The Bread Book [Paperback]

Linda Collister (Author), Anthony Blake (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: July 1, 2002

A beautiful full-color, step-by-step guide to bread making--with more than one hundred and thirty recipes ranging from traditional Native American fry bread to contemporary ciabatta loaves of Italy.

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

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 --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Review

"The secrets of international four-star chefs and local bakers." --Publishers Weekly

"This handsome volume is a full-color collection of the world's most delectable breads. This is a big beautiful book that all bakers--novices as well as experienced pastry chefs--will want to have on their shelves. The Bread Book is perfect for anyone who loves to bake homemade bread or wants to learn how."
--Venice Gulf Coast Living

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 192 pages
• Publisher: The Lyons Press; 1st edition (July 1, 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1585744476
• ISBN-13: 978-1585744473
• Product Dimensions: 11 x 8.5 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.7 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (13 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,747,872 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellant bread book !, August 20, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: The Bread Book (Hardcover)

I found this book in my library, tried 2 recipes the went on-line and have ordered it from Amazon. The first recipe I tried was the Bagel one. They came out perfect. Everyone who got one loved it. A winner. Using lukewarm water with 1/2 teaspoon of sugar to activate the yeast creates a wonderful taste in the breads, they are no longer yeasty tasting. Yesterday I made the Croissant recipe. The instructions were simple and the results were just great. My 10 year old son has now decided he wants to make breads. Linda Collister has included a brief and entertaining history of each of her breads, where they originate from, which chef worked or shared the recipe and photo's of each bread with detailed pictures of the procedures in the more commplex recipes ie. Croissants. Included are Flat breads, Quick breads, Savory,Rye, Sourdough, Fruit & Nut, Celebration Breads, & Enriched Doughs like Danish Pastries. Thank you Linda.

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars my favorite bread book!, December 8, 2002

By A Customer

This review is from: The Bread Book (Paperback)

I have the hard-cover of this book, and it is permanently opened on my kitchen counter. I started baking breads about 5 years ago, and i've had a hard time finding books that don't over-simplfy or over-complicate the process. i love the illustration showing how your bread will look when brushed with egg, milk, oil, etc. i enjoy seeing bakers from around the world proudly displaying their favorite loaves. unlike a lot of bread books, this one does not attempt to trump up ordinary loaves with pricey ingredients. so put away your saffron and sun-dried tomatoes, and get ready to bake some fantastic loaves for which you'd pay an arm and a leg at the bakery.

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Brilliant, January 30, 2001

By 

Adam Loach (Bournemouth, England) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Bread Book (Hardcover)

This book is the best I've seen and has been highly recommended by the college that I attend for all students to purchase it, the rercipes are easy to follow and the picture refererences really help me to create the doughs. Only good things have been said about the products we have created from this book.