The Bread Book

by Linda Collister, Anthony Blake

Linda Collister is devoted to bread making. The Bread Book, which features her recipes for loaves from all over the world, exemplifies her commitment to her subject but without the rigidity and complication--or oversimplification--of similar works. Calmly, and taking into account every possible bread-making contingency, she explains how to produce a variety of breads, from basic sandwich loaves to ciabatta. But it's the photos--more than 300 of them--that set this book apart. For example, the basic loaf recipe is accompanied by 22 detailed shots, showing every preparatory step from crumbling yeast to slashing the loaf before baking. Amateur and practiced bakers alike will welcome this careful illustration of a process that relies so much on visual cues. In addition to covering basic, flat, and quick breads, Collister offers chapters on such specialty loaves as fruit, nut, and savory breads (cheese and onion loaf), celebration breads (panettone and challah), and sourdough, rye, and enriched goods (babas, savarins, and Aberdeen butteries, a delicious Scottish breakfast roll). The Bread Book is so comprehensive and the recipes so tempting that it's unfortunate to note that it is compromised by inaccurate quantity conversions and a repeated typographical glitch that obscures ingredient requirements in several recipes. Collister states that a cup of flour (no distinction is made among types) equals four ounces rather than about five, the standard equivalent for white flours. Thus, for example, 6 cups of white bread flour is stated as equivalent to 680 grams, while actual measurement shows it to weigh 822 grams--a difference of about 5 ounces. The cup or gram measure as given is, therefore, unreliable. But readers aware of these problems may still want to consult the book for its instructive photos and the other useful information it provides. --Arthur Boehm

Genres: Cookbooks, Cooking, Food

192 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1993

Reviews

[catweaseloz · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is a few years old now but she covers a lot of ground with some good coverage of basic bread making in the UK and US and a few from further afield. Even the "new" ciabatta. A lot of personal stories attached to many of the recipes.

[Blanca · Rating 3 out of 5]

A beautiful book to inspire an aspiring home baker. Thoughtful intros and fanciful and ambitious breads make it a didactic yet engaging read. However, a misprint of pages is confusing from pgs. 170 - 174, where it is referred to as pages 191-195. The only reason I give it 3 stars is that I attempted to make chocolate au pains twice with bad results. The first paragraph of instructions is confusing and I suspect that it will be trail and error to decipher the first step of the recipe.

[Cami · Rating 3 out of 5]

There is so much variety in here and from all over the world.
This would be a great bread cookbook for travelers to revisit certain breads.

While most of these recipes are advanced with advanced ingredients (by my standards), Viola's Caramel Cinnamon Rolls are worth the several hours prep. I also like the corn bread, foccasia (sp?) and the directions. I think I've also made the fry bread.

It would be worth checking out by anyone if your local library carries it.

[Palimpest Living · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a go-to for me for a long time. The recipes are easy, but turn out amazing results. Lots of variety, from simple every day rolls and loaves to more complex and elegant options like Brioche and holiday favorites like challah and St. Lucia bread. Highly recommend for people looking to master bread baking!

[Koeeoaddi · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another very good bread book. The recipe for Ethiopian Spice Bread is awesome!

[David · Rating 5 out of 5]

Perfect for me. Not too difficult. Straightforward with some great recipes. I managed to make dough, have it rise, baked it and ate it. It was very relaxing!

[Phil James · Rating 2 out of 5]

Hardcover

641.815
C697b
2000

BIG picture book!

[Kiki Seong]

It.