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Classic Sourdoughs, Revised: A Home Baker's Handbook [Paperback]

Ed Wood , Jean Wood
4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (47 customer reviews)

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Book Description

July 12, 2011
Sourdough: The Gold Standard of Bread
 
More and more home bakers are replacing mass-produced breads and commercial yeasts in favor of artisan breads made with wild cultures and natural fermentation. Whether you want to capture your own local yeasts, take advantage of established cultures like San Francisco Sourdough, or simply bake healthier, more natural loaves, you’ll find no better guides than renowned sourdough authorities Ed and Jean Wood.
 
In this updated edition of Classic Sourdoughs, the Woods reveal their newly discovered secret to crafting the perfect loaf: by introducing a unique culture-proofing step and adjusting the temperature of the proofs, home bakers can control the sourness and leavening like never before. The reward? Fresh, hot sourdough emerging from the oven just the way you like it—every time. Starting with their signature Basic Sourdough loaf, the Woods present recipes featuring rustic grains and modern flavors, including Herb Spelt Bread, Prarie Flax Bread, and Malt Beer Bread, along with new no-knead versions of classics like White French Bread. They round out the collection with recipes for homemade baguettes, bagels, English muffins, and cinnamon rolls, plus a chapter on baking authentic sourdoughs in bread machines.
 
Steeped in tradition, nuanced in flavor, and wonderfully ritualized in preparation, sourdough is bread the way it was meant to be. So join the sourdough renaissance and bring these time-honored traditions into your own kitchen.

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Editorial Reviews

Review

Praise for the PREVIOUS edition

“[The] new edition of Wood’s classic global explorations of wild yeast is a big event
in the baking world and a must for sourdough fans.” 
—The Arizona Republic

“Brings the tradition of sourdough cooking into focus. It is easy, interesting reading and doesn’t make sourdough baking seem complicated.” 
—Sharon Maasdam, The Oregonian

About the Author

ED WOOD, MD, PhD, is a physician and research scientist whose quest for ancient sourdough cultures began in Saudi Arabia, where he served as a chairman of pathology at a Riyadh hospital. He returned to the United States with a bevy of sourdough cultures and began blending the art of baking with the rigor of science. He and his wife, JEAN WOOD, founded Sourdoughs International, which ships sourdough cultures from Cascade, Idaho, to seventy-eight countries around the world.


Product Details

  • Paperback: 192 pages
  • Publisher: Ten Speed Press; Revised edition (July 12, 2011)
  • Language: English
  • ISBN-10: 1607740079
  • ISBN-13: 978-1607740070
  • Product Dimensions: 7.4 x 0.6 x 9.2 inches
  • Shipping Weight: 12 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
  • Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (47 customer reviews)
  • Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #20,174 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews
56 of 57 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars best sourdough reference hands down July 19, 2011
Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase
I looked at many other sourdough cookbooks and only found one other that did not list recipes asking for commercial bakers yeast. I wanted real sourdough recipes so selected this book and "Wild Bread: Hand-baked sourdough artisan breads in your own kitchen" by Lisa Rayner. This book has far more recipes than the book by Lisa Rayner. It is nice to have both selections but if I had to select only one, this would be the one I would pick and is the one I recommend to close friends just getting started using sourdough. The recipe selection is fantastic.

The only thing I could see missing from this book was dessert items but those can be found on the web. The chocolate sourdough cake recipe offered by King Arthur Flour Company's web-site is very good as long as you know they are looking for starter with a thick pancake batter consistency.

I was really glad to have a copy of this book after getting my starter. It really helped answer the question of, "Now what do I do with it?" I am very anxious to try the waffle recipes. I can say the pizza dough recipe turned out better than the previous recipes I have tried and the challah recipe makes one huge challah.

I don't see a need for the proofing box Wood recommends, particularly during the warmer months but otherwise I am loving this book. He does not suggest fancy equiptment and the recipes so far have been excellent.

Honestly, a canning jar with starter and a copy of this book would be an excellent gift for those who enjoy baking and those who enjoy a healthy lifestyle.

Update: Jan 2013, still using this book and a Danish dough wisk and the King Arthur flour sourdough starter stored in the King Arthur sourdough crock. I mostly use the no knead recipe as it is so easy with a Danish dough wisk. The wisk was an amazon purchase too.
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23 of 23 people found the following review helpful
4.0 out of 5 stars A great starter July 27, 2011
Format:Paperback
Had been baking my own bread for a couple of years and wanted to try baking with true sourdoughs. With this book and the Sanfrancisco starter sold on the author's website, was able to activate the starter and bake some wonderful breads. Don't think I'll ever be going back to baking with commercial yeast.

The book was quite readable and contained information that you just won't easily find anywhere else. Wood discusses different grains, gives tips on how to bring your starter back if it goes south, describes different starters, and provides a nice collection of recipes. If you are going to experiment with sourdough, this is a book you'll turn to again and again.

As an aside, the San Francisco sourdough culture makes a great bread, but I'm itching to try the Russian starter that according to Wood works well with whole wheat. Will update this review once I receive that order and turn out a few trial loaves.

Hard pressed to say if this book, or the one by Lisa Rayner is the absolute best one on the market for sourdoughs. They both have their great points. I'd go out on a limb though and say that if I could buy just one, this would be it. Read the book, order a starter. You'll soon be enjoying breads with wonderful crust and a chewy texture that just can't be duplicated with commercial yeast.

Update: One of the big challenges for me is making a palatable whole wheat bread with more than 50% whole wheat. Anything more than that and it's likely you will get a heavy, flat, dense bread. My San Francisco sourdough had that limitation as well. Last week I tried a Russian sourdough culture. Made two loaves that were 100% whole wheat. The loaves rose well and were not dense. For me that's a big milestone. Now I want to go from a completely whole wheat bread to incorporating the ancient grains such as Einkorn, Emmer, and Spelt. Should be even better for me, nutrition wise. (Emmer and Spelt IIRC have higher amounts of proteins, phosphorous, and etc.)
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20 of 20 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars Still my favorite sourdough book! August 7, 2011
Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase
This is an excellent reference for home bakers who want to understand how to create authentic sourdough breads. It's not complicated and does not require any special equipment. The original edition of this book has long been one of my favorites, and I really like the updated information in the revised edition.

One of the biggest improvements is the simplified directions in the chapter "Putting It All Together". In my opinion this is the heart of the book. In just a few pages it explains very clearly what is happening in your sourdough culture and how to handle it correctly. It made me a better baker, and I am having more fun experimenting with recipes and adapting them to my taste.

Another great addition is the "No-Knead Sourdough" recipe section. I was intrigued by the simplicity of the basic recipe. It worked beautifully for me. And with a slight adjustment to the loaf proof (lower temperature, longer time) I can now easily fit baking fresh sourdough bread into my weekday work schedule. The recipe worked equally well for rye bread.

My favorite recipe section in the book is probably also the most unique - the one on Middle Eastern breads. It's brought to life by the authors' personal experiences from living and traveling in the Middle East. I love making fresh "Khbuz Arabi" (pita bread) when we have guests. They bake in just 5 minutes, the guests love watching them puff up, and they are delicious hot out of the oven. For a perfectly authentic version, and extra food for conversation, you could use the author's "La Giza" culture, collected from an ethnic bakery in Egypt.

At the end of the book is a small section that describes the sourdough cultures collected by the authors and available on their website (Sourdoughs International). It does not come across as a pitch but rather as sharing their passion for the history and variety of sourdough cultures.

I grew up in Germany on excellent rye and whole grain sourdough breads. Many years ago when I moved to the US and experienced serious bread withdrawal, I got Ed Wood's "New Zealand Culture for rye" and have been baking with it ever since. It makes fantastic rustic rye breads, though I tend to omit the extra ingredients (molasses, milk, and butter) listed in the book's rye recipes. Now Ed Wood has a new Polish rye sourdough culture and I am tempted to try it.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
5.0 out of 5 stars Do you want to learn how to make REAL sourdough?
Not only is this book full of sourdough recipes that are wonderful and detailed - the author has a sense of humor. Read more
Published 19 hours ago by Paul R. Nistico
5.0 out of 5 stars Sourdough done right
There are a -lot- of sourdough recipes out there that use conventional yeast, and none are true sourdough. Read more
Published 2 days ago by Steven J. Makela
4.0 out of 5 stars Great Book for bakers
I bought this book two months ago, i recommend it for home bakers that want to know the world of sourdough..
This book not offer pictures about recipes, is a disadvantage..
Published 8 days ago by George N. Tobia
3.0 out of 5 stars Not very scientific
This book is good for beginners, but it does not provide a very scientific explanation of sourdough etc. Read more
Published 1 month ago by ACG
5.0 out of 5 stars Getting superb results out of Wood's proofing method!
Let's face it - most sourdough recipes are pretty much the same - culture, flour and water, with some minor variations. Read more
Published 1 month ago by S. Lionel
5.0 out of 5 stars good book
The book gives good and accurate procedures and receipts. The recommended yeast fermantation box provides good control of the results.
Published 1 month ago by Calvin L. Satterfield
4.0 out of 5 stars Great beginner book
So far the recipes have worked well. Using his starters that are great as well. Somewhat repetative on the basic instructions.
Published 2 months ago by Sharron Aldridge
3.0 out of 5 stars Eh...it's ok
I need to leaven my bread because of health despite my love of aritsan bread. This book recommends white flour and some other products that I just don't use and the technique is a... Read more
Published 2 months ago by ladypuddleduck
4.0 out of 5 stars New edition of Ed's book
Good book on sourdough with good recipes. Lots of good information on "how" and "why". I like Ed's writing style.
Published 2 months ago by Arthur Dent
4.0 out of 5 stars Very interesting reading.
Has some new and interesting ideas to try. It's clearly written. Looking forward to trying the cold oven start for baking.
Published 2 months ago by D. King
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