Bread Matters: The State of Modern Bread and a Definitive Guide to Baking Your Own

by Andrew Whitley

Bread Matters

Genres: Cookbooks, Food, Cooking, Nonfiction, Reference, Food and Drink

487 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 1, 2006

Reviews

[Elizabeth · Rating 4 out of 5]

In another review, Teresa said,

Who really "needs" another cookbook, at least in this group?

And I agreed. But I got "Bread Matters" out of the library anyway to take a look.

Once past the first few pages of almost rabid speculation about what may or may not be added or subtracted to grains (it reads like a political campaign!), I saw that the book was full of very sound advice on bread-making as well as explaining why most commercially made bread is such a spectacular failure.

I particularly like the following that appears on page 54. Too bad it's not in big letters right at the beginning of the book!

Many people think that baking bread takes too long. [...] But it doesn't need to take much of your time - ie. time that you may not have or feel you cannot spare. Breadmaking is a sequence of relatively short actions interspersed with periods of waiting.

Whitley then goes on to list the amount of time required (and generous amounts of time too: 5 minutes for taking bread in and out of the oven) to amount to half an hour of "our" activity to produce bread that may take 24 hours in all from start to finish.

Not that this is the first time someone has said this... the inimitable Julia Child wrote something similar much much earlier:

Ye gods! But you're not standing around holding it by the hand all this time. No. [...] [T]he dough takes care of itself. [...] While you cannot speed up the process, you can slow it down at any point by setting the dough in a cooler place [...] then continue where you left off, when you are ready to do so. In other words, you are the boss of that dough [- Julia Child, "From Julia Child's Kitchen" publisher: Alfred A Knopf 1979]

While I agree on principal about using "organic" ingredients, I've never been absolutely convinced. But Whitley's description of "non-organic" yeast production were the first to really start swaying me into beginning to actively seek out organic ingredients.

Fully half the book is taken up with techniques, trouble-shooting ideas and alternate names and properties of various flours. There is also extensive information on creating and maintaining sourdoughs.

And this is why I decided to buy the book. Not for the recipes. For the methods.

+++++
re-read - library copy of e-book November 2019

As to the act of making bread,
it would be shocking indeed,
if that had to be taught by the means of books.

[- William Cobbett, Cottage Economy (1823)]

Ha!!

Major Complaint about the e-book:
The ingredients chart (all text) in Chapter 1 describing the functions of various ingredients is virtually unreadable in the e-book - even with a magnifying glass. In order to see what is written, it is necessary to look at the e-book on the computer, and even then, the print is very very small.

The trouble shooting chart is equally difficult to read. Shame on the e-book publishers for allowing that to happen!

Still, the book is jammed with really great information on flours, milling, how various ingredients act, ideal dough temperature, yeasted breads, sourdough, etc. etc. The sections on salt and fat are particularly fascinating. As is the large section on sourdough. There is also a chapter on what to do with old bread: croutons, bread crumbs, bread pudding... the usual. Well, almost usual. There is a recipe for "Brown Bread Ice Cream"!

Making sourdough bread is easy. People have made bread this way for thousands of years. This simple folk knowledge has been rediscovered by a new community of enthusiasts and some terrific naturally fermented bread can now be had [...] But if you look for guidance on making this sort of bread at home, it seems strangely complicated. [...] It doesn't have to be like this. All that is needed is a clear understanding of what happens when flour and water are mixed and left in a warm place. The rest is detail. [chapter seven, Simple Sourdough]

Bookmarked Recipes:
Borodinsky
Arkatena Bread
Altamura (Semolina) Bread
Semolina, Raisin and Fennel Bannock

Minor Quibble: It's difficult not to be put off just a little.

Poolish Despite its strange name, this is the French equivalent of the English sponge. The term is much loved by a rather earnest kind of American artisan baker. [Chapter 5: Starting from Scratch]

This sort of implies that bread making began in England, doesn't it? Not that I'm a fan of the word "poolish"... but it just seems a little odd to spout off about the word without offering any real information.

From what I understand from earlier reading, "Poolish" is the term for a high hydration pre-ferment that was first used by Polish bread bakers. Here are two

French bakers perfected the production of sur levain (sourdough) white breads due to the availability of higher quality wheat flour. [...] Austrian bakers who emigrated to Paris around 1840 initiated the production of Vienna breads and other luxury products. A Polish nobleman, the Baron Zang, introduced the use of the poolish, a multistage fermentation method based on the use of prepared yeast that is still practiced by specialists today. [- Karel Kulp, Klaus Lorenz (editors), Handbook of Dough Fermentations, p12-13]
~ ~ ~ ~
The Polish sponge method was developed in Poland during the 1830s, when industrially produced baker's yeast first made its appearance. It was later adopted by the bakers of Vienna. The poolish method was used to make the very first breads leavened entirely with baker's yeast. In France, loaves of this type were to become widely known and were produced under the name of "Vienna breads." [- Raymond Calvel (English translator: Ronald L. Wirtz), The Taste of Bread, p.96]

[Charles Thompson · Rating 5 out of 5]

When I was a kid my sister and I baked all the time. That is we baked when weren't running all over Kingdom Come. We were latch key children being raised by a single mother. It was the 60s and 70s in small town California and it was safe to run all over K.C. with abandon, without worry. When we were old enough to care for ourselves my mother gave us house keys which we wore around our necks next to our skate keys on those metal ball chains like soldiers use to wear their dog tags. Running all over K.C. was pretty much a full-time activity but on those days when the weather was inclement, where we had to stay indoors, my mother often came home at five o'clock to two dozen chocolate chip cookies that we'd spent the wet afternoon baking. We simply followed the directions on the back of the Toll House chocolate chips package (still one of the best recipes for chocolate chip cookies ever!) and voila! Fresh-baked chocolate chip cookies. Even though my mother could barely keep up with it all she did manage to always have flour, white and brown sugar, baking soda and powder, oil, butter and Crisco on hand. If we were running low on a precious baking necessity Traci or I added it to the grocery list on the refrigerator. If we weren't making cookies it was cupcakes, or full on cakes from those Betty Crocker and Duncan Hines boxed mixes. We had no fear, we pretty much baked anything. Our solo forays did stop at yeast baking however but I do know that on more than one occasion we made bread with my mother. I have fond memories of slicing the still hot loaves and slathering butter all over them, and gobbling them down. Those were kitchen events where we all baked together as a family.

And then for some reason as an adult I did a whole lot less baking. I did bake massive amounts of sourdough bread at my first restaurant job as a cook which was both a challenge and a lot of fun. The place was called Sourdough Jack's and fresh-baked sourdough loaves were the first item put on a diner's table. But after that both personally and professionally I moved over to savory cooking; cooking the first courses, main courses, and sides. My culinary interests solidified. I didn't actually find the time for yeast baking and it sadly fell by the wayside. So when I received 'Bread Matters' to review from Andrews McMeel Publishing I was excited. I looked forward to reading it and to trying the recipes. 'Bread Matters' is not just a book about baking -- it's a book about a lifestyle. Author-baker Andrew Whitley has owned an award-winning bakery near Cumbria, England since 1976. He has devoted over twenty-five years to perfecting the craft of baking bread. In 2002 he founded Bread Matters, an organization devoted to improving the state of bread. He is also a founder of the Real Bread Campaign in Great Britain which started in 2003 and aims to encourage the increased and local consumption of 'real bread' in Great Britain.

The first three chapters of 'Bread Matters' are devoted to the issues surrounding the production of commercial bread. Whitley believes that store-bought bread has little nutritional value and unnecessary additives, and that it is made too quickly. He advocates that slowing down the process makes for better tasting, more nutritional bread. Chapter Three - Taking Control is a call to action: leave the store-bought, commercial stuff behind and buy or bake your own organic bread. The rest of the book tells you how with over fifty recipes. The book is for all levels of baker from beginner to expert. The first recipe I tried was from Chapter Six - First Bread and Rolls and is titled 'Basic Bread.' For not having made a yeast bread in a very long time it was just like getting back on the proverbial bicycle. It took several hours but they were relaxing hours; once I set the dough to rise on the back of my stove there was a giddy anticipation of will it rise properly, will it work? And it did, my basic bread loaf was a beautiful sight and tasted even better. Whitley's recipe and explanations were clear and straightforward. To have a complete experience I kneaded the dough with my hands vs. a mixer or Cuisinart and I am glad I did. It put me in closer touch with the process and it was fun!

What I like about the book is the detail to which Whitely goes to explain all the technical aspects of yeast cookery. Types of flour, water, yeast, baking equipment, essential ingredients, temperature, ovens, nutritional value, troubleshooting -- he even includes a section on gluten-free baking. While making my basic loaf I had a question about the process and quickly found the answer in another section of the book. I tried several other recipes including Baps (Small Rolls) and a recipe for calzoni; all worked beautifully. Next on my list of attempts will be something with sourdough and possibly croissants. The book is thorough, well-organized and full of great information on baking and yeast cookery. Whitley walks readers through the baking process with chapters like Starting From Scratch, Bread-A Meal in Itself, and Easy As Pie. If you don't already own one of the many yeast cookery books out there, or are looking for a good primer, I highly recommend Bread Matters. If you already have one or more of the others out there, this will make a perfect addition to your library. It's always good to have more than one source, isn't it? Andrew Whitley absolutely knows what he's talking about.

[Don · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a must-read book for anyone who makes, or is thinking of making, their own bread - or who wants to know why they should think about it, if they are not already.

As a novice breadmaker I found it inspirational and very helpful, although it is written very much from the point of view of the professional baker, not the occasional baker in a domestic kitchen. But it does cut through a lot of the nonsense one reads about baking, with practical advice on how to go about it - and how to fix it, if things don't go as you expect.

It also covers a lot of ground - explaining how to make different kinds of bread from many parts of the world, in a very accessible style.

[Heather · Rating 4 out of 5]

The best book I’ve read on the principles of bread baking, with the author’s decades of experience coming through clearly. Contains my go-to starter recipe and cuts through a lot of old wives tales about bread. Also discusses the protein content of flours, what each ingredient actually does, and the science behind it all. A must-have for any bread baker.

[Liz · Rating 5 out of 5]

Just loved this book, I won't use any other bread recipes now. No fancy ingredients, flour, salt, yeast and water. Making bread this way the only problem was deciding which ones to make. I have so many favourites.

[aiken · Rating 5 out of 5]

A concise guide with many interesting recipes.

[Terri · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is, "Part manifesto, part manual."

The author, Andrew Whitley, started the Village Bakery in Melmerby, England in 1976 in a day when making whole wheat bread did not go over real well but Whitley persevered.

Whitley gives you the tools you need to take control of baking your own bread. He begins with the ingredients used in commercially baked breads and explains their reason for being and their problems for being. For example: Reducing Agent- L-cysteine hydrochloride (E920) Cysteine is a naturally occurring amino acid. Used in baking to create stretchier doughs, especially for burger buns and baguettes. (So far, so good) What's the problem? No intended nutritional benefit, though also sold as a supplement. May be derived from animal hair and feathers!!

Simply put, Whitley tells us there is only a handful of basic breadmaking methods with small variations on a theme.

A simple yet thorough explanation of your tools for bread baking and the ingredients necessary are helpful. For example: Baking Sheets- Try to get sheets that fit exactly (either alone or two side-by-side) your oven shelf dimensiions. Go for the thickest-gauge metal available. Thin steel or aluminum sheets may be cheap but they have an annoying habit of buckling as they heat, and sudden movement can cause the collapse of rolls or loaves whose structure has not yet "set."

He includes very helpful information on what to do when things go wrong, "The loaf collapses during or after baking and has a sad-looking rumpled crust; usually a result of over-proof or possibly a symptom of weak flour, i.e. one with low protein and low-strength gluten.

And also very helpful are his Eight Illogical Instructions to avoid: "Make a well in the center of the flour and add wet ingredients- is pointless" Or "Tap the loaf on the bottom; if it sounds hollow, it is done- most loaves sound hollow done or not."

Then he solves the problem later in the book to replace the useless "tap for hollow sound" instructions, although a gentle pat on the bottom is a most satisfying gesture of intimacy and approval it is not effective rather; Does it look done? How long has it been in the oven? How do the shoulders look and feel? Know your oven.

Finally after you really understand what you are doing, what you are using for ingredients and tools, and what is going on with your ingredients, finally Whitley gives you his first basic recipes to be treated as templates to further success with different ingredients.

Also, there are some lovely color photos in the book that encourage you to want to make those breads right now!

This would be a great book for the beginner baker to ensure success and for the advanced bread baker to revel in all the chemistry going on in the bread baking process.

Beyond all that is the recipes of simplicity he gives like Hot Cross Buns and Basic Bread but also the very complicated Pains au Chocolat, Croissants, Schiacciata di Uva (Tuscan Harvest Bread)

[Debra Brunk · Rating 5 out of 5]

I had originally ordered this book as it was referenced in a book about celiac's disease and gluten sensitivity. The context of the reference seemed to indicate that this book would get into details on old versus new wheats, sourdough impact on gluten, etc. Therefore my first impression of the book was one of disappointment, because it reads as more of a subjective primer than an objective, in-depth research paper. Once I got over my expectations, however, I found this book entertaining, educational, interesting and fun to read. The book is about half discussion and half cookbook. The discussion part can be a little boring, particularly when the author lists every possible thing you need to have on hand to make bread - but it is detailed and possibly a great list for a beginner. His editorial comments on supermarket bread, and other forms of convenience bread are hilarious and right on (from my perspective). His humor keeps his somewhat apolitical comments from coming across too strongly. The author does go into some discussion about different wheats (old vs. new) and other grains - but his overall premise is - stop buying store bread and make your own. The second half of the book are different bread recipes. I was a little disappointed that he provided so many recipes with baker's yeast - after having blasted it in his discussion - but he also provides many sourdough recipes. I have tried several of them, and they have turned out great. The recipes are also nice because the breads are different - rye breads, fruit/nut breads, etc. - all using sourdough. I have found from experience that these recipes can be hard to find. I really liked his table at the end of the book listing the different properties of the different grains (wheat and non-wheat). It is interesting to see what processing does to these products. So overall a great collection of information on grains, editorial comments, and wonderful recipes! I highly recommend this book to anyone interested in baking their own bread or taking their bread-making to another level. I wish I had had this book when I first started making bread years ago...

[Kitten Kisser · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am so happy with this book it is unbelievable! I feel like it was written just for me! I have been baking my own bread (no bread maker) for years now & it has always been hit or miss. I always wonder what I did wrong or right for that matter! I bake a loaf of bread or two a week. Some very lovely, others not so. Why does my bread turn out this way?
This book comes to the rescue! I cannot believe how much information is packed in! First the author starts out by explaining exactly why we should all each and every single one of us, make our own bread & stop forever from buying "bread" in the store. He provides a whole host of reasons for doing so & I totally agree...why else would I be baking all this bread every week?
Anyway from there he goes into the basics of bread making & starts with basic loaf recipes. He covers it all! He explains sourdough breads, making them from yeast or wild yeast's. Sweet breads & pies are even included! AND for you GLUTEN suffers, he provides a lot of reason why he feels so many of us can no longer digest wheat AND gives plenty of recipes for GLUTEN FREE home baking!!!
There are full color picture sections showing off the various baked wonders that are the recipes in the book.
I have read several bread books & non compare to this one. I have already baked yummy breads from his recipes & feel that after all these years I am finally on my way to doing this bread thing the right way! This book is bread making for everybody! It is simply fantastic! I love it love it love it! I highly recommend to all! And yes, this would make a great gift!

[Wouter · Rating 3 out of 5]

Quirky, unconventional. Most of the times in a good way (in the introduction sections), sometimes in a bad way. I can't seem to get a grip on the simple sourdough production calculations at 200% hydratation, sometimes the recipes require simply too much effort to recalculate correctly.
Andrew does have a sense of humor I highly appreciate in these kinds of books though. But it's not always consistent either: "put the dough in a warm place" for example is something he hates when he encounters a recipe in some bread baking book. Yet he fails to accurately describe it in his own recipes. Also: "final proofing takes between 2 to 8 hours" - euhm. I know it's difficult to pinpoint in a book since temperature is variable, but a bit more precise might not hurt.

Liked the arkatena chickpea sourdough and gluten free baking parts, as well as the introduction and history of bread baking in UK.

[Hannah · Rating 4 out of 5]

I am setting this as finished because I have, technically, read all of it. However, I am going to buy a copy because I don't think recipe books are ever something you actually finish reading. Alas, the world of book-logging tends to not leave a space for such unusualities!

Whitley is a very good, concise writer about both the importance of understanding what is in bread, and how to make your own. I came to this conclusion about halfway through when I read a set of instructions for a sourdough starter that didn't have me thinking that I might need to learn biochemistry or understand the phases of the moon. And I particularly liked the presentation of the recipes as base recipes that could then be adapted - but! with tips and hints as to how to do that. A lot of recipe books (not just for bread) assume that the knowledge of how to do this has somehow magically been inserted into the readers brain as they perused the earlier recipes and just leave you standing baffled.

[Gill Quinn · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is not a recipe book as such though there are a few. The first half of the book is devoted to explaining how bread is made, the science behind it and lamenting the state of much of the bread sold and eaten in Britain today. The second half has a few basic recipes which talk you through the process easily and simply. You can easily amend the basic guides to make your bread more interesting after all most loaves are just a variation on a theme.

This book is well written interesting and once you know the process you can see the endless possibilities in just flour water salt and (maybe) yeast. If you have an interest in eating better bread and/or making your own this is worth a read.

[Andrea S Lawson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Easy sourdough recipes

This book is made up of a lengthy essay on the state of British commercial bread making (Chorley wood process) and presents some very good arguments for making your own bread. Then the various ingredients are discussed. For me the most interesting part is about sourdough, this has to be the most simple way to make a rye starter I have come across, you just need organic stoneground rye flour and water, no other ingredients needed. The only negative is there are no pictures of the different breads

[Mrs. · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wasn't sure if I needed another bread book, but who really "needs" another cookbook, at least in this group? Glad I got it though. The author is very opinionated, and while I agree with some of his thoughts, there are also quite a few with which I disagree. That aside, the bread collection is interesting and unusual, and the directions for creating, maintaining, and reviving sourdough starters are excellent.

[Wayne · Rating 4 out of 5]

I like Whitley's take on teaching bread making. His recipes are simple and work. I've been experimenting with his levain recipes and formulas and have found them fairly easy to understand and use. I think for an intro to home baking this might be my preferred go to book. I really love the way he dispels a lot of "myths of baking" down to creating a chart of myths and their ancillary realities.

Fun read and good guide.

[Colin · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is not so much a cook book as a treatise on bread. A surprisingly scientifically rigorous look at the whole process of bread making from someone who has centred his whole life around baking. I shouldn't really be reviewing it as I haven't actually tried any of its recipes, but I am really looking forward to trying!

[Curlsdiva · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is THE book for me about breadmaking. Nothing fancy-schmancy, just solid baker knowledge and experience. And recipes that make sense and don't read like a chemistry lesson. I've been eating bread from his company, the Village Bakery, for years.

[Anna · Rating 4 out of 5]

really insightful treatise on bread, not sure how well I'll be able to apply it though. The recipes had a bit of a Russian theme so I'm excited to try making the bread supposedly first baked the night of the battle of Borodino!

[Justin Cormack · Rating 4 out of 5]

Recipes, history and food politics all together.

[Tony · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm biased here. Andrew taught me how to bake bread. Try his Borodinsky Russian loaf. Wonderful!

[Debra · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book put it all together for me with recipes that work for someone that is still a beginner.

[Mark Stevens]

My bread making Bible!

[Elizabeth]

Theres not alot of pictures, and the first half of the book is about the baking industry in general. The recipes are simple, and its a good place for home bakers to start.

[Iman · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love this book.

[Holly L. · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good book, but odd that the American edition wasn't at all Americanized.