Good books about bread baking?

I've recently taken up bread baking, and I'd love to find some good recipe books, specifically ones that describe either French bread or "batard" crusty loaf type things. Can anyone recommend a good one?

Thanks!

LM

Reply to
purple_bovine
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are the FAQs, a work in progress, for alt.bread.recipes. There is a booklist. HTH Graham

Reply to
graham

I have really good luck with the Acme bread recipe in Artisan Baking Across America by Maggie Glezer. It's a two day recipe but it's the one that gets me bread closest to what I can buy at a good bakery. Not hard, but overnight time for the sponge and such.

marcella

Reply to
Marcella Peek

Thanks! Sorry - I'm usually more scrupulous about checking FAQs.

LM

Reply to
purple_bovine

We just moved to a new house after 16 years in our old place. This gave me a chance to round up my baking books into one place and do a bibliography.

Among the titles below, I think you'll find several books which will give you the information which you seek. A good place to start might be Joe Ortiz' book "The Village Baker" which provides both recipes and techniques.

A List of Books about Bread and Baking

-------------------------------------- America's Bread Book Gubser, Mary Quill / William Morrow 1985 0-688-11608-6

The Art of Fine Baking Peck, Paula Simon & Shuster 1961 0-67120-611-7

Artisan Baking across America Glezer, Maggie Artisan 2000 1-57965-117-8

Baba á Louis Bakery Bread Book McLure, John Chelsea Green 1993 0-9636892-0-7

Baglemania - The 'Hole' Story Berman, Connie & Suzanne Munshower HP Books 1987 0-89586-624-2

Bake Your Own Bread Dworkin, Floss & Stan Signet 1973 The Baker's Companion King Arthur Flour Countryman Press 2003 0-88150-581-1

The Baker's Manual Amendola, Joseph & Nicole Rees John Wiley & Sons 2003 0-471-40525-6

Baking Bread: Old and New Traditions Hensperger, Beth Chronicle Books 1992 0-8118-0228-0

Baking Bread: Recipes from Around the World Ellison, Audrey Quintet 1995 0-7858-0489-7

Beard on Bread Beard, James Alfred A. Knopf 1981 0-394-47345-0

Beautiful Breads Morris Cookbooks SchoolMate 2002 The Book of Bread Assire, Jerome Flammarion 1996 2-08013-625-9

Bread Machine Recipes Publications International Publications International 1999 0-7853-3865-9

Bread Winners London, Mel Rodale Press 1979 0-87857-269-4

Breadcraft Schafer, Charles & Violet Yerba Buena Press 1974 0-912738-04-9

Breads of the Southwest Hensperger, Beth Chronicle Books 1997 0-8118-0973-0

Celebration Breads Oppenheimer, Betsy Simon & Schuster 2003 0-7432-2483-3

Classic Essential Breads and Rolls Könemann Könemann 1999 3-8290-1585-2

The Complete Bread Cookbook Kaufman, Ted & Jean Gramercy / Crown 1969

Cookbook of Breads Editors of Sunset Magazine Lane Books 1966 Cooking with Whole Grains Orton, Mildred Ellen Farrar, Strauss & Giroux 1971 0-3745-0936-0

Decorative Dough Craft Langfeld, Lynne Sterling Publishing 1996 0-8069-9739-7

Easy Baking plus Pasta Burns, Claudia & Tom Lacalamita Cookbook Resource USA 1992 English Bread and Yeast Cookery David, Elizabeth Biscuit Books 1980 0-9643600-0-4

Farm Journal's Homemade Bread (1969 edition) Nichols, Nell B., ed. Doubleday & Co. 1969 Farm Journal's Homemade Bread (1985 edition) Miller, Alice Joy, ed. Galahad Books 1985 0-88365-875-5

Favorite Breads from Rose Lane Farm Roberts. Ada Lou Hearthside Press 1960 Focaccia - Simple Breads from the Italian Oven Field, Carol Chronicle Books 1994 0-8116-0604-9

The Food Processor Bread Book Editors of Consumers Guide Publications International 1980 0-671-25138-4

Great Breads Shulman, Martha Rose Chapters Publishing 1995 1-881527-61-1

A Guide to Good Cooking with Five Roses Flour Brodie, Jean & Pauline Harvey Lake of the Woods 1954

Homemade Breads Home Cooking Library Modern Publishing 1985 0-87449-005-7

Larissa's Bread Book Johnson-Coleman, Lorraine Rutledge Hill Press 2001 1-55853-845-3

Laurel's Kitchen Bread Book Robertson, Laurel Random House 1984 0-394-53700-9

Natural Baking the Old-Fashioned Way Pelton, Robert W. A.S.Barnes & Co. 1973 0-498-01250-6

New Complete Book of Breads Clayton, Bernard Simon & Schuster 1987 0-671-60222-5

Our Daily Bread Standard, Stella Funk & Wagnalls 1970

Pita the Great Habeeb, Virginia T. Workman Press 1986 0-89480-039-6

Prairie Home Breads Fertig, Judith M. Harvard Commom Press 2001 1-55832-172-1

Secrets of a Jewish Baker Greenstein, George The Crossing Press 1993 0-89594-631-9

Sourdough Jack's Cookery & Other Things Mabee, Jack Osborn / Woods 1970

The Tassajara Bread Book Brown, Edward Espe Shambala 1970 0-87773-025-3

Uncle John's Original Bread Book Braué, John Rahn Exposition-Banner 1981 0-682-46876-2

Understanding Baking Amendola, Joseph & Nicole Rees John Wiley & Sons 2003 0-471-40546-9

Uprisings: The Whole Grain Bakers' Book Whole Grain Educational Assn. Uprisings Pub. Co. 1983 0-9611600-0-4

The Village Baker Ortiz, Joe Ten Speed Press 1993 0-89815-489-8

What You Knead Esposito, Mary Ann William Morrow 1997 0-688-15010-1

The World Encyclopedia of Bread and Break Making Ingram, Christine & Jennie Shapter Hermes House 2002 1-84309-141-0

A World of Breads Casella, Dolores David White Co. 1966

Yesterday's Bread Lalli, Carole Harper Perennial 1999 0-06-095314-4

Cheers, The Old Bear

Reply to
The Old Bear

Wow! Thanks for all the books. I'm off to the bookstore. :)

LM (just baked a sweet egg bread with dried cranberries, sprinkled with almonds - smells wonderful!)

The Old Bear wrote:

Reply to
purple_bovine

There are techniques you will need to learn about to get to a good French bread. There are two books that will give you all the information about how the ingredients and technique work together to make bread. They are "The Bread Bakers Apprentice" by Peter Reinhart and "Bread: A Baker's Book of Technique and Recipes" by Jeffrey Hammelman. The recipes in both books are very good and very well explained. I'd recommend getting one or both of the books.

Come on over to alt.bread.recipes--we'd enjoy your company. Janet

Reply to
Janet Bostwick

Bread Baker's Apprentice is my favorite.

I've got quite a few reviews over at:

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reviews coming soon.

-F

Reply to
floydm

"Janet Bostwick" wrote in news: snipped-for-privacy@corp.supernews.com:

from

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They have a nice bread tips and bread recipe selection.Chunky Cheese Bread If you?re a cheese lover, then this should be the next bread you bake. It travels well, which means it?s perfect for picnics. It makes the flavour of bacon and tomato sandwiches dance. And cut into thick slices, it grills to perfection on your barbecue. Why not serve it instead of hamburger buns at your next get-together?

Ingredients

1 tsp sugar 5 mL 1 1/2 cups water, warm 375 mL 1 envelope (8 g) active dry yeast (2 1/4 tsp/11 mL) 1 envelope 1/3 cup oil 75 mL 1 tsp salt 5 mL 1 tsp Tabasco sauce 5 mL 1 egg, beaten 1 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese, grated 125 mL 4 1/4 cups ROBIN HOOD Best For Bread Homestyle White Flour 1050 mL 1 1/2 cups cheddar cheese, cubed 375 mL

Preparation

DISSOLVE sugar in warm water in large bowl. Sprinkle in yeast. Let stand

10 minutes, then stir well.

BEAT IN oil, salt, Tabasco and egg until smoothly blended. Add Parmesan cheese.

STIR IN 2 cups (500 mL) Robin Hood Best For Bread Homestyle White Flour. Beat well. Add more flour until mixture becomes too stiff to stir and cleans sides of bowl. Turn out onto lightly floured board.

KNEAD dough, adding more flour as necessary to make a soft dough. Continue kneading until dough is smooth, elastic and no longer sticky (about 10 minutes).

PLACE in lightly greased bowl. Turn dough to grease top. Cover with greased waxed paper and tea towel.

LET RISE in warm place (75°-85°F/24°-29°C) until doubled (45-60 minutes).

PUNCH DOWN. Turn out onto lightly floured board. Knead in the cheddar cheese cubes until well distributed. Divide into 2 equal portions.

SHAPE each portion into a loaf. Place seam side down in 2 well greased 8

1/2" x 4 1/2" x 2 3/4" (1.5 L ) loaf pans. Cover with tea towel.

LET RISE in warm place until dough rises 1 1/2" (3 cm) above top of pan in centre and corners are filled (45-60 minutes).

BAKE at 375°F/190°C on lower oven rack for 30 to 35 minutes. Remove from pans immediately and cool on wire racks

QUICK NOTE:

This recipe makes 2 loaves. Try some of the following for variety:

Mini Cheese Loaves: Prepare as above, dividing dough into 6 portions. Shape and bake in 5" x 2 1/2" x 2" (13 cm x 6 cm x 5 cm) loaf pans. Reduce rising and baking time by approximately 10 minutes.

Mix in 1/2 lb (250 g) cooked and chopped bacon or ham with the cheese. Add chopped green onions if desired.

NOTE: Grease pans very well with shortening as cheese tends to stick when it melts.

Reply to
Monsur Fromage du Pollet

[list of books snipped]

And I thought I had a lot of baking books! I would also add Bernard Clayton's The Breads of France to the list. His directions are meticulous (and lengthy), perfect for a novice at artisanal breads.

Cindy

Reply to
Cindy Fuller

Except that he adds milk powder to many of the recipes that should be straight dough.

Graham

Reply to
graham

I'm glad you mentioned this. I've noticed this in his recipes. I've often wondered, "what gives here." Are there certain bakers that prefer bread that calls for milk added as an ingredient, and it's that simple -- I don't know. Dee

Reply to
Dee Randall

Hi --

Can someone please explain why a bread dough would call for a small amount of milk powder, and what the consequences would be for omitting it? If milk isn't an option, what might one use instead for a similar result? Or do you just have to live without a certain texture or other end result?

--Beth Kevles snipped-for-privacy@aol.com

formatting link
-- a page for the milk-allergic Disclaimer: Nothing in this message should be construed as medical advice. Please consult with your own medical practicioner.NOTE: No email is read at my MIT address. Use the AOL one if you wouldlike me to reply.

Reply to
Beth Kevles

According to my bread baking books, milk enhances flavor and increases the nutritional value of the bread.

When I make bread from scratch (using my gramma's recipe), I use warm milk, rather than warm water. I find that the texture is nicer that way. Many bread machine recipes call for dry milk powder rather than fluid milk simply for convenience.

really, the only way to find out if the bread will work (for whatever value of "work" you want) without the milk powder is to try it.

-- Jenn Ridley : snipped-for-privacy@chartermi.net

Reply to
Jenn Ridley

Dee These days I use milk or milk powder only where a recipe for an enriched type of bread calls for it. I never use it in straight dough type breads. I noticed, many years ago, that whenever I used it, it resulted in a fine, even-textured crumb, which is OK if you are making a sandwich loaf but not artisan-style breads. Can you imagine a baguette or a peasant-style miche with the texture of wonder-bread? Graham

Reply to
graham

For many people, French bread is anything that comes in that long shape--regardless of crumb texture or ingredients in the dough. Otherwise, why would that grocery store 'French' bread that is available hot every afternoon a 4 be so popular? Janet

Reply to
Janet Bostwick

Well, there is the undeniable appeal of almost *any* truly fresh, warm bread... Supermarket "french" bread is sort of like mass-market (American, anyway) beer: A very carefully engineered, consistent product, and a good representation of a style that, while I may not like it, many people do.

Dave

Reply to
Dave Bell

Ahh, I fondly remember the first time i baked bread at a friend's house.

Tipped a loaf out of it's pan and went looking for a sharp, serrated knife.

"What are you doing?! You can't cut bread right out of the oven!"

"Uh, I can't?"

"Yeah, it gets all mangled"

"What?"

"And it gets a weird texture when you store it."

"uhh?"

So i rolled it onto it's side and cut it into 3/4" thick slabs, steam pouring out, and watched the whole loaf get buttered and devoured in about

2 minutes by the amazed onlookers.

Just placed my order for a 15"x20" Fibrament-D stone. Don't think I'll be carting it around to show off my baking prowess with it, though.

Reply to
Eric Jorgensen

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