The Bread Book - Softcover

Collister, Linda; Blake, Anthony

4.22

63 ratings by Goodreads

Softcover

ISBN 10: 1585744476 ISBN 13: 9781585744473

Publisher: Lyons Pr, 2002

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A beautiful full-color, step-by-step guide to bread making--with more than one hundred and thirty recipes ranging from traditional Native American fry bread to contemporary ciabatta loaves of Italy.

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Review:

Linda Collister is devoted to bread making. The Bread Book, which features her recipes for loaves from all over the world, exemplifies her commitment to her subject but without the rigidity and complication--or oversimplification--of similar works. Calmly, and taking into account every possible bread-making contingency, she explains how to produce a variety of breads, from basic sandwich loaves to ciabatta. But it's the photos--more than 300 of them--that set this book apart. For example, the basic loaf recipe is accompanied by 22 detailed shots, showing every preparatory step from crumbling yeast to slashing the loaf before baking. Amateur and practiced bakers alike will welcome this careful illustration of a process that relies so much on visual cues. In addition to covering basic, flat, and quick breads, Collister offers chapters on such specialty loaves as fruit, nut, and savory breads (cheese and onion loaf), celebration breads (panettone and challah), and sourdough, rye, and enriched goods (babas, savarins, and Aberdeen butteries, a delicious Scottish breakfast roll). The Bread Book is so comprehensive and the recipes so tempting that it's unfortunate to note that it is compromised by inaccurate quantity conversions and a repeated typographical glitch that obscures ingredient requirements in several recipes. Collister states that a cup of flour (no distinction is made among types) equals four ounces rather than about five, the standard equivalent for white flours. Thus, for example, 6 cups of white bread flour is stated as equivalent to 680 grams, while actual measurement shows it to weigh 822 grams--a difference of about 5 ounces. The cup or gram measure as given is, therefore, unreliable. But readers aware of these problems may still want to consult the book for its instructive photos and the other useful information it provides. --Arthur Boehm

From the Back Cover:

Around the world, for thousands of years, freshly baked breads have provided wholesome sustenance for the body and symbolic warmth for the soul. The Bread Book is a gorgeous compendium of the world's most delicious, best-loved breads, complete with step-by-step directions for baking them.These extraordinary, authentic recipes are personally recommended and used by four-star chefs and local cooking masters in countries and cultures spanning the continents. More than 130 recipes are provided, ranging from the traditional Native American fry bread to the contemporary ciabatta loaves of Italy. Included are recipes for hearty basic breads, robust savory breads, mouthwatering and timesaving quick breads, distinctive sourdough and rye breads, cakelike fruit and nut breads, sumptuous enriched doughs, and ethnic fried doughs-as well as exceptional recipes for coffee cakes, pastries, and more.Every recipe is accompanied by thorough step-by-step directions-all beautifully illustrated with full-color how-to photographs. Complete with personal anecdotes, helpful tips, and information on ingredients, The Bread Book is an essential guide to perfecting the fine art of baking world-class gourmet breads. (8 1/2 x 11, 192 pages, color photos, recipes)Linda Collister started her career as a sous-chef working for Queen Elizabeth, the Queen Mother. She has studied at the Cordon Bleu Cookery School in London, as well as La Varenne in Paris.

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