There is a real "back to Bread" movement happening from coast to coast. You'd think there was a cookbook toaster just for bread with all the bread books are popping up like hot buttered toast waiting to be gobbled up.
I've turned my not so "gourmet" kitchen into a veritable "test kitchen" for a few of the "artisan" bread books popping out of various publisher houses. I've found some I really like and some I could do without. There are simple, basic variations as well as some that might need a PHD in Food Science to decipher.
Artisan Bread in Five Minutes a day was the rule-breaking best seller that has helped lead us back into the kitchen and the art of making bread. I have tried this method and added a few changes to make a bread that is healthy and reminds me of the bread I found in Germany and a few local European bakeries.
Another book that is a good blend of food science a basic bread skill is from Peter Reinhart. His "Artisan Breads Every Day" is fabulous. It is basic enough to teach about the ingredients that make a truly artisan bread as then help you with step-by step pictorial instructions to be successful with a wonderful variety of breads.
If you want to take a step further into the "fermented" world of bread get your hands on the Bread Bakers Apprentice also from Peter Reinhart and jump right into pre-ferments, sourdough and soakers.
1 comment:
I thought soakers were those guns we're filling with water and drenching the grandkids with. No? Guess I'd better get reading. We're happy to be taste-testers!
Post a Comment