Very Good Bread: The Science of Dough and the Art of Making Bread at Home: A Cookbook

by Melissa Weller

Genres: Cookbooks, Food

336 pages, Hardcover

Published November 5, 2024

Reviews

[Jane · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a very nice collection of recipes for (mainly) sourdough breads and some dishes to pair with them. Weller is undoubtedly an excellent baker and writes very clearly about the process and rationale behind it. The steps for each recipe are very clear (to the point of repetitiveness: I would have preferred a master recipe at the beginning of each section, and flavor-based deviations following, but I'm sure many people prefer the complete recipe for any given bread to be self-contained). Three stars from me not because the book doesn't succeed at offering delicious-sounding recipes, but more that it's not marketed more clearly as what it is: a sourdough cookbook. There are plenty of people who are looking for sourdough recipes; goodness knows, the pandemic produced enough. But plenty of us are still looking for yeast bread recipes (and lots of variety of same), and it's not obvious that this book includes only a small handful. Still, it's a nice book and I'm sure would circulate among all the carb enthusiasts in libraries. I don't think it's THE definitive bread book, but it's a nice one to flip through.
Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the arc!

[Genesee Area Library · Rating 5 out of 5]

It seems like every few weeks a book is released on bread, sourdough bread in particular. It feels like everyone is trying to continue capitalizing on skills that many people started learning during the pandemic. Unfortunately, most of them feel thrown together, use volume for measurements, never talk about the flours they use, the vernacular of bread making, and so many other important steps when really wanting to up your bread game.

Very Good Bread is NOT one of them.

I never have high expectations on bread books anymore and one of the first things I look for are how ingredients are measured. If weight is not listed, the book is an immediate no go. In my opinion, so many beginning bread makers, or bakers in general for that matter, have recipes that fail or turn out subpar because Americans love their volume measurements. Baking is science. Use weight!

Anyways.... things I love about Very Good Bread:

Before you even get into the actual book, Weller takes the time to give you information. Like most, she tells you her history and background in bread making, but then she goes on to explain how you can set yourself for success, including a timing roadmap, how she preheats her oven, and the temperature of her ingredients. Normally, the timing thing is a negative for me, since a lot of it has to do with temperature, BUT she actually notes that temperature plays a key roll, not something I have seen in most bread books. Again, like most books, she then goes into basic ingredients and the tools she prefers, but the big difference here is how she breaks down the flours used in her recipes. She talks about the key components in each flour, why she uses them, their flavor profiles, and even going as far as telling you to source dark roasted malted barley from home brew stores because that is where you'll typically find this particular grain.

From there, it's a sourdough primer. Making your own starter, some key vocabulary and what they mean, and most importantly she notes "Yeast is like a pet. It needs food (flour), water, and a warm environment to thrive." Sourdough starters fail because they are living things and we often don't treat them as such. She takes the time and really breaks down sourdough starters into something everyone can understand. All of this happens before we even get into the meat of the book.
Each section heading starts with a master class designed give you all the information you need to become well, a master of those recipes. Read them. Read them again. Then head to the recipes. The recipes themselves? Weller took such great care in capturing every detail of the bake. The pictures of shaping loaves skips nothing. Whether you are a visual learner, or only need instructions, she has both covered.

As a girl who grew up on NYC bagels, if this book was just the chapter on bagels and bialys, I would still buy it in a heart beat. I live in the mountains of rural Pennsylvania now and miss a good bagel and smear terribly. My husband and I have been known to purchase dozens upon dozens of bagels to bring home with us when visiting family. There is nothing remotely close, and yes, it's the water. Weller does mention that there are other factors that go into good bagels, but you will never convince me that NYC water doesn't play a vital role.

Other pluses for me are the additional recipes she includes outside of bread making. Most of the bread recipes are then followed by a recipe that uses them. For example, the pita recipe is followed by a recipe for lamb meatballs with yogurt and pickled onion. The hoagie rolls are followed by every you need in order to make the best Italian combo sandwich. Oh and Weller uses lard in her flour tortillas, as we all should.

If I had to complain about anything, and trust me, it was difficult to do with this book, there would be two, and they are more personal preferences. First would be the repetition on the bagel chapter. Weller gives recipes for plain sourdough bagels, everything, sesame, onion, etc but they are all the same base recipe, followed by what is being used to top. Some might complain that this was just to make the book larger, and therefore charge more, but the more I think about it, the more I kind of like it. There is no flipping back and forth through the pages where the main recipe is, and the pages containing the toppings. It makes the recipes and process more streamlined. The second is that the recipes flip back and forth between sourdough and yeast for leavening. I understand that using sourdough in place of yeast, and vice-versa, does change the flavor and time table of breads, but as someone who rarely bakes with yeast anymore, I would have loved to see a side note on transforming the recipes into whichever suits your preference. Again, it's just a personal preference and I understand the reasoning why Weller uses yeast in some, and sourdough in others.

Bottom line: Buy this book. It doesn't matter if you're a beginner or an experienced bread baker, you're going to want this one. I know I'll purchasing a copy for myself. (Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC)

[Courtney · Rating 5 out of 5]

This ARC was provided by Netgalley and Knopf, Pantheon, Vintage, and Anchor. All opinions are my own.

Very Good Bread is a well-structured cookbook on how to make all different forms of bread. Instructions are concise and done by weight, which is exactly what I expect from my high level cookbook. There is a nice assortment of photos throughout the book to display what the finished products look like, as well as photo diagrams to explain certain techniques to the reader. This is thoughtfully assembled with some unique recipes that I have yet to see in my large collection of bread focused cookbooks.

I have not yet had time to bake from this cookbook, so my review is not a reflection of the recipes themselves, but the general content and instruction value. With that said, I would be surprised if anyone struggled with these recipes.

[Susan Hamann · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love this book!! If you want a book chock full of new bread recipes, you may not want this book. However, if you want step by step instructions, hints, and photos of how to make outstanding bread, this one should be on your bookshelf. The author has decades of experience baking different types of bread. I always read the upfront chapter that cookbook authors write, but this one added so much insight. There is incredible knowledge included between the covers. I obtained an e-book, but I think a print book is needed for me to get every ounce of value from this book.

The chapters are:
Bread Primer
Bagels & Bialys
Flatbreads
Sourdough Loaves
Petits Pains
Sandwich Buns and Rolls
Baguettes and Ciabatta
Pizza and Focaccia

I learned how to bake bread through regular cookbooks and TV shows this book will bring me to the next level - no doubt.

[Jennifer · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book. The book taught me not only how to make different types of bread, but also what goes into making a successful bread. A physical copy of this book is definitely needed so that one can easily reference the various sections. The recipes were easy to follow, and the author's passion for baking was evident, making the experience both educational and enjoyable. Each chapter provided new insights and techniques, which made me eager to try every recipe. Overall, it was a delightful journey into bread-making that left me feeling inspired and confident in my baking skills.

[Abbigail · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really liked the detailed instructions and guides that headed most chapters, but I was surprised that the majority of the recipes called for sourdough starter. I love the idea of this, especially from a sustainability standpoint, but for me it's just not attainable at the moment and I would imagine the same for many others. That said, I love the precedent that this sets. (I kind of loved and hated the huge bagel topping section-- huge in relation to the rest of the book and topic)

[Ryan Mishap · Rating 2 out of 5]

I was super-stoked on the science promise here only to have my hopes dashed with the same old basic facts about the science of bread. I didn't find the personal sections engaging--perfunctory, really. The recipes look really good but they aren't different enough from my King Arthur Big Book of Bread to bother with.

[Lisa H · Rating 4 out of 5]

Scientific approach to bread making.

This is a book packed with information and instruction all about bread making in its many forms.
Jam packed with a precise approach to baking bread and all the knowledge behind all things bread. A comprehensive tutorial.

[Carolee Ware · Rating 4 out of 5]

This method of bread baking is very time consuming but the end product is excellent.