Customer Reviews

The Complete Bread Machine Bakery Book

5 star:		(8)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

Of all our bread machine books, Langer's has provided more favorites than any other. Who'd have thought that semolina flour would make such great bread --no one could resist the sesame-semolina bread. A review here has been delayed for too long because each bread I've tried has been an instant favorite leaving little motivation for trying more recipes.

So far I've never had a failure with a recipe, although I've needed to make an adjustment now and then, such as adding a bit of liquid to offset the dryness of flours in our dry air, or replacing a tablespoon or two of the flour with pure gluten flour to compensate for the weak flours found in Western markets. Part of learning to use a bread machine is learning to make such adjustments and to evaluate the dough while it's being kneaded by the machine (there's an excellent discussion in an early chapter) --it's a pity so many books pretend that good bread will always follow a by-the-numbers adherence to the instructions. My one criticism of this book for a beginner is that suggestions for evaluating a dough and making adjustments are too often separated from recipes.

I don't know that I'd recommend _any_ book to be used alone by a breadmaking or bread machine beginner, including the manuals that come with the machines, but Langer's book will certainly be one of the most useful adjuncts to the manuals. It's become my favorite of the several books I've received since being given a bread machine, and I'm giving a copy of it with every bread machine I buy for a gift-- in the hope that Langer's immense appreciation of bread and freewheeling love of experimentation will sustain a beginner's breadmaking beyond the manuals and beyond the first disappointments (inevitable to any bread machine beginner regardless of the recipes he uses). The array of European-style breads and especially rye breads is especially tempting. The book goes far beyond table breads with many sweet yeast and quick breads and other fascinating concoctions.

As always, Langer instructions are clear, the asides (especially the descriptions of bread experiments which didn't make the book) entertaining, and the illustrations by Susan McNeill pleasing and encouraging. There is an extra: somehow Langer has persuaded his publisher to achieve the perfect cookbook format: spiral bound pages within a hard board cover. It's the best of two worlds: the widely wire-bound pages open perfectly flat and the cover protects the pages --and there is a spine for the title so you don't lose the book on the shelves.

I signed out a copy of this book at my local library, and I regretted taking it back! I can't wait to receive my own copy. Since manufactured breads (all of them) include High Fructose Corn Syrup (which the body stores immediately as fat), my husband and I have decided to put our bread machine to work, and we have made dozen of whole grain loaves that rivel the very best store-bought! Mr. Langer's book opened up yet another chapter for me, providing outstanding recipes that are, granted, experimental, but definitely tastey and well-tested--from breads to biscottis to cakes. Each and every recipe I tried from this book worked beautifully.

If you know your machine well, you'll find this book a gem. If you still struggle with your machine, spend some time with the breadbook that came with the unit first. Since each machine brand is a bit different, it's worth the time to get to know its quirks. Once that's done, the world of breads is all yours. And this book is a terrific atlas!

I like this book so much that I'm ordering the third copy to give to friends and family. The recipes are much better than any in my machines book and all the ones I've tried have come out very well. I have tried many different types of bread from the book and all come out tasting as described and as I expected them to. I have made some loaves that I didn't like and will not repeat, but that was because I didn't care for the taste, not that the recipe didn't work as described.

I don't care so much about the looks of the loaf as the flavor, so don't feel that having a loaf that is not picture perfect is very important, I'm much more interested in the taste. Other facts in this book's favor are the simplicity of the directions and the variety of bread types given. If a difficult to find item is used in a recipe, he gives sources for it. Also is very good about identifying optional items right there in the recipe, not at the end after you've already added them and regretted it. Am in the process of ordering another copy to give a friend who just bought a machine.

Maybe it's me, maybe it's my bread machine, or maybe it's this book, but I've yet to produce a bread that is good enough to repeat. Although I still haven't given up all hopes for the recipes in this book, I'm not impressed and I find myself using my other bread machine books first. Sometimes I couldn't be bothered to read through the stories, lengthy descriptions and repetitive instructions just to get to the actual recipe. I prefer simplicity and easy to read recipes, especially when I bake my breads first thing in the morning.

I was given this book and a bread machine for christmas, and since then I've had a ball with both. The recipes are delicious, and for the most part turn out pretty good. This is a good book for sparking one's own imagination as well for things to try in the bread machine.

I bought this book on the reviews posted here and was not happy with the results. I followed the recipes for two loaves - one came out a round brick and the other soup. The author spends too much time on the little ditties about his children and not enough on the bread. I've found that a little imagination is a lot better than him.

The recipes use everyday items -nothing "gourmet" or hard to find. The bread recipes have all come out great-even better tasting than the book that came with my machine. It also includes dessert recipes which is a little different for a bread book. The only thing I don't like is that I have a larger bread machine and don't really need the 1Lb loaf recipes that are called small. The large recipes are really only 1 1/2 lb loaves-nothing for 2 or 2 1/2 lb ones. But overall the recipes are delicious and easy.\

I was a professional baker for years, which made me a relentless bread-critic. I have many other bread machine books, but they just don't compare to Richard Langer's, which have become the only ones I use regularly. His breads stick in your memory and call out to be made again and again.

If you own a bread machine, this is the cookbook for you. It has many tasty recipes for many different types of bread. My bread machine has been a great time saver and this cookbook has been a valuable resource.

I have used this book over and over. I like trying new recipes, but have favorites, like the applesauce bread and pumpkin spice bread. I enjoy reading Richard's commentary about how he experimented and fine-tuned each recipe. He makes you want to come live on his farm and wake up to the aroma of fresh-baked bread.