I was looking for a more general book about "bread wisdom" when it comes to baking rustic artisanal loaves etc. Instead this book leans gimmicky w/r/tI was looking for a more general book about "bread wisdom" when it comes to baking rustic artisanal loaves etc. Instead this book leans gimmicky w/r/t/ delivering on the title's promise. You're making bread, but you're making a specific type of moist no-knead dough that you store in the refrigerator so that you can break off chunks every day and have small super-fresh loaves.
This is not a bad thing, this just isn't what I'm looking for vis-à-vis bread knowledge at this time in my personal quest. I suspect I'll circle back around on it at some point, because this is an interesting proposition....more
True to the "Encyclopedia" in the title, this didn't seem to me to be a cover-to-cover read. That said, there are plenty of attractive full color photTrue to the "Encyclopedia" in the title, this didn't seem to me to be a cover-to-cover read. That said, there are plenty of attractive full color photos throughout to help guide your exploration of the different varieties of bread from around the world. There's a good overview of equipment, technique, and ingredients before it jumps into an overview of different breads, organized by their regions of origin. There are some recipes in the last section (again organized by region) -- judging by the few I've checked out, even most novice bakers should have decent success....more
I think the subtitle on this book is pretty apt. If you want to learn to bake bread, this is an outstanding place to start. It opens with foundations I think the subtitle on this book is pretty apt. If you want to learn to bake bread, this is an outstanding place to start. It opens with foundations (i.e., an overview of essential ingredients, technique, and equipment) and then progresses through a series of increasingly sophisticated-to-make bread styles. Each of those styles has a core recipe accompanied by a series of variations. Also the full-color images help you to match up your own dough with expectations. (In other words, "Am I doing this right?" *checks pictures* "Yeah, that's fine.")
My two little nit-picks:
First, most (all?) of the recipes seem to be oriented to making two or more loaves. When you're making your first few loaves of bread, this is surprising and intimidating. Not that I wasn't happy to have two loaves, but had it gone badly (i.e., translating recipes into real physical but inedible bread) I would have been frustrated, and upset by just how much flour etc. I'd burned through. (I've since learned this is fairly common -- that many if not most bread recipes are for two or more loaves, but that was surprising.)
My second nit-pick is that the text of the core recipe has a weird flow. There's an introduction (OK) followed by the recipe itself but... The portion of the recipe that discusses the initial mixing and kneading discusses by-hand, with-KitchenAid, and with-Magic Mill DLX approaches. You get used to this after the first recipe or two, but it can throw you off at first....more
Loading...