Customer Reviews

The Best of the Herman Sourdough Herald

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This cookbook specializes in growing and using a "sweet sourdough" yeast starter called "Herman." Lots of you have seen these "friendship" starters passed around--they look like frothy pancake batter. This book teaches you how to make you own starter, maintain it, and use it in a variety of bread, cake and cookies. Yes, is does make bakings moister and last longer. The book also has a brief recipe at the beginning for the fermented fruit starter (no yeast). This would be a great gift for the cook-from-scratch cook who likes trying new techniques. It also contains a lot of down-home anecdotes. You'll feel like you're reading your Great-Aunt Helen's old recipe notebook. A NOTE OF CAUTION -- This is not for the novice cook. The writers assume some knowledge of basic cooking techniques and this will drive an inexperienced cook WILD with frustration. Try some clear simple yeast bread and cake recipes from a step-by-step cookbook before tackling this one.

I had not been given Herman in many years. When he recently turned up again I wanted some new recipes. I found the name of this cookbook in an old newspaper article about Herman that I had saved from several years ago. I was pleasantly surprised that I could get a copy through Amazon.com. The book is packed with all kinds of recipes and all that I have tried have been quite tasty. You can't go wrong with this one.

Don't buy this if you are looking for true sourdough recipes that don't use commercial yeast. Not only does the recipe for the Herman starter call for yeast, all of the bread recipes call for MORE yeast in addition to the starter. I bought this book because I have fond memories of my grandmother keeping Herman going in her fridge--and baking some AWESOME rolls and such with it--in the late '70s and early '80s. Will I really ever use it? Not sure. But it makes me smile.

This bread is exactly like the hawaiian bread sold in most large american grocery stores. Since the hawaiian bread is not a cheap item, herman could be made, and used in place of spending money for a premium food product.

Herman bread is not a beginners project, nor is it for the 30 minute type cook. It takes ten days to create the starter for herman from scratch. I had this book, and gave it to someone as a gift, because at this time, I still do not live in my own place, and I am not at liberty to use the method detailed in this book. AFter eating the hawaiian bread, which I have only been acquainted with very recently, I now know what I would use the herman starter for.
the book does not tell how to make the starter, without all the sugar that is included in it, so if a sweet tasting bread is not to your taste, this book and this style of sourdough is not for you.

I've had this cook book since 1993. I've baked with this starter for all these years. Recipes are great. They have been hits at our house and every where I take something cooked out of this book. Many good recipes that don't use the stater also. It's time for a new book. My book is yellow, stained, and very worn. Can't live without it.
Sherry Zbierajewski

want to be able to make a buch of differnt things with one starter. this is the book. you wont need anything else but this one. it is by far the best cookbook i own. and i own 1000.

I am real thrilled to have the Herman Starter. This can lead to so many variations. I am not stuck to making one thing. Love it.