1907)
https://archive.org/details/modernbakerconfe04kirkuoft
.
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The modern baker, confectioner and caterer - Vol 5 (1907)
https://archive.org/details/modernbakerconfe05kirkuoft
The following baking ebooks are available for reading and downloading for free from Google Books:
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The Baker's Book: A Practical Hand Book of the Baking Industry in All Countries - By Emil Braun 1903 - Many Illustrations and color plates
(click on "Gear" on right to download PDF file)
http://books.google.com/books?id=4TDSjgtdq24C&dq=Baking%20Industry&pg=PA297#v=onepage&q&f=false
.
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Bakers Helper - Jan to Jun 1922 - Trade Magazine - Recipes, etc.
(click on "Gear" on right to download PDF file)
http://books.google.com/books?id=drg2AQAAMAAJ&dq=Baking%20Industry&pg=PA1#v=onepage&q&f=false
.
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Bakers Helper - Jul to Dec 1922 - Trade Magazine - Recipes, etc.
(click on "Gear" on right to download PDF file)
http://books.google.com/books?id=x7c2AQAAMAAJ&dq=bakery&pg=PA1#v=onepage&q&f=false
.
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The National Baker - Jan to Jun 1922 - Trade Magazine - Recipes, etc.
(click on "Gear" on right to download PDF file)
http://books.google.com/books?id=ntJOAAAAYAAJ&dq=Baking%20Industry&pg=PA1#v=onepage&q&f=false
.
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Baking Technology Jan 1922 to Dec 1923 - Trade Magazine - Recipes, etc.
(click on "Gear" on right to download PDF file)
http://books.google.com/books?id=5x1IAAAAYAAJ&dq=Baking%20Industry&pg=PA1#v=onepage&q&f=false
.
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Baker's Review - Oct 1916 to Mar 1917 - Trade Magazine - Recipes, etc.
(click on "Gear" on right to download PDF file)
http://books.google.com/books?id=06UTAAAAYAAJ&dq=Baking%20Industry&pg=PA3#v=onepage&q&f=false
.
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Saleable Shop Goods for Counter-tray and Window: 1907 - Recipes, etc.
(click on "Gear" on right to download PDF file)
http://books.google.com/books?id=FP8YAAAAYAAJ&dq=pastry&pg=PP1#v=onepage&q&f=false
.
Thank you so much for taking the time to write these links down. It will definitely keep me busy for a while.
I'm not a professional, just a hobbyist. I have only been baking naturally leavened breads for about 5 months. Most of what I learned, I learned on this site. But if I had to pick just one bread book, I would pick Bread by Hamelman. If I could have a second bread book, it would be Tartine Bread (aka book 2).
I'm reading Hamelman's book and see no reason to use a mixer when it comes to making a couple of kilos of dough or less.
Thank you so much everyone for your input, opinion and the many helpful links. I appreciate it. It seems that Hamelman's book is very helpful. I'll keep searching.
Also need to get to know this site a bit better still I realised..will certainly do that.
Cheers,
Dina