Bread: A Baker's Book of Techniques and Recipes

Hi, my name is Randi and I am a cookbook junkie.(Insert group salutation here.)My problem really didn't get too out of hand until a few years ago when I decided to pursue cooking professionally. It sort of just happened. After not being able to attend culinary school for several reasons (Really... A blessing. But that's another story.) I decided to continue the pursuit by seeking out and working for the best chefs I possibly could.I found myself cooking in amazing kitchens and working side-by-side with some of the most talented people in the industry. My hunger for knowledge (No pun intended... Well, maybe.) continued to grow and while I felt I was partially satiated by my experiences, I found myself craving more.Enter the seemingly innocent cookbook.Now, what you must know is that while cookbooks come in all shapes and sizes - fat and thin, large and small - not all are created equal, especially in the eyes of a professional. I find myself perusing the aisles of bookstores in search of cookbooks that are not just going to spit a few simple recipes at me and call it a wrap. I look for things that have an overflow of information and, as I am more visually inclined to learn, figures or photographs that are exceptional in explaining technique or showing a final end product.I have succeeded in finding what I am in search for many times and while I refuse to admit that my habit is out of hand, my family has recently staged an intervention. No more cookbooks. What do I have to say in this matter you ask? What they don't know won't kill them and I was dying for a fix.As I have only scratched the surface in my understanding of bread, I asked around for some recommendations and was pointed to this book, particularly because the author had trained for a time in Germany, a nation known for their beer and bread culture. But there was the risk of my family finding out about my purchase. Was it really worth it to experience the disappointment?Yes. Yes, it was and is totally and completely worth it.Filled with recipes, information, and illustrated techniques, I was completely and 100% amazed by this book. While I do wish there were more pictures of the end product, I am extremely happy I took the leap. What I enjoy most about this particular bread book is that it delves into a much deeper side of bread, which is quite enjoyable for the person who is looking to get a better understanding about such an incredibly vast topic.While I didn't find it to be a complete text - as it was missing some information that was easily searched for via internet - I do feel that this was a wise investment. Those looking to get into bread baking should consider this title as well as some others - namely How to Bake Bread by Michael Kalanty, Flour Water Salt Yeast by Ken Forkish, or anything written by renowned baker Peter Reinhardt.But trust the addict here - this is a well worth it fix.

THIS is the definitive guide for serious home bakers seeking a professional result. It is precisely the caliber of detailed information serious home bakers have demanded in order to reach their next plateau of bread baking excellence. This is unmistakably the most comprehensive bread book of its type on the market. I am so delighted with the results it has shown my own baking.As a serious and dedicated cook, I have never experienced such instant gratification and remarkable improvements in my own craft than is evidenced via the advice available from this extraordinary reference.Through dedicated effort, and much trial and effort; in the method of Nancy Silverman,- my sourdough eventually met the high criteria I set for it.I want my sourdough to taste like that I had on Fisherman's Wharf in the 1970's!Nevertheless, my ciabatta and country style loaves remained, in my opinion, sub-par.This book's detailed; professional instructions launched my country bread and ciabatta loaves to bakery status within only two passes! I am now able to go beyond my original benchmark and further tweak the percentages in BREAD to achieve what ever I want for this style of bread. It is such a wonderful experience! The first try did not deviate from BREAD's formula. The second pass was formulae - plus - experience, and that was the charm. We are simply blown-away at how something exponentially went from good to excellent in two batches.JEFFREY HAMELMAN, a former bakery owner has been baking professionally for thirty years. In 1998, he became the 76th Certified Master Baker in the United States. Unlike the other author of five bread books, Mr. Hamelman's book, Bread stays on point.There are detailed formulas. Each formula is charted in four versions:- U.S. Imperial weight - for professional yields (about 22-25 loaves)- Metric weight - for large professional yields- Home - Imperial volume (cups, teaspoons) w/some weights - 2-3 loaves- Bakers PercentagesHome artisan bakers can easily scale their ingredients by looking at the professional metric weights and moving the decimal point for home yields. The only math necessary is converting fresh yeast to either active or instant yeasts. OR, if one wishes to customize ingredients, they can combine the baker's percentages as appropriate.The typeface and layout are such that they are user friendly. Mountains of information is there at one's ready without flipping all over and digging for salient information.

This is a great book for those who have some knowledge of baking breads.

Es un muy buen libro, viene bien explicado.

Receitas incríveis, bem explicadas e todas com as quantidades para fazer em casa, bem como, as quantidades para produção em larga escala. Para quem quer elevar o nível das suas produções caseiras ou partir para a panificação profissional. Recomendo!

This is a wonderful book for bread baking and learning the 'science' behind what makes great bread. The recipes in this book are wonderful, but I believe this work of art is for the intermediate baker who knows bakers percentages and some technique. I've made a number of recipes from this book that have turned out to be extrodinary. But one criticism I have is the constant mixing of measurement units, going from cups to metrics, then back to cups. Rather than having the home section in grams, the author utilizes ounces and cups which is very hard to convert. Other than that, I'd recommend this great work to any serious home baker.

Me ha gustado mucho el libro, porque va directo al grano y sin embargo no se deja ningún detalle importante sin comentar. Aunque está orientado al panadero profesional, el aficionado puede extraer muchos consejos valiosos. Creo que es obligatorio leer este libro para cualquier persona que le guste hacer pan.