Customer Reviews

Special and Decorative Breads: Traditional, Regional and Special Breads, Fancy Breads - Viennese Pasteries - Croissants, Brioches - Decorative Breads - Presentation Pieces

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

 

 

This is actually Volume Two in a series. The first volume is similar, of the same name, twice the price and out of print. This one is outstanding in that it contains a reasonable array of classic breads that are presented in an optimal format with beautiful color pictures, commentary and good organization. Although it may be a bit too detailed for the average home baker, if you follow the recipes and techniques exactly, you will get bread that looks like those shown in the pictures. The weakness is that it doesn't always explain how to achieve these results in a hoome environment. For instance, to achieve the shiny patina of the breads shown on the cover you need to inject steam at the start of the baking. Although there are a number of ways to do this at home, none are explained here (You can pre steam the loaf in a roaster in advance). Other techniques are available, but not here, for producing large irregular holes, a lasting crust, etc. For my taste, instead of a book about how to make such and such kind of bread, I would have rather had a book about how to achieve certain textures and patinas in bread baking in general. Nevertheless this is an outstanding book well worth the price, possibly the best on the market!

Cuisinsky, amateur bread baker out of supermarket self defense

I first came by this book when I was a student of baking, pastry and baking technology. Having no money to buy it(it used to cost too much then for my student pocket) I borrowed it from the library and photocopied it. A few weeks ago finding that the price has dropped significantly I ordered it. So why would one buy a book (again) since one has it (even as a photocopy). Because it is so blessed good! As a matter of fact there is hardly any book like it in the market. 'BREAD' by Jeffrey Hamelmann is also a great book (better) but does not have the gloss pages or multitude of photographs as this one. The same goes for 'The taste of bread' by Calvell.
This book gives you a lot of information on the processes and methods of breadmaking. Each recipe is detailed and not all the methods are the same for all the breads as in other books. The book deals with poolish preparation and use, the straight method of bulk fermentation but in a way that makes tasty bread, Levain (Sourdough) breads, Viennoiserie (Brioche, milk bread etc. It also includes a large section on artistic bread decoration something that is rearly (almost never) included in baking books. But the real gem in the crown is the section on Croissants. You do not know proper croissant production unless you read it. Six different methods of producing croissants, from the straight method, to the slow rising method, to the levain method. Absolutely great. With this book and a little help from a French baker I worked with briefly, my croissants look and taste as if they came out of a traditional Paris bakery (I use the overnight rise method).
A few last details. This book is for professionals not home cooks (unless they are very experienced). It is actually part of a series that was designed to be a top quality bakery apprentice's book (unlike the unfortunate Reinhart books).
The book is in Metric and Formulas and uses somewhat large quantities.
There are colored photos throughout and they don't look as dated as another reviewer has said.
At this price it is a bargain for the proffessional and the apprentice.

I found this book excellent, with lots of information about developing flavours and aromas. This book has been written for the professional baker working in a small bakery. Recipes range in size from around 16 kg of dough (not flour) for breads where several different shapes and sizes are scaled off the one mix, to smaller quantities for brioches, croissants etc. There are lots of descriptions for various shapes and sizes of bread from different regions, but using the 3 or 4 basic dough types.Therefore you can make say two larger basic doughs and produce easily 2 dozen varieties.

I was a little disappointed with the presentation of the recipes. They appear to be written for use by a large-scale bakery, i.e. for the production of "dozens" of loaves, making it difficult to produce a small number of baked items. Armed with a calculator, one has to reduce each recipe many times in order to do that.And there are sometimes directions left out as well. Definitely NOT a book for the amateur baker! The photos appear to be taken in the 1960's, and pictures of final products are not very appetising.