BikeBookBread Posted January 7, 2010 Share Posted January 7, 2010 ...... Please help me fill in this blank! I just got a nice gift certificate to Barnes & Noble. After SOTW 1, the SOTW activity book and Reading Pathways, I have some money to play with :) I already have Peter Reinhart's Bread Baker's Apprentice, his Whole Grain Bread book, Baking Illustrated by Cook's Illustrated and a few other little books. What MAJOR and fantastic artisan bread baking book do I need? I'm not interested in any of the many 5-minutes a day method books that have popped up recently as I have been doing no-knead for years and I think it's kind of boring (sorry...I don't mean to offend!!!!). I'm considering these: The Bread Bible by Rose Levy Berenbaum The Laurel's Kitchen Bread Book Bread: A Baker's Book of Techniques and Recipes by Hamelman The King Arthur Flour Baker's Companion (I know you can get everything online for free, but I like holding onto a real book) Any other artisan-style bread books I'm missing? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BikeBookBread Posted January 7, 2010 Author Share Posted January 7, 2010 Anyone??? With all of the grain mill threads active right now, there has to be SOMEONE who has a great idea!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
In the Rain Posted January 7, 2010 Share Posted January 7, 2010 I use King Arthur's Whole Grain Baking book. All of the recipes I've tried have been successes. I've checked Laurel's Kitchen Bread book out from the library a few times. I can't remember whether or not I tried any of the recipes. I'm not familiar with your other choices. Have fun shopping! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aunty Social Posted January 7, 2010 Share Posted January 7, 2010 My dh got me Bernard Clayton's New Complete Book of Breads last year. It's a little hard to wade through the way the recipes are written at first (at least for me, a relatively new bread baker), but once you understand the layout there are some interesting breads. I haven't tried many yet since I'm still trying to get a whole wheat that my family doesn't complain about (stupid store bought mush expectations:glare:) , but what I have tried have been very good. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Carol in Cal. Posted January 7, 2010 Share Posted January 7, 2010 It's great. It has a very specific philosophy--100% whole grains all the time. The detailed instructions are like an apprenticeship, without being intimidating. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Susan in KY Posted January 7, 2010 Share Posted January 7, 2010 ...... I'm not interested in any of the many 5-minutes a day method books that have popped up recently as I have been doing no-knead for years and I think it's kind of boring (sorry...I don't mean to offend!!!!) Too bad! I love Artisan Bread in Five Minutes a Day. No offense taken. :D Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nicole M Posted January 7, 2010 Share Posted January 7, 2010 It's great. It has a very specific philosophy--100% whole grains all the time. The detailed instructions are like an apprenticeship, without being intimidating. I am on my third copy (in 20 years) of the Laurel's Kitchen Bread book. My current one has pages falling out. I have tried other bread books and techniques, but they never work out as beautifully or as consistently as Laurel's. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pink Fairy Posted January 7, 2010 Share Posted January 7, 2010 My dd got The Bread Bible for Christmas. She's our family baker, and is thrilled. She made us some white mountain bread last night--delicious! Dense...chewy...yum. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BikeBookBread Posted January 7, 2010 Author Share Posted January 7, 2010 My dd got The Bread Bible for Christmas. She's our family baker, and is thrilled. She made us some white mountain bread last night--delicious! Dense...chewy...yum. Beranbaum or Hensberger? I can't figure out which one is better! The reviews are so polarizing towards each book on the bread websites that I frequent... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Amira Posted January 7, 2010 Share Posted January 7, 2010 My favorite bread book, and it's not artisan, but it's certainly not your typical bread book, is Flatbreads and Flavors by Jeffrey Alford and Naomi Duguid. They also have a book with some artisan recipes that I love called HomeBaking, but it's a more general baking book. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sunkirst Posted January 7, 2010 Share Posted January 7, 2010 Love this topic! I have Laurel's Bread Book and King Arthur's Whole Grain. Love them both. King Arthur's has the simplest, best sourdough starter method around (IMO). I've been making fantastic sourdough breads that my whole family loves, and I love that this is expanding my experience as a baker. KA also has a wide array of other whole grain treats, although many are made with barley, oat, spelt, rye or some other flour that I would have to make a special trip to purchase. Laurel's was a gift from my dh years ago, and it's practically falling apart, I've used it so much. My kids miss "regular" bread sometimes, and I always fall back on her potato (or oatmeal or featherpuff or buttermilk ....:001_smile:) bread. I have found that I don't make my breads 100% whole wheat any more, however, so I generally alter these recipes slightly (which I do with the KA recipes too, I guess) Put them both on your list - you can get Laurel's for only $7.03 (shipped) from Better World Books Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CalicoKat Posted January 7, 2010 Share Posted January 7, 2010 Too bad! I love Artisan Bread in Five Minutes a Day. No offense taken. :D :iagree: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LostSurprise Posted January 7, 2010 Share Posted January 7, 2010 The Hamelman book is fabulous. That would be my choice out of your list. I have the Laurel book and it's not a favorite. I have the Berenbaum book and it has a nice range but its not intuitively organized and I'm still working through it. Her raisin bread is nice but I tried one or two others that didn't work as well (could have been my fault). The King Arthur books I've read were both good. I have them and Flatbreads and Flavors on my list. I'd also mention the La Brea Bakery book as well. It's very sourdough focused though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pink Fairy Posted January 8, 2010 Share Posted January 8, 2010 Beranbaum or Hensberger? I can't figure out which one is better! The reviews are so polarizing towards each book on the bread websites that I frequent... It's this one, by Hensberger. We've only tried one recipe so far--keep that in mind--but it was fabulous. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Carol in Cal. Posted January 8, 2010 Share Posted January 8, 2010 The Il Fornaio Baking Book: This has Italian regional breads of every type. Generally not whole grain, though. Soup and Bread: This is by Crescent Dragonwater, a very interesting woman who runs a bed and breakfast in Arkansas. The baked goods in this cookbook are what she serves her guests, so they favor taste over health, which means that they are thoroughly worked out and very good. The 3-rise white bread is the most like store bought billowy white bread (which I don't happen to care for) of any white bread recipe I have ever tried, so if you just want to save money but duplicate the stuff in the stores from time to time, it's a good one. Her other recipes are fantastic. I tried the turkey soup one time, and I have to tell you, leftover turkey carcass results have never been so good. Both of these cookbooks are also fun to read. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kalanamak Posted January 8, 2010 Share Posted January 8, 2010 I learned a lot from: http://www.amazon.com/Breads-France-Kitchen-Culinary-Classics/dp/1580083897 http://www.amazon.com/Secrets-Jewish-Baker-Recipes-Breads/dp/1580088449 http://www.amazon.com/Breads-world-easy-bake-collection/dp/0877540519 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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