Jeffrey Hamelman's Bread: A Baker's Book of Techniques and Recipes is an solid baking book, but not one I would recommend to everyone. Read more to learn why.
Simply put, the intended reader of this book is the professional baker. Here and there Hamelman makes a nod to the home baker, but it doesn't take long for the amateur baker to realize that Hamelman is not all that interested in his or her plight. The continual references to steam injectors and oven vents, proper posture when lifting 75 pounds of dough, and potential injury from improperly holding 7 to 8 foot long peels while unloading dozens of loaves of bread quickly make the amateur realize this book was not intended for him.
That said, Hamelman is a world class baker, and this is a serious bread book, full of a ton of information that the home baker could use to improve his or her understand of baking and the quality of his or her bread: all of the recipes I've tried from this book have been solid; the diagrams and instructions for shaping loaves are meticulously detailed and helpful; and the final hundred page section of the book on braiding and other decorative techniques is without rival. It is easy to see why Hamelman is one of the coaches of Team USA in the Coupe du Monde de la Boulangerie.
I'm perplexed as to why the editor of this book didn't send the manuscript back to Hamelman and tell him to add more tips for the home baker (or just hired an intern to put more such tips in if Hamelman wasn't willing to). The blurbs on the dust jacket repeatedly mention the "seasoned" or "serious" home baker; I think it is clear that the publisher wanted to sell this book to more than just professional bakers. But as the reviews on Amazon show, many buyers who consider themselves decent bakers get this book home and are flummoxed by how advanced it is. Thus they rip the book on Amazon, which I'm sure has had depressing effect on sales. Simply a few more sentences here or there stating things like "Home bakers can skip the lye bath and just boil the pretzels in water" (see my pretzel article for more information on what I'm talking about) would have made a huge difference. Instead, the home baker must use his or her own judgement to figure out how to adapt each recipe to work in his or her own kitchen. Yes, the recipes include the quantities scaled down for the home baker, but rarely are the directions simplified.
There was a thread in the forums here a week or two ago about whether this book is suitable for a beginning baker. Absolutely not: it would intimidate the begeezes out of a beginner. But it is an excellent bread book for the advanced bread baker who has experience and other resources to fallback on and one I'll probably add to my bookshelf in the near future.
Update: A year later, I have added this book to my shelf. I like it a lot, but I do also have a half dozen other baking books and a couple of years of baking experience under my belt. I still would not recommend this book to a new baker, but it is an excellent resource for a seasoned baker.
bread books
I have just baked bread with a bread machine and some by hand with yeast.
What book would you suggest as a good starter book.Also, what is your opinion to go to San Francisco to take classes at the baking school???
Thank you, Ron
The Bread Baker's
The Bread Baker's Apprentice.
I've not been, but everyone I know who has gone to SFBI has loved it.
Not everybody agrees with all
Not everybody agrees with all the praise heaped on The Bread Baker's Apprentice and how it should be everybodies choice for beginners. After joining this forum and reading so many lofty appraisals of this book, I decided to borrow it once again from the library. I remember now all the reasons I did not like it when I was new to breadbaking and why I still woudn't recommend it. It is just chock full of pretty pictures for sure, but it crams too many different types of bread into it without spending enough time with each one, and also too much time on "breads" that in my opinion are really oversized muffins. Somehow Hamelman was able put more useful information for any new bread baker in his book (before getting into his "decorative" breads) that anybody can find easily, just read what is on the pages, evry single recipe is scaled down for 2 or three loaves for the home baker with added notes where needed for making them work in a home kitchen I am not now and never will be a professional baker, but I wish the first bread book I picked up was BREAD by Jeffery Hamelman.
Exactly
Hutch, I think you hit this right on. Each to their own. I own Hammelman's Bread, as well as the "usuals", including several of Reinhart's. Hammelman is still my Go To book. If I had to just keep one book, that would be it. He explains things well, in an easy to read manner. Yes, it has a lot of detail, but the info is great, not intimidating. For someone new to baking, do go to a bookstore or library to check out the options. If Reinhart looks more your style, then go for it. It can be a good resource, but don't just write off a book like Hammelman's Bread. There's a lot of inspiration in there.
Book review
Good review. I agree with all your points.
I would add a few points:
On the (sort of) positive side: When I bought this book about a year ago, I was no way ready for it. At this point, having benefitted from what I've learned on this site (Thank you!) and from experience, I am starting to use Hamelman's formulas. As you said, the results are solid, at least from the 3 or 4 of his breads I've baked so far. But, you have to have mastered basic techniques to be able to "read between the lines" and have enough experience to make adjustments to hydration with different flours and different weather, etc.
On the negative side: I wish he gave more background on some of his breads, especially the ryes. I'm always interested in the national/regional backgrounds of breads. I would think that even commercial bakers would appreciate this, if only for marketting to specific ethnic groups they might wish to attract.
Even for the experienced home baker, instructions for commercial mixers we are never going to have are not helpful. More discussion of hand kneading requirements and stand mixers would be nice. On the other hand, Hamelman, as expert as he is in commercial baking, may have no personal experience baking at home. One wonders.
David
Hamelman's Book
I got the book because on bread websites, the name Hamelman came up alot and I was curious.
Reading it is like poetry! I love the philosophy thrown in and the gems of wisdom in blue writing and the end chapters about calculations etc.
I get the impression if I was ever apprenticed to Mr. Hamelman I'd be working to my limits each and every day. The bread would be the centre or my existence. Hamelman would be an uncompromising mentor. Always for the bread (I love the line "..when the bread says now it means now!").
I found the information easy to follow. I like the way he starts with the basics/fundamentals of grain, flour, dough, hand techniques. His information is borne of experience. He's no academic!
I've read the book referred to as teaching the science of breadmaking, but my opinion is that the knowledge contained within is from years of acumulated experience, rather than the dry scientific treatment bread gets in some books. Hamelman's passion for his craft radiates out of the pages.
Hamelman's Book
I'm with you all the way on this Bushturkey.
There have been some great books published this decade demonstrating the flourishing artisan bread movement in the US.
For what it's worth, Jeffrey Hamelman's book is the best, in my humble opinion. Daniel Wing and Alan Scott's "The Bread Builders" comes in a close second.
I would love a chance to work with this guy; a true craftsman, a very worthy book.
Ananda
I for one disagree with the bad reviews
Just picked up the book last week.
By no means am I an "advanced baker". However it seems all the advanced bakers on this site and others seem to mimic his style technique and verbiage in a lot of areas. I was very surprised how easy it was for me to understand his principles and recipes. I think it is well written and he makes his points very clearly on the things he thinks are important.
After reading all the negative stuff, I was very surprised how much knowledge is in this book, maybe not for the beginner, but it is certainly useful to an intermediate or novice home baker trying to improve their own style and experience.
If you have a general understanding of how to bake artisan style bread, and have had even a little success, this book could be the switch that turns the light on.
Keith
New Version with almost all errers corrected
Since I gave my copy away long time ago when I stopped baking for a while, I decided to buy a copy of this book again and it has just arrived from Amazon.
I was told by a kind TFLer there's an errata out there. Except for Vermont Sourdough, ever error is corrected with this latest version. And I remember (and was told) there's no metric weight of the ingredents... kinda true but hey, there's in kg!
FYI
My spin on Bread
I have been re-reading several of the "classics" and putting down a few thoughts...
http://1by4by9.blogspot.com/2011/07/book-review-bread.html
Is very suitable for beginners.
I strongly diagree with the reviewers comment on the book's statement that this book would
intimidate the begeezes out of a beginner
This is a great book for beginners. Anyone with a command of the English language will find this book invaluable. The first thing a beginner does is ask questions and this book has the answers. The formulas and method of prep are clear and concise. A beginner would do well with this one book on the shelf for a long time. Buy it!
Bread ~ Hamelman
This is a Good Book to have ~ just for insite to Bread - if not able to purchase at least check it out if Your libary has it ... Hamelman is One of a few Bakers I would kill to apprentice under.
Slidething