Bread: A Baker's Book of Techniques and Recipes 2nd Edition

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.

In addition to being a world class and decorated baker, Jeffrey Hamelman is a superb and entertaining teacher. I have had the good fortune to take multiple classes with him, and the techniques in Bread are explained exactly as he explains them in class--often accompanied by historical or personal anecdotes and enlivened by his dry wit.Most professional bakers have a copy of Bread, so this review is aimed at the home baker. If you're serious about your bread, you should own this book, end of story. Many of his recipes, like the Vermont Sourdough, are world renowned and it's wonderful to learn how to make them from the master. Though there are 130 recipes, every one of them seems unique and made by hand and you will want to bake them all and in time you will.With most cookbooks, you have the choice of reading whatever techniques and background the author provides as introduction, or diving right in and starting to make the recipes. If you're experienced with preferments, dividing and shaping, applying steam and other building blocks of the baker's repertoire, maybe you can just dive right into Bread. But that would be a shame because his explanations at the beginning of the book, of these and many other topics, are so clear and thorough that even the master baker has plenty to learn.I own the first edition of the book and was eager to get my hands on this new edition to see what's changed. Much of it is the same, yet the 30 new recipes are in my opinion worth the price of the new book on their own. Hamelman's perspective on flours has evolved in the 8 years since the first edition and the new recipes reflect it. There's more emphasis on added seeds and other enhancements. Interestingly, he's reworked several of the original recipes to replace high-gluten flour with lower-protein flour out of a confidence that America's bakers are ready to work with looser doughs.If you've already got a good starter (or are ready to make one from scratch), there's no better place to begin as your first loaf than the Vermont Sourdough. Otherwise, try one of the new yeasted recipes for either Unkneaded Six-Fold French Bread or "Slow Rise" Baguettes. We made both of these in class, and I predict your results will be not only delicious and satisfying, but the essence of all that is good about bread.