I've found Peter Reinhart's "The Bread Baker's Apprentice" [2016 (revised edition), Ten Speed Press] to be the most useful book for me.
This is a good mix of "the how" as well as "the why," combining scientific facts with theory and practical tips. There are also many recipes/formulas for various types of breads. Mr. Reinhart was a professional baker, so he's got the hands-on experience to share, and he's also a baking instructor at Johnson & Wales, so he is a fine teacher as well.
This is probably not the best book for beginning bakers, who may get overwhelmed with all the small details. But I felt it's an excellent resource for intermediate or advanced bread bakers. Although it's $30 in hardcover (and still a good value for all the great info), it's only $6 for the Kindle e-book, making it a steal at that price.
Ironically, when I first saw it, I wasn't impressed because it seemed too detailed --- 12 stages to make a loaf of bread? But as I read through it and began to absorb all the detail, I really enjoyed it, am learning a lot from it, and often go back to it for information on a particular question. Seth
Just some advice from another bread maker - the only advice to follow comes from the dough. If you keep at it you'll know. Enjoy!
Because I make mostly whole grain breads, I frequently consult The Laurel's Kitchen Bread Book. When appropriate, I incorporate advice from Peter Reinhart's Whole Grain Breads (more yeast, shorter rise times and autolyze).
I'll second those recommendations. The LKBB was the first whole grain bread book I purchased when I got back into baking a few years ago; and WGB was the second one. Reinhart's book had methods that gave me success with 100% whole grain flours.
The Bread Baker's Apprentice was my go-to too. Still a favourite.
I always find myself back in Bread by Jeffrey Hamelman. I bake a lot from published recipes/formulas, and the variations of them I find right here on The Fresh Loaf, but when I have a question my first reflex is to open Bread.
I love rye breads, and you really can't find good ones in the store; you have to make them yourself. Most books only have a couple of rye recipes, and often the rye flour is <50%. But then I discovered Stanley Ginsberg's The Rye Baker and I was able to make all sorts of rye breads from different cultures. After making a number of ryes, I started looking online for other recipes at sites suggested by Ginsberg. It's been a lot of fun!