The Fresh Loaf
Pocket Book of Bread Baking
Books are where amateur bakers get most of our information about how to bake. We are fortunate, because there are a lot of wonderful bread baking books out there, with new one's coming out each year. Whenever I get a chance to read another bread baking book, I read and review here. There is also a forum for site members to post their book reviews [1]. If I am missing your favorite baking book, please, post something about there! The links to my reviews, each with a teeny synopsis:
- If you are looking to buy your first artisan baking book, Peter Reinhart's The Bread Baker's Apprentice [2] is it.
- Ken Forkish's Flour Salt Water Yeast [3] is the most popular book in 2013.
- Jim Lahey's My Bread [4] is praiseworthy and contains no-knead and Italian inspired bread recipes.
- Daniel Leader's Local Breads [5], though I've never done a full review of it, is one of my favorites for Northern European breads.
- Ciril Hitz published Baking Artisan Bread [6] in 2008.
- Artisan Bread in Five Minutes a Day [7] takes the no-knead technique to a whole new level.
- Jeffrey Hamelman's Bread: A Baker's Book of Techniques and Recipes [8] is a great book for advanced bakers.
- Bernard Clayton's New Complete Book of Breads [9]. An excellent collection of over 300 bread recipes from around the globe.
- Beth Hensperger's Bread Bible [10]. Similar in format to Clayton's book. The tone of much of the writing annoys me, but there are some excellent recipes in here.
- Peter Reinhart's American Pie [11] is a good one if you are interested in pizza.
- Peter did a Q&A with us about his recent book Peter Reinhart's Whole Grain Bread [12].
- Eric reviewed Peter Reinhart's first book, The Brother Juniper's Bread Book [13].
- 6000 Years of Bread [14] is an interesting history of bread.
- Bread Science: the Chemistry and Craft of Making Bread [15] is an excellent self-published book on the science of bread.
- Good Bread is Back [16] is an interesting read for a Francophile.
- Maggie Glezer's A Blessing of Bread: The Many Rich Traditions of Jewish Bread Baking Around the World [17] is an excellent book on Jewish baking traditions and the winner of the 2005 James Beard Award for best baking book.
- Her previous book, Artisan Baking Across America [18], is a beautiful book and a favorite of many bakers I know.
- Joe Ortiz's The Village Baker [19] is the book credited with launching the artisan bread movement in America.
- Finally, I also should mention my e-book, The Fresh Loaf Pocket Book of Bread Baking [20]. Not nearly as comprehensive as Peter's books or the others listed here, but I think it is a nice, economical, unintimidating place for new bakers to get started.