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Artisan Sourdough Made Simple: A Beginner's Guide to Delicious Handcrafted Bread with Minimal Kneading
The easy way to bake bread at home—all you need is FLOUR, WATER and SALT to get started!Begin your sourdough journey with the bestselling beginner's book on sourdough baking—over 150,000 copies sold! Many bakers speak of their sourdough starter as if it has a magical life of its own, so it can be intimidating to those new to the sourdough world; fortunately with Artisan Sourdough Made Simple, Emilie Raffa removes the fear and proves that baking with sourdough is easy, and can fit into even a working parent’s schedule! Any new baker is inevitably hit with question after question. Emilie has the answers. As a professionally trained chef and avid home baker, she uses her experience to guide readers through the science and art of sourdough.With step-by-step master recipe guides, readers learn how to create and care for their own starters, plus they get more than 60 unique recipes to bake a variety of breads that suit their every need. Featured recipes Roasted Garlic and Rosemary Bread- Cinnamon Raisin Swirl- Blistered Asiago Rolls with Sweet Apples and Rosemary- Multigrain Sandwich Bread- No-Knead Tomato Basil Focaccia- Raspberry Gingersnap Twist- Sunday Morning Bagels- and so many more!With the continuing popularity of the whole foods movement, home cooks are returning to the ancient practice of bread baking, and sourdough is rising to the forefront. Through fermentation, sourdough bread is easier on digestion—often enough for people who are sensitive to gluten—and healthier.Artisan Sourdough Made Simple gives everyone the knowledge and confidence to join the fun, from their first rustic loaf to beyond.This book has 65 recipes and 65 full-page photographs.
406 pages, Kindle Edition
Published October 24, 2017
2516 people are currently reading
1288 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 164 reviews
May 23, 2020
Update May 23, 2020:
My sourdough starter is as active as it‘s going to get, I think. I finally dared and started the Everyday Sourdough Bread. It‘s the first bread recipe in this book, the beginner‘s loaf.
And here it is, a little flat (I probably overproofed it), but with a crunchy crust and a mild, tangy flavour. Yay!
I am pleased with this book and it’s hands-on, practical recipes and and step-by-step photographs. Recommended! I will continue to work my way through its recipes.
————
May 12, 2020:
Got this for my current sourdough obsession. I just leafed through it from front to back and love the look of it and the bits I did read so far. This looks like a good beginner‘s book with clear instructions, with accompanying photos of how to knead, form, etc... looking forward to trying out some of these recipes, once my starter is ready to go...
It tickles my funny bone that she recommends Le Creuset as a dutch oven for baking... guess what I have sitting in my kitchen for roasts... score!
My sourdough starter is as active as it‘s going to get, I think. I finally dared and started the Everyday Sourdough Bread. It‘s the first bread recipe in this book, the beginner‘s loaf.
And here it is, a little flat (I probably overproofed it), but with a crunchy crust and a mild, tangy flavour. Yay!
I am pleased with this book and it’s hands-on, practical recipes and and step-by-step photographs. Recommended! I will continue to work my way through its recipes.
————
May 12, 2020:
Got this for my current sourdough obsession. I just leafed through it from front to back and love the look of it and the bits I did read so far. This looks like a good beginner‘s book with clear instructions, with accompanying photos of how to knead, form, etc... looking forward to trying out some of these recipes, once my starter is ready to go...
It tickles my funny bone that she recommends Le Creuset as a dutch oven for baking... guess what I have sitting in my kitchen for roasts... score!
July 17, 2020
Several of my online friends had opted for this book for their 'Sourdough Voyage of Discovery'. That and the fact that the author has a very useful blog - www.theclevercarrot.com - decided me to give it a go.
Well, call me impressed! Raffa has put together a user-friendly compendium of recipes and tips for the complete novice. Her instructions are clear and easy. Somehow, she's found a way to simplify the process to the bare minimum for the most return, and she offers a great variety, from your basic sourdough loaf, to flavoured ones, pan loaves, rolls, special flours, and even a section on using discard.
Since I already had developed my starter, I didn’t try that, but otherwise, I have been literally working my way through the book, and everything has worked so far, some, like the bagels, becoming favourites. The other thing I have found out is that when I went back to more ‘involved’ recipes, such as from Tartine Bread, they worked better. I guess practice makes perfect.
Here are a few of my efforts :O)
Well, call me impressed! Raffa has put together a user-friendly compendium of recipes and tips for the complete novice. Her instructions are clear and easy. Somehow, she's found a way to simplify the process to the bare minimum for the most return, and she offers a great variety, from your basic sourdough loaf, to flavoured ones, pan loaves, rolls, special flours, and even a section on using discard.
Since I already had developed my starter, I didn’t try that, but otherwise, I have been literally working my way through the book, and everything has worked so far, some, like the bagels, becoming favourites. The other thing I have found out is that when I went back to more ‘involved’ recipes, such as from Tartine Bread, they worked better. I guess practice makes perfect.
Here are a few of my efforts :O)
Read
January 11, 2021I can't rate this because I've made exactly two recipes by Raffa, and one actually came from her blog The Clever Carrot. Her sourdough banana bread is amazing, by the way. I would like to point out that the one recipe I tried from the book - the cinnamon raisin bread - didn't rise very well according to her minimal knead method that involves an 8 hour undisturbed counter rise. I tried it again with my usual sourdough techniques (essentially six stretch and folds an hour apart) and ended up with a loaf with much more structure but whose robust chewiness didn't go well with the cinnamon and raisins. The more I think about it, the more I think cinnamon raisin isn't well suited to a gluten-y sourdough bread, so maybe that was the problem.
Also, in my opinion, kneading (stretching, really) sourdough is one of the main pleasures of making it. The dough is soft, pliable as taffy, and sticky without being unreasonable about it. I love handling it, coaxing it into transparency for the lamination step, stretching and folding to develop the gluten, shaping the final loaf. The tactility almost, but not quite, makes up for not being able to do pottery for a year.
This book was due back at the library yesterday, so I'm back to making my standard unadorned sourdough (20% whole wheat, 80% bread flour, 76% hydration if you're curious, which I doubt you are, but hardly anyone who makes sourdough can resist talking about it), which has yielded many enjoyable rounds of melty cheese-on-toast throughout lockdown. I've made just about one loaf of sourdough for every week of lockdown, and it is one of the few pleasures the pandemic has afforded.
Also, in my opinion, kneading (stretching, really) sourdough is one of the main pleasures of making it. The dough is soft, pliable as taffy, and sticky without being unreasonable about it. I love handling it, coaxing it into transparency for the lamination step, stretching and folding to develop the gluten, shaping the final loaf. The tactility almost, but not quite, makes up for not being able to do pottery for a year.
This book was due back at the library yesterday, so I'm back to making my standard unadorned sourdough (20% whole wheat, 80% bread flour, 76% hydration if you're curious, which I doubt you are, but hardly anyone who makes sourdough can resist talking about it), which has yielded many enjoyable rounds of melty cheese-on-toast throughout lockdown. I've made just about one loaf of sourdough for every week of lockdown, and it is one of the few pleasures the pandemic has afforded.
April 21, 2018
The most important step in creating sourdough bread is the starter. Without that you have nothing. Raffa's book tells us that early and often in the book. However she leaves several important matters out of that section of the book. What temperature should your water be with you are creating and then feeding the starter? What temperature do you need to keep the starter at as it develops and grows? How can you overcome environmental limits since as temperature or humidity? Just saying "room temperature" or "warm" is not enough information because our homes and our bodies will interpret those quite differently. I had to go through the process twice, the second time I did online research to supplement the cookbook information and then the starter worked. Very frustrating!
The recipe directions are fairly good. Some of the steps could use a bit more breaking up for people who are not familiar with making homemade bread from scratch. I like that the ingredients are listed to the side. Again, temperature is important and needs to be covered every time for the best results. A notice on each recipe for how long the entire process once you start mixing up the bread would be very helpful. Perhaps some of us have a lot of free time or the money to keep our houses at a certain temperature so the dough can rise but for the rest of us, knowing something will take 12+ hour is important for our planning. The photos that accompany each recipe are lovely.
Raffa is very encouraging throughout her cookbook. I never felt that she was talking down to me though I did want more details as mentioned above and again. I particularly like that she says it will take time to figure out how to make a great loaf of sourdough and that we can play with some of the ingredients. Once you've made several different recipes you may start to see some similarities and be able to create your own versions or new flavors.
She has a lot of recipes in this book -- I counted 70 but let me lay those out by their chapters.
Baking Your First Loaf -- 2 recipes
Sweet & Savory -- 9 recipes
Pan Loaves -- 6 recipes
Whole Grain/Speciality Flours -- 7 recipes
Focaccia Rolls & Everything Else -- 19 recipes
Bread Art --7 recipes
Recipes for Leftover Starter -- 7 recipes
To Enjoy with Bread -- 13 recipes
This is a cookbook I'll hold on to and repeatedly go back because it was a pain and weeks to get that starter to work.
The recipe directions are fairly good. Some of the steps could use a bit more breaking up for people who are not familiar with making homemade bread from scratch. I like that the ingredients are listed to the side. Again, temperature is important and needs to be covered every time for the best results. A notice on each recipe for how long the entire process once you start mixing up the bread would be very helpful. Perhaps some of us have a lot of free time or the money to keep our houses at a certain temperature so the dough can rise but for the rest of us, knowing something will take 12+ hour is important for our planning. The photos that accompany each recipe are lovely.
Raffa is very encouraging throughout her cookbook. I never felt that she was talking down to me though I did want more details as mentioned above and again. I particularly like that she says it will take time to figure out how to make a great loaf of sourdough and that we can play with some of the ingredients. Once you've made several different recipes you may start to see some similarities and be able to create your own versions or new flavors.
She has a lot of recipes in this book -- I counted 70 but let me lay those out by their chapters.
Baking Your First Loaf -- 2 recipes
Sweet & Savory -- 9 recipes
Pan Loaves -- 6 recipes
Whole Grain/Speciality Flours -- 7 recipes
Focaccia Rolls & Everything Else -- 19 recipes
Bread Art --7 recipes
Recipes for Leftover Starter -- 7 recipes
To Enjoy with Bread -- 13 recipes
This is a cookbook I'll hold on to and repeatedly go back because it was a pain and weeks to get that starter to work.
November 10, 2018
I can't sing this book's praises enough. It is all I could ever need to make sourdough. I have been baking Sourdough from my own Starter for many months now. My Starter recipe and original Sourdough recipe I came by in the Paul Hollywood, Hollywood Bakes, book. While that Starter recipe is good and it got me going, the Paul Hollywood method had me failing again and again. (he just doesn't include enough details on baking Sourdough successfully and he should include them, as he had a whole chapter in the book on making the Starter and the loaves you can bake with it).
So, after one failure after another, I learned your loaf will not rise properly in conventional oven unless you cook it for half the time in a dutch oven. When I made Paul Hollywood's recipe in a dutch oven, success at last. But it was inconsistent. And would often fail. I knew I was missing some key details and I started looking for a book dedicated to Sourdough and that's how I came to this one.
It is awesome. The minor details you need to make and bake lovely Sourdough are all in this book. With pictures and explanations by the page load. From a variety of ways to score the dough to kneading (and this bakers methods are minimal knead and also no-knead...so forget the 10 minutes of kneading until your arms drop off).
The recipes, well they are great too, although I have not done them all yet.
Everything an inexperienced Sourdough baker could need is in this book. I am relieved to have found it.
So, after one failure after another, I learned your loaf will not rise properly in conventional oven unless you cook it for half the time in a dutch oven. When I made Paul Hollywood's recipe in a dutch oven, success at last. But it was inconsistent. And would often fail. I knew I was missing some key details and I started looking for a book dedicated to Sourdough and that's how I came to this one.
It is awesome. The minor details you need to make and bake lovely Sourdough are all in this book. With pictures and explanations by the page load. From a variety of ways to score the dough to kneading (and this bakers methods are minimal knead and also no-knead...so forget the 10 minutes of kneading until your arms drop off).
The recipes, well they are great too, although I have not done them all yet.
Everything an inexperienced Sourdough baker could need is in this book. I am relieved to have found it.
October 5, 2023
A pretty basic guide but worthwhile reading if you're into sourdough, especially since it's available on Kindle Unlimited.
February 5, 2022
The most comprehensive and easy to understand book on sourdough I’ve read. I’m 2 loaves in and both turned out beautifully. This cookbook is a must have for any baker.
November 3, 2024
I'm not new to sourdough baking, but it's been a few years and I felt like a needed to go back to basics. This cookbook is good for that, but also has some delicious looking possibilities for expanding my horizons.
January 16, 2021
If I could write a love letter to sourdough, I would. Instead I’ll leave a 5 star review to the matchmaker who made the love happen. I’ve made almost every bread in the book. If I had one complaint, it would be that I wish there were more recipes!
March 3, 2024
Characters & Credibility: 7
Atmosphere, Authenticity, Art: 7
Writing: 7
Plot: 8
Intrique: 9
Logic: 9
Enjoyment: 8
55 pts / 7 = 7.86 Score on the CAWPILE system. 7-8.99 gives it 4 stars.
Atmosphere, Authenticity, Art: 7
Writing: 7
Plot: 8
Intrique: 9
Logic: 9
Enjoyment: 8
55 pts / 7 = 7.86 Score on the CAWPILE system. 7-8.99 gives it 4 stars.
February 18, 2025
Best sourdough bread recipe I’ve found!! I can’t wait to try her other recipes 😍
July 6, 2020
Easy to follow step by step instructions. Great illustrations too.
I made my first successful sourdough starter and lovely bread using these recipes. Perfect for a beginner or more experienced Baker.
I made my first successful sourdough starter and lovely bread using these recipes. Perfect for a beginner or more experienced Baker.
August 27, 2019
After years of struggling to make a strong and robust starter, this book gave me the advice I needed to cultivate a starter that after one month hasn’t failed me at all. I’ve made eight if the recipes in the book so far and each one has worked out as described!!! I bought the spiral bound version and love the ability to have the recipe flat and at the ready.
My favourite bread so far is the dill and white cheddar. Toasted the cheddar dominates the interior flavour with the dill peaking out along the crust. A regular slice has dill dominating and is light and fluffy - it made me wish I’d cooked a turkey just to make sandwiches with it.
My favourite bread so far is the dill and white cheddar. Toasted the cheddar dominates the interior flavour with the dill peaking out along the crust. A regular slice has dill dominating and is light and fluffy - it made me wish I’d cooked a turkey just to make sandwiches with it.
February 5, 2023
This is everything I was looking for. The recipes are realistic and useful for daily life unlike a few other artisan sourdough cookbooks I’ve seen.
I literally did go through the whole cookbook from start to finish and bookmarked so many things including rustic pumpernickel, tomato Basil focaccia, bialys with caramelized onions and goat cheese, and sooo much more.
So far I have made three recipes from this book (over the course of two days haha), the everyday sourdough, high hydration sourdough and the country farmhouse white loaf. All three are good for beginners like me. And the outcome was perfection!
I just wish that the high hydration sourdough had clearer instructions or photos to support as it was a little bit difficult to grasp. It’s currently in the oven right now so we’ll see how mine turns out. Other than that there were photos to support everything else like stretch and folding, shaping and scoring designs.
My other favourite thing is that the author included recipes for things you can make for your starter discard! When I first looked into sourdough starters and the upkeep of the discard and feeding schedule, my mind immediately went to “wow that’s a lot of waste”. But the author created some really easy recipes that incorporate those discards which is great. I haven’t tried them yet but will soon!
I literally did go through the whole cookbook from start to finish and bookmarked so many things including rustic pumpernickel, tomato Basil focaccia, bialys with caramelized onions and goat cheese, and sooo much more.
So far I have made three recipes from this book (over the course of two days haha), the everyday sourdough, high hydration sourdough and the country farmhouse white loaf. All three are good for beginners like me. And the outcome was perfection!
I just wish that the high hydration sourdough had clearer instructions or photos to support as it was a little bit difficult to grasp. It’s currently in the oven right now so we’ll see how mine turns out. Other than that there were photos to support everything else like stretch and folding, shaping and scoring designs.
My other favourite thing is that the author included recipes for things you can make for your starter discard! When I first looked into sourdough starters and the upkeep of the discard and feeding schedule, my mind immediately went to “wow that’s a lot of waste”. But the author created some really easy recipes that incorporate those discards which is great. I haven’t tried them yet but will soon!
August 1, 2018
I haven't had a chance to to try most of the recipes in this book, but everything I've made so far has been absolutely delicious (and I am NO expert when it comes to baking bread... very much a beginner!) To make things even better, it's the most user friendly guide to sourdough I've been able to find (and I spent weeks trying to research sourdough bread and falling down the "rabbit hole" so to speak) Raffa breaks the process down into manageable stages and even gives helpful time management suggestions. The photography and design is also very beautiful.
I love that the idea of this cookbook (as outlined in the introduction) is to explore when you become curious, not overload yourself with details and techniques, something that is all too easy to do with sourdough bread! I often find myself pulling out this cookbook in idle moments to explore a new recipe and strategize what I want to try next. I highly recommend to anyone wanting to try sourdough!
I love that the idea of this cookbook (as outlined in the introduction) is to explore when you become curious, not overload yourself with details and techniques, something that is all too easy to do with sourdough bread! I often find myself pulling out this cookbook in idle moments to explore a new recipe and strategize what I want to try next. I highly recommend to anyone wanting to try sourdough!
February 27, 2018
This is a beautiful book full of delicious looking recipes and photos. I liked the fact that photos were also included of the starter and step-by-step techniques, in addition to the finished products. Some of the sourdough books I've looked at have only had recipes using 1kg of dry ingredients which is far in excess of the 450g that I use for my normal loaves; this book uses around 500-750g for each recipe so seems a bit more reasonable. There's a huge range of recipes from loaves of breads to sweet treats.
June 26, 2020
As I enter day 1000 (time has no meaning) of this pandemic/shelter in place, I have become desperate for a sourdough cookbook. Trying to scroll through internet recipes until I find one that has all the info I need, and the least irritating ads, and ingredients that I have, and the fact that I always seem to miss a step when I read an internet set of directions, made it imperative that I have an actual cookbook to refer to. I was lucky enough to find a copy of this book hidden on the shelf of a bookstore and gleefully carried it back to my lair.
I have made the english muffins (amazing), the discard waffles (amagzing) and a honey whole wheat (cooling on the countertop, smells great, high probability of amazing). The directions are clear and simple, ingredients lists are not overly burdensome, pictures are great.
As I get older, I wouldn't mind if all cookbooks came in large print (especially for fractions...many times have I guessed wrongly between 1/3 and 1/2....), I'd rate this book about medium for font, font size and contrast.
I have made the english muffins (amazing), the discard waffles (amagzing) and a honey whole wheat (cooling on the countertop, smells great, high probability of amazing). The directions are clear and simple, ingredients lists are not overly burdensome, pictures are great.
As I get older, I wouldn't mind if all cookbooks came in large print (especially for fractions...many times have I guessed wrongly between 1/3 and 1/2....), I'd rate this book about medium for font, font size and contrast.
February 3, 2025
I've been studying this book and re-reading the beginning sections to make sure I get everything right. I made my first loaf of sourdough on Saturday following the basic recipe in this book, and it turned out wonderfully. I was impressed with how easy it was to follow and how well my bread turned out for the first try. I have bookmarked a couple other recipes in this book that I am excited to try.
I found her website when I was first interested in sourdough and found this book through that. As I'd rather have a book in my hands than refer to a website, I bought a copy. For a super beginner like me, I have read through the beginning to understand it all and I thought it was very well written and easy to follow.
Thanks to this book, there's plenty more loaves of bread in my future!
I found her website when I was first interested in sourdough and found this book through that. As I'd rather have a book in my hands than refer to a website, I bought a copy. For a super beginner like me, I have read through the beginning to understand it all and I thought it was very well written and easy to follow.
Thanks to this book, there's plenty more loaves of bread in my future!
March 27, 2021
I love this book! I checked it out from my library and not even half way through I knew I needed to buy my own copy. Great recipes that are straightforward and simple. There’s a good variety in recipes and the photography is stunning. So far I’ve made the Everyday Sourdough, Cinnamon Raisin Swirl, Sunday Morning Bagels and Decadent Chocolate Chip with great results!
October 30, 2018
Delightful, this book helped me step up my sourdough game and now I'm making enjoyable loaves and not doorstops.
March 10, 2019
Detailed instructions and useful tips, gorgeous pictures, cute illustrations, I would have liked more varied recipes, but this is a nice book for a novice sourdough baker. 3.5 stars
August 28, 2019
Simple approachable guide to sourdough.
January 17, 2024
I love a cookbook with pictures. This one has one for every recipe and they are beautiful. Lots of information if you are just starting sourdough. There are several recipes I can't wait to try.
January 26, 2024
My starter is in the cabinet. Excited to give it a whirl. I appreciated the thorough explanations and look forward to trying the recipes when my starter is ready.
April 26, 2020
Great instructions for starting and maintaining and making sourdough! We've made bread, pancakes, focaccia, sweet breads, bagels, etc... And all delicious and simple!
March 4, 2023
I made several recipes in this book and loved each one. Particular favorites were the focaccia pizza and chocolate focaccia.
July 12, 2019
21 June 2019:
I just got Emilie Raffa's book out of the library. Wow, where to start?! So far, I've bookmarked 9 recipes and I haven't even got as far as the whole grains chapter!
What beautiful photos. I'm also really impressed by the clear instructions accompanied by equally clear illustrations and/or photos of those instructions.
I got distracted from reading further because I'm thinking of revising the chocolate peanut butter chip bread on page 52, and changing it into chocolate raisin buns - maybe I'll add some chopped up dark chocolate bar too. (So far, Raffa's inclusions of arguably inferior tasting chocolate chips and peanut butter chips are my only real objections to her recipes.)
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
bookmarked:
p26 every day sourdough (70%)
p29 high hydration sourdough (75%)
p45 Dill and White Cheddar
p48 Seeded Pumpkin Cranberry
p52 Chocolate Peanut Butter Chip (planning to use cocoa idea and replace peanut butter chips with raisins, and chocolate chips with coarsely chopped 70% chocolate )
p59 Sticky Date, Walnut, and Orange
p66 Saturday Morning Fruit and Nut
p69 Multigrain Sandwich Bread (this is a keeper! ...already made a variation of this in May 2019 - please see blog from OUR kitchen | Multigrain Bread that isn’t just for Sandwiches (BBB May 2019) for details)
p73 Overnight Danish Rye Bread
p80 Mighty Multigrain
p83 Light Rye
p84 Toasted Sunflower *
p87 Golden Sesame Semolina *
p88 Rustic Pumpernickel *
update July 2019: What a great book! It strikes me as a "must have" for any serious bread baker. It also seems perfect for the novice baker who wants to eat great bread without having to go to the insanely expensive artisanal bakery downtown.
How great that Raffa includes a brioche recipe - with, yay, no commercial yeast!
The photos of all the various breads are beautiful! I can almost hear the crust crackle; I can almost taste the beautiful crumb.
I can't stop being impressed at how practical Raffa's instructions are. And I really like this tip, especially the explanation of how it came about:
I have to take the book back to the library on 11 July. I think, considering all those bookmarked recipes, I may HAVE to buy my own copy.
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++
I have two minor complaints:
1. There is no definition of "pumpernickel flour".
2. Raffa seems a little afraid of whole grain. (Too bad she doesn't embrace Michael Pollan's idea of sifting whole grain flour and adding the gluten-cutting bran after shaping.)
I just got Emilie Raffa's book out of the library. Wow, where to start?! So far, I've bookmarked 9 recipes and I haven't even got as far as the whole grains chapter!
What beautiful photos. I'm also really impressed by the clear instructions accompanied by equally clear illustrations and/or photos of those instructions.
I got distracted from reading further because I'm thinking of revising the chocolate peanut butter chip bread on page 52, and changing it into chocolate raisin buns - maybe I'll add some chopped up dark chocolate bar too. (So far, Raffa's inclusions of arguably inferior tasting chocolate chips and peanut butter chips are my only real objections to her recipes.)
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
bookmarked:
p26 every day sourdough (70%)
p29 high hydration sourdough (75%)
p45 Dill and White Cheddar
p48 Seeded Pumpkin Cranberry
p52 Chocolate Peanut Butter Chip (planning to use cocoa idea and replace peanut butter chips with raisins, and chocolate chips with coarsely chopped 70% chocolate )
p59 Sticky Date, Walnut, and Orange
p66 Saturday Morning Fruit and Nut
p69 Multigrain Sandwich Bread (this is a keeper! ...already made a variation of this in May 2019 - please see blog from OUR kitchen | Multigrain Bread that isn’t just for Sandwiches (BBB May 2019) for details)
p73 Overnight Danish Rye Bread
p80 Mighty Multigrain
p83 Light Rye
p84 Toasted Sunflower *
p87 Golden Sesame Semolina *
p88 Rustic Pumpernickel *
update July 2019: What a great book! It strikes me as a "must have" for any serious bread baker. It also seems perfect for the novice baker who wants to eat great bread without having to go to the insanely expensive artisanal bakery downtown.
Ever wonder how to bake sourdough, but don't know where to begin? I'm going to tell you a secret: You don't have to be a professional baker or have a concrete knowledge base to get started. Sourdough can be accessible to anyone. [...] I used to think it was some kind of mad science project myself. But in actuality, it's a technique that can be traced back thousands of years [...] It is not necessarily "sour" dough. The flavor can be either mild or tangy, depending on how the starter is cared for and how the dough is made. You won't find any hydrogenated oils, corn syrup, or preservatives lurking in homemade sourdough-it's 100% natural. [Introduction, p9]
How great that Raffa includes a brioche recipe - with, yay, no commercial yeast!
The photos of all the various breads are beautiful! I can almost hear the crust crackle; I can almost taste the beautiful crumb.
I can't stop being impressed at how practical Raffa's instructions are. And I really like this tip, especially the explanation of how it came about:
Add the oil after the dough has rested. This was initially my human error, but it turned out to be one of those happy mistakes that makes better bread. Place this dough inside a well-floured proofing basket to create whimsical powdered lines on the outside crust. [Rustic Pumpernickel, p88 (gorgeous photo on p89!)]
I have to take the book back to the library on 11 July. I think, considering all those bookmarked recipes, I may HAVE to buy my own copy.
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++
I have two minor complaints:
1. There is no definition of "pumpernickel flour".
2. Raffa seems a little afraid of whole grain. (Too bad she doesn't embrace Michael Pollan's idea of sifting whole grain flour and adding the gluten-cutting bran after shaping.)
Ah whole wheat bread. One false move and you could end up with a loaf that tastes like firewood. The secret to lighter, edible loaves is to understand whole-grain flours themselves. [...] You won't get mile-high oven spring, but you will get rich, deep, nutty flavor, making whole-grain bread what we crave. [Whole Wheat Sourdough, p76]
Read
February 23, 2021the BEST book on manking sourdough. Answered so many of my questions...Like why do I need to use a food scale? OMG...a food scale does the neatest tricks. What to use for a starter, and why the heck do I need to discard half of my starter? Yes! Answers. I'm suited up and ready to make the perfect sourdough loaf.
December 31, 2017
4.75 * for usability reasons.
Been using her recipes for 4-6 weeks now.
Have had consistently successful sourdough, unlike my first excursion into sourdough a few months ago.
Taste great, practical and practicable tips, my house smells like heaven.
Such a good book that I bought it for myself after checking it out from the library.
USABILITY PROBLEMS / DRAWBACK:
If you don't have 20/20 vision, this book may not be for you. The font is small & grey on a white background. I have had to get out the magnifier at times to use the book. Almost did not purchase it for this reason. But the recipes were so good I broke down and got it. I struggle to read it every time I use it. So, be forewarned.
Been using her recipes for 4-6 weeks now.
Have had consistently successful sourdough, unlike my first excursion into sourdough a few months ago.
Taste great, practical and practicable tips, my house smells like heaven.
Such a good book that I bought it for myself after checking it out from the library.
USABILITY PROBLEMS / DRAWBACK:
If you don't have 20/20 vision, this book may not be for you. The font is small & grey on a white background. I have had to get out the magnifier at times to use the book. Almost did not purchase it for this reason. But the recipes were so good I broke down and got it. I struggle to read it every time I use it. So, be forewarned.
January 25, 2018
This is a good introduction to sourdough which I found very useful, mainly because I'm new to baking in general. I found the photos on specific techniques helpful especially when coming a cross terms in the text that were new to me. The recipes have been to my liking so far and there is a decent variety to begin exploring baking with sourdough.
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