Ultimate Bread - Hardcover

Eric Treuille

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0789435136 ISBN 13: 9780789435132

Publisher: DK ADULT, 1998

Synopsis

Ultimate Bread brings bread-making to the home kitchen in an exquisitely illustrated primer.

After visiting a gallery of the world's breads, the authors, French-born baker Eric Treuille, and Italian-born baker, Ursula Ferrigno, introduce you to the "Baking Essentials" a complete illustrated guide to the key ingredients and equipment used in breadmaking. Then it's time for the "Basic Techniques" -- mixing, kneading, shaping, and baking -- that turn the humble ingredients of flour, water and yeast into an amazing assortment of breads. Never again will you wonder how your dough should look after the first knead or how the crust should feel when it comes out of the oven. The step-by-step photographs and easy-to-follow instructions demystify all the steps. The heart and soul of Ultimate Bread, however, is the more the 100 inspiring recipes drawn from bread-making traditions around the world. Each bread is a variation on a simple theme: flour, water, leaven, and time. It's best to begin with the starter bread recipes which utilize methods illustrated in the basic techniques. When ready to move beyond the basics, flavored breads provide an extra taste dimension, while enriched breads transform basic bread dough with the addition of oil, butter, and eggs. Quick, flat and festive breads offer delicious possibilities from around the world. After working through the recipes in this book, your repertoire will range from simple Pain Ordinaire (Basic White Bread) to the grand and festive Panettone (Milanese Christmas Bread).

About this title

Review:

Take one French food authority and author, one Italian food authority and author, give them a subject like bread and a publisher like Britain's Dorling Kindersley, and the result can't help but be one of the more engaging books on bread and bread baking. DK Publishing is of the seeing-is-believing school of cookbooks, and this philosophy works particularly well in their Ultimate Bread. The opening plates of the world of bread are enough in and of themselves to drive anyone--beginner or expert baker--right into the kitchen.

The "Baking Essentials" section shows and explains the differences in various kinds of flour, wheat and nonwheat, as well as the basic ingredients (yeast, oil, eggs, salt--not a long list) and tools. The "Basic Techniques" section shows you exactly what dough should look like in the various stages of bread production. The photos are so thick with color you can almost touch and smell the dough.

But the majority of the book is dedicated to recipes. Here you will find Country Oatmeal Bread, French Baguettes, Pretzels, Ciabatta, Pain aux Noix, Brioche, Nan, Pita, Corn Bread, and Challah. There are dozens of breads in all, from the very basic to the festive. And finally, there's even a section devoted to problem solving--although the biggest problem you may have is deciding which recipe to start with. --Schuyler Ingle

From the Back Cover:

A practical, illustrated Guide to the art of making bread, with more than 100 delicious recipes. Superb recipes for breads of all kinds made accessible to the home baker by innovative how-to photography and easy-to-follow text. A mouthwatering visual gallery of classic breads from around the world. Written by two authors whose boundless enthusiasm for their subject will inspire the reader to head straight to the kitchen and start baking.

About this edition

• Publisher: DK ADULT
• Publication date: 1998
• ISBN 10: 0789435136
• ISBN 13: 9780789435132
• Binding: Hardcover
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 168