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Bread Making: Advice and Recipes for Perfect Home-made Bread
Bread is one of the oldest prepared foods and one of immense social and political significance. In Britain we eat about 8 million loaves a day, most of it shop bought. But more people are now making their own bread. In this book all the techniques, ingredients, and science of bread making are explained, in addition to a range of recipes, including some from the National Trust. The recipes include the basics such as Wholemeal, Granary, Rye, Corn, and Farmhouse bread, but there are also many regional specialties, such as Barmbrack, Bara Brith, English Muffins, Crumpets, Pikelets, Beer Bread, Welsh Cakes, and Bath Buns. This attractive little book contains everything you need to inspire you to start making your own bread.
96 pages, Hardcover
First published April 16, 2014
16 people want to read
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September 19, 2023
While there is plenty of good advice
I confess that I found this book - with its hard cover subheading of "A practical guide to all aspects of bread making" - to be a little disappointing. Alas, it wasn't quite "all aspects" because the book does not include a recipe for the fabulous multigrain toasted bread that was served to me for breakfast in Edinburgh this past summer.
Perhaps this is why the e-pub version has the subheading of "Advice and Recipes for Perfect Home-made Bread"....
I really like that Jane Eastoe makes it clear that a lot of special equipment is entirely uneccessary.
However, I do question her recommendation to use plastic with such abandon. The recipes invariably have instructions to cover the dough, or tin, or bowl with "a plastic bag", or "clingfilm", or a "shower cap" or "(even a bin bag)". Plates and overturned large mixing bowls work just as well to keep dough from drying out; they have the added bonus of being washable and recyclable.
The explanation for how to shape a "bloomer" (a what??) is quite confusing. Luckily, there are drawings. Unfortunately, there aren't adequate drawings to explain the technique for shaping a baguette. Jane Eastoe writes, "It's hard to make a perfect baguette, but if you decide to have a crack at it, this is the way to shape one.". She follows with overly complex and rather confusing instructions. Equally confusing and lacking is the instruction for scoring: "Score the [shaped baguette] with three to five shallow diagonal crossway cuts that overlap (see the illustration in the centre of the book)". Sadly, there are no accompanying drawings for the shaping, and the illustration of scoring the baguette is simply a drawing of a baked baguette. In the baguette recipe itself, she simply says "make 3 or 4 diagonal slashes along the length with a sharp knife". Then, in the introduction to the baguette recipe, she actually writes, "There is nothing like a French baguette, so don't expect too much from this recipe".
Whoa. It's no wonder she says it's hard to make a baguette!
Her explanation for how to shape Danish Pastries is laughable: "A fiendishly fiddly dough to make, and twiddly to shape, nevertheless everyone loves a Danish and these creations really are an act of love." That is the extent of the explanation in the Techniques section! For those wanting to make Danishes, the instructions for shaping them are fractionally more extensive in the actual recipe that appears later in the book: "Now for the fun part: it is time to select what shape of Danish pastry you want to make — crescents, imperial stars, cushions or pinwheels (all the techniques are described in Chapter 4, pages 34-5)" .
In the Recipes introduction, there is a handy section explaining the meanings of words for temperature, such as "tepid": "it should feel at blood temperature, and the variability of "room temperatures", as well as the fact that oven temperatures are not necessarily accurate. But here is my favourite part of her arguably unhelpful advice, reminiscent of my mother's answer of "just some" when we asked her how much salt to put into the biscuit dough:
Also, the recipes that are included have just a little too much of a feel for the mid-20th century. Indeed, all the recipes appear to be gleaned from other sources, with little added or subtracted by Jane Eastoe herself. Note that the other sources seem to be from much earlier in the 20th century, including the National Trust's recipes (1947) and possibly Jane Eastoe's mother's recipe box, the yeasted breads calling for active dry or fresh yeast. The bibliography is quite telling.
For a completely unknown reason, the recipes' ingredients are listed by weight - with parenthetical volume measurements - for most of the ingredients. Inexplicably, liquids (milk, water, oil) are listed by volume alone. The volume/gram equivalent for salt is different from North American equivalent. For most of the recipes, Jane Eastoe says that 5 grams table salt = 1 teaspoon, as opposed to the North American standard of 6 grams table salt = 1 teaspoon. Obviously, 1 or 2 grams of salt may not make a huge difference, but one has to question things when seeing "7g (1+1/2 tsp) salt" in the recipe for Lady Hilaria's Wholemeal Loaf, and "10g (2 tsp) salt" in the recipe for Old-Fashioned Cottage Loaf.
And then there is the sourdough section. Oh. My.
She goes on to say that she's not trying to put anyone off....
Jane Eastoe's sourdough starter recipe requires 8 days before it is mature, and is a surprising 166% hydration. To make the sponge for her recipe for one loaf of sourdough bread, amazingly, she calls for 250g flour, 300ml water, and 75ml of the sourdough starter. Really? What happened to using her digital scale?!
The recipe may well work. But beginners with sourdough would be much better off consulting the many many books and internet sites entirely devoted to sourdough that have appeared in the last 5 years or so.
Other gems:
Recipes that look good (but may well require tweaking - particularly the salt amounts - some of the recipes call for just 1% baker's percentage of salt!):
» Potato Farls "These are naughty but nice in a savoury way!" (There is no leavener at all in Potato Farls!)
» Barley Bread "a seventeenth-century recipe from the National Trust's Moseley Old Hall" (but... with "some adjustments from contemporary taste" (for 800 grams flour, the recipe calls for only 7 grams salt.)
» Bara Brith "deliciously fruity Welsh bread [...] cut it into thin slices and butter!" (for 450 grams flour, the recipe calls for only 5 grams salt.)
» Cornish Saffron Buns "Legend has it that the Phoenicians landed in Cornwall and exchanged saffron for tin." (for 450 grams flour, the recipe calls for only 5 grams salt.)
+ + + +
If half stars were allowed, the rating would be 2.5 stars. It is rounded up to 3 because of the section before the recipes themselves.
I cannot stress enough that measuring ingredients precisely is very important in bread making — artisan bakers may be able to judge when their dough needs a little more flour or water, but it takes a lot of practice to become that skilled. If you only buy any other piece of equipment, it should be digital scales. [The Science and Stages of Bread Making | Measuring Out and Mixing]
I confess that I found this book - with its hard cover subheading of "A practical guide to all aspects of bread making" - to be a little disappointing. Alas, it wasn't quite "all aspects" because the book does not include a recipe for the fabulous multigrain toasted bread that was served to me for breakfast in Edinburgh this past summer.
Perhaps this is why the e-pub version has the subheading of "Advice and Recipes for Perfect Home-made Bread"....
I really like that Jane Eastoe makes it clear that a lot of special equipment is entirely uneccessary.
None of the recipes in this book require the use of a mixer; I still don't have one myself and I get terribly cross when recipe books specify their use because I feel excluded. [Introduction]
However, I do question her recommendation to use plastic with such abandon. The recipes invariably have instructions to cover the dough, or tin, or bowl with "a plastic bag", or "clingfilm", or a "shower cap" or "(even a bin bag)". Plates and overturned large mixing bowls work just as well to keep dough from drying out; they have the added bonus of being washable and recyclable.
Just make sure that there is plenty of room for the dough to grow like topsy without touching [...] — it'll stick like glue [The Science and Stages of Bread Making | Rising]
The explanation for how to shape a "bloomer" (a what??) is quite confusing. Luckily, there are drawings. Unfortunately, there aren't adequate drawings to explain the technique for shaping a baguette. Jane Eastoe writes, "It's hard to make a perfect baguette, but if you decide to have a crack at it, this is the way to shape one.". She follows with overly complex and rather confusing instructions. Equally confusing and lacking is the instruction for scoring: "Score the [shaped baguette] with three to five shallow diagonal crossway cuts that overlap (see the illustration in the centre of the book)". Sadly, there are no accompanying drawings for the shaping, and the illustration of scoring the baguette is simply a drawing of a baked baguette. In the baguette recipe itself, she simply says "make 3 or 4 diagonal slashes along the length with a sharp knife". Then, in the introduction to the baguette recipe, she actually writes, "There is nothing like a French baguette, so don't expect too much from this recipe".
Whoa. It's no wonder she says it's hard to make a baguette!
Her explanation for how to shape Danish Pastries is laughable: "A fiendishly fiddly dough to make, and twiddly to shape, nevertheless everyone loves a Danish and these creations really are an act of love." That is the extent of the explanation in the Techniques section! For those wanting to make Danishes, the instructions for shaping them are fractionally more extensive in the actual recipe that appears later in the book: "Now for the fun part: it is time to select what shape of Danish pastry you want to make — crescents, imperial stars, cushions or pinwheels (all the techniques are described in Chapter 4, pages 34-5)" .
In the Recipes introduction, there is a handy section explaining the meanings of words for temperature, such as "tepid": "it should feel at blood temperature, and the variability of "room temperatures", as well as the fact that oven temperatures are not necessarily accurate. But here is my favourite part of her arguably unhelpful advice, reminiscent of my mother's answer of "just some" when we asked her how much salt to put into the biscuit dough:
[W]here exactly is that 'warm place' that is mentioned so often? Just do your best to find a spot that best fits the bill. [Recipes | Temperatures]
Also, the recipes that are included have just a little too much of a feel for the mid-20th century. Indeed, all the recipes appear to be gleaned from other sources, with little added or subtracted by Jane Eastoe herself. Note that the other sources seem to be from much earlier in the 20th century, including the National Trust's recipes (1947) and possibly Jane Eastoe's mother's recipe box, the yeasted breads calling for active dry or fresh yeast. The bibliography is quite telling.
For a completely unknown reason, the recipes' ingredients are listed by weight - with parenthetical volume measurements - for most of the ingredients. Inexplicably, liquids (milk, water, oil) are listed by volume alone. The volume/gram equivalent for salt is different from North American equivalent. For most of the recipes, Jane Eastoe says that 5 grams table salt = 1 teaspoon, as opposed to the North American standard of 6 grams table salt = 1 teaspoon. Obviously, 1 or 2 grams of salt may not make a huge difference, but one has to question things when seeing "7g (1+1/2 tsp) salt" in the recipe for Lady Hilaria's Wholemeal Loaf, and "10g (2 tsp) salt" in the recipe for Old-Fashioned Cottage Loaf.
And then there is the sourdough section. Oh. My.
Despite what celebrity chefs maintain, making sourdough bread is not a doddle. Most people, myself included, usually have many attempts before they get it right. I don't want a sourdough catastrophe to discourage you from bread making per se, so please, please, please become confident in the art of bread making before you try your hand at sourdough. [...] I've had sick dogs that were less demanding[Recipes | Sourdough]
She goes on to say that she's not trying to put anyone off....
Jane Eastoe's sourdough starter recipe requires 8 days before it is mature, and is a surprising 166% hydration. To make the sponge for her recipe for one loaf of sourdough bread, amazingly, she calls for 250g flour, 300ml water, and 75ml of the sourdough starter. Really? What happened to using her digital scale?!
The recipe may well work. But beginners with sourdough would be much better off consulting the many many books and internet sites entirely devoted to sourdough that have appeared in the last 5 years or so.
Other gems:
There is an apparent mystique to bread making that deters many people from having a stab at it, even though they would not think twice about knocking up a delicate soufflé, stuffing and roasting a goose, or using a blowtorch to caramelise the sugar on top of a crème brûlée. [Introduction]
~ ~ ~ ~
[Salt']s function is more than just flavouring: salt tightens the gluten network and thus regulates the speed at which the dough rises. Without it, your dough may well be sticky and difficult to work. You can use regular tables salt, but most serious bakers use rock salt or sea salt, although not the coarse granular form as these crystals don't incorporate so easily. [Ingredients]
~ ~ ~ ~
Recipes often say 'leave your dough to rise until it reaches the top of the tin'. This is all very well, but tin sizes can be variable and we don't necessarily all own a full range of every conceivable size and shape of tin. [The Science and Stages of Bread Making | Proving]
~ ~ ~ ~
If you do not have digital scales, please use proper measuring spoons to get an accurate weight — your mother's tablespoon from the cutlery drawer will not necessarily equate in either weight or volume to the precise given quantity. [Recipes | Measurements]
Recipes that look good (but may well require tweaking - particularly the salt amounts - some of the recipes call for just 1% baker's percentage of salt!):
» Potato Farls "These are naughty but nice in a savoury way!" (There is no leavener at all in Potato Farls!)
» Barley Bread "a seventeenth-century recipe from the National Trust's Moseley Old Hall" (but... with "some adjustments from contemporary taste" (for 800 grams flour, the recipe calls for only 7 grams salt.)
» Bara Brith "deliciously fruity Welsh bread [...] cut it into thin slices and butter!" (for 450 grams flour, the recipe calls for only 5 grams salt.)
» Cornish Saffron Buns "Legend has it that the Phoenicians landed in Cornwall and exchanged saffron for tin." (for 450 grams flour, the recipe calls for only 5 grams salt.)
+ + + +
If half stars were allowed, the rating would be 2.5 stars. It is rounded up to 3 because of the section before the recipes themselves.
July 14, 2019
Clearly written recipes with descriptive drawings. This delightful little book would make an ideal present for those looking for advice and recipes for perfect breadmaking.
August 6, 2014
More reviews (and no fluff) on the blog http://surrealtalvi.wordpress.com/
The author starts the book by noting, "There is an apparent mystique to bread making that deters many people from having a stab at it" and I really agree, though I have made many 'stabs' at it in the past. Typically, I get a brick (especially from breadmakers) or I get something tasteless despite adding herbs, etc. For once, here is a book that explains why results didn't turn out as hoped - as well as giving recipes for the most common types of breads. From salt, to sugar, to different yeasts and flours.This is a great bread resource. There aren't any fancy photographs and only a few illustrations. But the writing is friendly, easy to follow, and very informative. Author Jane Eastoe takes the time to explain why ingredients are needed and why some don't work well with others (e.g., mixing the wrong grains can take away taste or consistency).
The book breaks down as follows: Introduction, Ingredients Explained, the Science and Stages of Bread Making, Techniques, Recipes, Glossary of Terms, Contacts (mostly in the UK), Bibliography, and Index.
In addition to typical loaves, there are also pastries, buns, and something called a bara brith. But the recipes include a wide selection, including crumpets, English muffins, malt loaf, chelsea buns, and various UK regional loafs/cakes (including a 'lard cake' that looks very interesting).
I appreciated that the directions made specific use of different types of yeasts available and how you have to handle them differently. As well, using one flour type over another often meant adding more water to prevent 'brick syndrome' or chewy bread. The tips in here are all the things that I was missing when making bread and not getting the results like the recipes expected.
In all, the large type font, friendly tone, great tips and information, and recipes full of great stock bread types (and not odd arty breads) make this a great resource.
I purchased the Kindle edition and it read perfectly.
August 13, 2016
I love baking bread. I'm not very good at it, but it's something I definitely want to get better at. Homemade bread not only makes the house smell amazing, it is so much better for you (and cheaper!) than supermarket loaves. However, I find whenever I read bread baking books I get overwhelmed very quickly with talk of ratios and ambiguous and unclear directions of how to know when bread is ready at each of its different stages. Fortunately, as it promises in the title, Bread Making is a very practical guide to all of the aspects of bread baking this particular aspirational bread baker needs to know.
Eastoe opens by discussing the most common ingredients used in breadmaking, for example the different types of flours and different types of yeast. She then discusses the processes of breadmaking - measuring, kneading, rising, shaping, knocking back, proving and baking, before describing how to shape dough into different types of loaves. After reading these, I felt confident enough to have a go myself, so as I type this there is a batch of English muffins rising in the warmest place I could find in my kitchen and as soon I pick up some mixed spice from the supermarket, I will be making hot cross buns (which Eastoe helpfully points out can actually be eaten all year round.
Eastoe's has a lovely friendly writing style. Many of the recipes have some historical information on the recipes such as who wrote them or their history. For example, she writes, "Hot-cross buns became immensely popular in Tudor times, as you wer only permitted to eat such spiced bread on special occasions, such as Easter, Christmas and at furnerals, after a decree in 1592." All in all, a very nice breadmaking book that gives me confidence that I can actually bake nice and delicious bread.
Eastoe opens by discussing the most common ingredients used in breadmaking, for example the different types of flours and different types of yeast. She then discusses the processes of breadmaking - measuring, kneading, rising, shaping, knocking back, proving and baking, before describing how to shape dough into different types of loaves. After reading these, I felt confident enough to have a go myself, so as I type this there is a batch of English muffins rising in the warmest place I could find in my kitchen and as soon I pick up some mixed spice from the supermarket, I will be making hot cross buns (which Eastoe helpfully points out can actually be eaten all year round.
Eastoe's has a lovely friendly writing style. Many of the recipes have some historical information on the recipes such as who wrote them or their history. For example, she writes, "Hot-cross buns became immensely popular in Tudor times, as you wer only permitted to eat such spiced bread on special occasions, such as Easter, Christmas and at furnerals, after a decree in 1592." All in all, a very nice breadmaking book that gives me confidence that I can actually bake nice and delicious bread.
June 20, 2014
Title: Bread Making A practical guide to all aspects of bread making
Author: Jane Eastoe
Publisher: Pavilion Books/National Trust
Published: 4-17-2014
ISBN: 9781909881242
E-Book: B00JREEIX0
Pages: 107
Genre: Food & Wine
Tags: Cooking, Cookbooks, Baking, Bread
Overall Rating: Excellent
Reviewed For: NetGalley
Reviewer: DelAnne
Ask me for a cake or pie and I am there, but bread ... frozen foods here I come. My poor Grandmother spent an entire Summer trying to teach me to make biscuits and I made great hockey pucks. Now years later I continue to try only with the same results. One new effort to make my own bread was to read Bread Making A practical guide to all aspects of bread making once again. I made Sour Dough Bread from scratch. They may not be professional looking, but they tasted great.
This is more than a book of recipes it also explains techniques and the different ingredients. There is an actual recipe for hot cross buns I want to try but not until I get better at sour dough and English Muffins. So far both are more than edible and usable but they still do not look like the bread or English Muffins I purchased from my local bakery. I am conceited enough to think I make superior cinnamon rolls and danish pastries, but I did try the recipes in the book. Not bad! I am a big tea drinker so I am off to try my hand at crumpets.
Author: Jane Eastoe
Publisher: Pavilion Books/National Trust
Published: 4-17-2014
ISBN: 9781909881242
E-Book: B00JREEIX0
Pages: 107
Genre: Food & Wine
Tags: Cooking, Cookbooks, Baking, Bread
Overall Rating: Excellent
Reviewed For: NetGalley
Reviewer: DelAnne
Ask me for a cake or pie and I am there, but bread ... frozen foods here I come. My poor Grandmother spent an entire Summer trying to teach me to make biscuits and I made great hockey pucks. Now years later I continue to try only with the same results. One new effort to make my own bread was to read Bread Making A practical guide to all aspects of bread making once again. I made Sour Dough Bread from scratch. They may not be professional looking, but they tasted great.
This is more than a book of recipes it also explains techniques and the different ingredients. There is an actual recipe for hot cross buns I want to try but not until I get better at sour dough and English Muffins. So far both are more than edible and usable but they still do not look like the bread or English Muffins I purchased from my local bakery. I am conceited enough to think I make superior cinnamon rolls and danish pastries, but I did try the recipes in the book. Not bad! I am a big tea drinker so I am off to try my hand at crumpets.
August 19, 2014
Bread Making - A Practical Guide to All Aspects of Break Making
Jane Eastoe
Pavilion Books/ National Trust Books
Bread Making is the perfect resource for everyone from bread-making beginners to advanced bread makers looking to expand their bread recipes repertoire.
This book includes a comprehensive introduction to ingredient types, techniques, bread shapes, and grain types. This section includes simple colour illustrations, which may have been more helpful with each relevant recipe but work here as a reference guide. Then follows a wonderful mix sweet and savoury bread recipes, including some rare ones that you don't often find in many other bread books.
Each recipes includes a small introduction about its uses, taste and
anecdotes about each bread's history, description and the recipe's origins, which gives life to each recipe. It is also helpful that the recipes include amounts for both fresh and instant yeast and other ingredient quantities in both gram and cup form.
Break Making is a wonderful addition to my bread cookbook collection and I look forward to trying my hand at more of the recipes.
The publishers provided a complimentary copy of this book for reviewing purposes.
Jane Eastoe
Pavilion Books/ National Trust Books
Bread Making is the perfect resource for everyone from bread-making beginners to advanced bread makers looking to expand their bread recipes repertoire.
This book includes a comprehensive introduction to ingredient types, techniques, bread shapes, and grain types. This section includes simple colour illustrations, which may have been more helpful with each relevant recipe but work here as a reference guide. Then follows a wonderful mix sweet and savoury bread recipes, including some rare ones that you don't often find in many other bread books.
Each recipes includes a small introduction about its uses, taste and
anecdotes about each bread's history, description and the recipe's origins, which gives life to each recipe. It is also helpful that the recipes include amounts for both fresh and instant yeast and other ingredient quantities in both gram and cup form.
Break Making is a wonderful addition to my bread cookbook collection and I look forward to trying my hand at more of the recipes.
The publishers provided a complimentary copy of this book for reviewing purposes.
August 10, 2014
I received this book free to review from Netgalley. It is probably fantastic for people in Europe, but the measurements are given in grams and milliliters and they are also converted into teaspoons, tablespoons and ounces, but the dry measures like flour are only given in grams and ounces or pounds - not in cups. There are also ingredients listed that, as an American, I have no idea what they are like "strong white flour" - is that white flour that exercises? So, I have not made any of the recipes but they do look like they are probably good and the instructions are quite detailed.
June 7, 2014
Bread Making by Jane Eastoe is an excellent guide to making bread. Whether for the advanced baker or the beginning baker Jane teaches everyone how to make the perfect bread. She teaches the Science and stages of bread making along with different techniques to get those recipes that she has included, just perfect. I look forward to baking bread in the future with Jane's book.
I received a free copy of this book in return for my honest opinion.
I received a free copy of this book in return for my honest opinion.
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews