The River Cottage farm, established by British food personality Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall to promote high-quality, local, and sustainable food, has inspired a television series, restaurants and classes, and a hit series of books. In this new addition to the award-winning collection, River Cottage baking instructor Daniel Stevens shares his irrepressible enthusiasm and knowledge to help you bake better bread. From familiar classics such as ciabatta and pizza dough, to new challenges like potato bread, rye loaves, tortillas, naan, croissants, doughnuts, and bagels, each easy-to-follow recipe is accompanied by full-color, step-by-step photos. There’s even an in-depth chapter on building your own backyard wood-fired oven.
The River Cottage Bread Handbook
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Book Description
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Editorial Reviews
From Publishers Weekly
Starred Review. Containing only flour, water, yeast, and salt, bread is a simple dish that can take years to master. Daniel Stevens shortens the learning curve for would-be bakers in this informative introduction to making great bread at home. Accompanied by detailed photos of key steps in the bread-making process, Stevens patiently guides readers through the steps of crafting a toothsome loaf, explaining the qualities of various yeasts and flours, the particulars of hand-kneading, the cons of letting a stand mixer do your work for you, and tips on shaping dough into the desired shape. Once a baker has mastered Stevens's basic bread recipe, they're free to spread their floury wings and attempt Italian ciabatta, a rich French brioche, or even the intimidating croissant. Tips on storage (never in the fridge!) and leftovers (croutons, bread crumbs, Spanish migas) and a one-page troubleshooting guide guaranteed to get earmarked ensure bakers reap great rewards from their labor. Though readers may not go to the lengths of building their own clay oven (included here in detail) Stevens's accessible take on the subject is sure to inspire confidence, an appreciation for the craft, and a willingness to experiment.
Review
“For a touch of the homemade every day, try the River Cottage handbooks.”
—Everyday Food, Favorite New Cookbooks, December 2010
"Stevens's accessible take on the subject is sure to inspire confidence, an appreciation for the craft, and a willingness to experiment."
—Publishers Weekly STARRED review, 8/23/10
“A remarkably compact, glove box-friendly guidebook to baking. . . . A bread survival book. . . . The River Cottage Bread Handbook is a refreshing change from so many American cookbooks that magically transform copious recipes into 12 easy steps and still promise fail-proof recipes.”
—LA Weekly, 8/11/10
“Be prepared to make space on your cookbook shelf for these practical, passionate guides. . . . Stevens lays down a bread-making foundation with an in-depth introduction (and full-color step-by-step photos), then proceeds to help readers perfect their skills in his witty, conversational style.”
—Oregonian, 8/3/10
“These compact yet comprehensive hardcover volumes, part of a series written by experts in the River Cottage fold, inspire and instruct with their English charm, deploying a chatty hand-holding that nudges you through the process. The head River Cottage baker, Daniel Stevens, who put together THE RIVER COTTAGE BREAD HANDBOOK spends over 40 pages on mastering the basic loaf. His kneading explanation was so clear I didn’t need to constantly refer to the photos; and it taught me some new tricks. . . .This wide-ranging book inspires exploration, and not just because I’ll soon be able to slather my warm Scottish oatcakes, roti and even bagels with my own jam, thanks to THE RIVER COTTAGE PRESERVES HANDBOOK. Here Pam Corbin, who runs the Preserving Days at River Cottage, explains the fundamentals of jam, jelly, chutney, cordials, pickles, sauces and more in a demystifying manner. . . . Recipes for hearty ale chutney, spring rhubarb relish and Hugh’s prizewinning raspberry fridge jam are within delicious reach.”
—NY Times Book Review, Summer Reading Issue, Cookbook Roundup, 6/6/10
“This book is not only beautiful and inspiring but it also adds new bread-making ideas and formulas to the lexicon. It definitely goes on my ‘must-have’ bread shelf.”
—Peter Reinhart, author of the James Beard and IACP Cookbook of the Year, The Bread Baker’s Apprentice
—Everyday Food, Favorite New Cookbooks, December 2010
"Stevens's accessible take on the subject is sure to inspire confidence, an appreciation for the craft, and a willingness to experiment."
—Publishers Weekly STARRED review, 8/23/10
“A remarkably compact, glove box-friendly guidebook to baking. . . . A bread survival book. . . . The River Cottage Bread Handbook is a refreshing change from so many American cookbooks that magically transform copious recipes into 12 easy steps and still promise fail-proof recipes.”
—LA Weekly, 8/11/10
“Be prepared to make space on your cookbook shelf for these practical, passionate guides. . . . Stevens lays down a bread-making foundation with an in-depth introduction (and full-color step-by-step photos), then proceeds to help readers perfect their skills in his witty, conversational style.”
—Oregonian, 8/3/10
“These compact yet comprehensive hardcover volumes, part of a series written by experts in the River Cottage fold, inspire and instruct with their English charm, deploying a chatty hand-holding that nudges you through the process. The head River Cottage baker, Daniel Stevens, who put together THE RIVER COTTAGE BREAD HANDBOOK spends over 40 pages on mastering the basic loaf. His kneading explanation was so clear I didn’t need to constantly refer to the photos; and it taught me some new tricks. . . .This wide-ranging book inspires exploration, and not just because I’ll soon be able to slather my warm Scottish oatcakes, roti and even bagels with my own jam, thanks to THE RIVER COTTAGE PRESERVES HANDBOOK. Here Pam Corbin, who runs the Preserving Days at River Cottage, explains the fundamentals of jam, jelly, chutney, cordials, pickles, sauces and more in a demystifying manner. . . . Recipes for hearty ale chutney, spring rhubarb relish and Hugh’s prizewinning raspberry fridge jam are within delicious reach.”
—NY Times Book Review, Summer Reading Issue, Cookbook Roundup, 6/6/10
“This book is not only beautiful and inspiring but it also adds new bread-making ideas and formulas to the lexicon. It definitely goes on my ‘must-have’ bread shelf.”
—Peter Reinhart, author of the James Beard and IACP Cookbook of the Year, The Bread Baker’s Apprentice
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Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
16 of 17 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover
`The River Cottage Bread Handbook' is interesting, in that it gives very different recipes from many cultures, some are rather advanced for a beginner bread baker, but yet there is a very good 30+ page instructional section on how to bake bread. It shows the dough at different stages which would help those beginning bakers that seem to have a terror of baking bread to know what they should expect their product to look like.
The book is a small size about 8"x5", the pages are heavy so you will need to weight it down in order to keep your place while cooking. Despite the smaller page size the print is easy to read. There are plenty of pictures, both of techniques, dough and finished bread products. The introduction is interesting, telling why mass made machine bread is bad for you. Baking equipment needed is described.
The recipes themselves are given with weight, grams and ounces - this originally is an English cookbook, but has been `translated' in `American'. There is a section on wild yeast, basically what Americans call sourdough - making your own yeast.
The many breads from different cultures are probably too ambitious for a beginning cook, but would be interesting to try none the less if they are adventuresome; including roti - bread from India and Nepal, tortillas and crackers. A section is included on what to do with left over bread and even how to build your own clay oven.
This is not the ordinary bread book, it would seem to be for someone looking for a bit of venturesome baking.
The book is a small size about 8"x5", the pages are heavy so you will need to weight it down in order to keep your place while cooking. Despite the smaller page size the print is easy to read. There are plenty of pictures, both of techniques, dough and finished bread products. The introduction is interesting, telling why mass made machine bread is bad for you. Baking equipment needed is described.
The recipes themselves are given with weight, grams and ounces - this originally is an English cookbook, but has been `translated' in `American'. There is a section on wild yeast, basically what Americans call sourdough - making your own yeast.
The many breads from different cultures are probably too ambitious for a beginning cook, but would be interesting to try none the less if they are adventuresome; including roti - bread from India and Nepal, tortillas and crackers. A section is included on what to do with left over bread and even how to build your own clay oven.
This is not the ordinary bread book, it would seem to be for someone looking for a bit of venturesome baking.
18 of 21 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars
Not for a beginner or someone afraid of yeast but GREAT "handbook"!
August 5, 2010
By K. J. Davis
Format:Hardcover
I'm a chef with a ton of food allergies (a true oxymoron, I know). My worst allergy is corn, and almost all store-bought breads use high-fructose corn syrup. It's cheap for flavor, texture, and preservation.
I've have had baking classes but never really "got" the whole bread-making process. Wish I had paid better attention in culinary school now that this allergy is wreaking havoc and I have to bake my own breads.
Enter "The River Cottage Bread Handbook". I read through it in less than an hour, and got going on a sour dough starter right away. I didn't want to wait that long for bread, so I started with the walnut honey bread. Oh My God - it was delicious. I've also used Stevens' scones recipe and, while it was much different than my go-to recipe - Stevens' is more tender and flaky than a typical American scone - it was out of this world.
I wouldn't recommend this book to someone who is deathly afraid of yeast breads. You have to approach these recipes with a sense of confidence. However, once you can grasp Baker's Percentage and feel a little adventurous, you'll be SO glad you bought this book. The illustrations are beautiful, and Stevens' sense of humor is truly appreciated.
I've have had baking classes but never really "got" the whole bread-making process. Wish I had paid better attention in culinary school now that this allergy is wreaking havoc and I have to bake my own breads.
Enter "The River Cottage Bread Handbook". I read through it in less than an hour, and got going on a sour dough starter right away. I didn't want to wait that long for bread, so I started with the walnut honey bread. Oh My God - it was delicious. I've also used Stevens' scones recipe and, while it was much different than my go-to recipe - Stevens' is more tender and flaky than a typical American scone - it was out of this world.
I wouldn't recommend this book to someone who is deathly afraid of yeast breads. You have to approach these recipes with a sense of confidence. However, once you can grasp Baker's Percentage and feel a little adventurous, you'll be SO glad you bought this book. The illustrations are beautiful, and Stevens' sense of humor is truly appreciated.
5 of 5 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover
The thing I absolutely loved about this book was the detail it went into about the process of making bread and how it work and why it often doesn't. The first 1/3 of the book is all about getting started, types of ingredients, and the different methods of making bread. Each ingredient is discussed in detail from fresh yeast versus instant yeast, they types of flour and their gluten content, and whether you should use tap or bottled water. (either is fine). I have never had alot of success in bread making and I think this book is going to really come in handy in my next attempt!
The author includes the 'basic recipe' formula that includes a ratio of flour to water to yeast to salt. Then, he offers variations on this formula to try out once you have mastered basic bread. The remaining 2/3 of the book are recipes that range from pizza dough and tortillas to English muffins and donuts. There is a chapter on non yeast breads like biscuits and scones and a chapter on 'wild yeast' sourdough breads. No matter how experienced (or inexperienced!) you are, there are recipes in this book made just for you! The chapter on the clay oven is very unique, although it seems like alot of work! However, they reach higher temperatures than regular ovens and this is apparently key for a perfect loaf of bread!
Disclaimer: I received one copy of this book from the publisher in order to write my review. All opinions expressed here are mine and mine alone.
The author includes the 'basic recipe' formula that includes a ratio of flour to water to yeast to salt. Then, he offers variations on this formula to try out once you have mastered basic bread. The remaining 2/3 of the book are recipes that range from pizza dough and tortillas to English muffins and donuts. There is a chapter on non yeast breads like biscuits and scones and a chapter on 'wild yeast' sourdough breads. No matter how experienced (or inexperienced!) you are, there are recipes in this book made just for you! The chapter on the clay oven is very unique, although it seems like alot of work! However, they reach higher temperatures than regular ovens and this is apparently key for a perfect loaf of bread!
Disclaimer: I received one copy of this book from the publisher in order to write my review. All opinions expressed here are mine and mine alone.
Most Recent Customer Reviews
5.0 out of 5 stars
Excellent Step By Step Instructions to Breadmaking
This book narrates & illustrates the art of yeast breadmaking perfectly. Very easy to understand. My first loaves came out perfect!
Published 1 month ago by Martha Bell
5.0 out of 5 stars
Not just a recipe book
Most bread books simply give you recipes for bread, but not this one. Daniel Stevens actually teaches you HOW to make bread, and not just what to put in it. Read more
Published 5 months ago by SgtPepper43
5.0 out of 5 stars
River cottage Magic
This is a great little book the recipes are simple and easy to follow and the results are great, try the scones if you have ever had a Devon cream tea this will bring back... Read more
Published 7 months ago by David Roberts
5.0 out of 5 stars
Awesome book, full of info!
I love this book because it's more than just recipes; Stevens gives a real education in bread-making and encourages the kind of creativity that belongs in the kitchen. Read more
Published 9 months ago by VanAcre
5.0 out of 5 stars
Good buy
I purchased this product on the advice of a friend who is a chef. I recommend a scale for this book, however I didn't have one at first and my bread came out perfect each time. Read more
Published 13 months ago by Araline
2.0 out of 5 stars
Yuck!
I loved this book until I tried the recipes. The writing is good, the information covered seems thorough, and some of the tips on baking and equipment are probably pretty good,... Read more
Published 14 months ago by A. Smith
5.0 out of 5 stars
Cherie
I have been baking bread for years but still enjoyed reading this book and I did learn some things too! Read more
Published 15 months ago by Cherie L. Westfall
5.0 out of 5 stars
You will make delicious bread (after reading this book).
I'm comfortable in the kitchen and have put together many a good meal, both from recipe and from good old fashion scratch. That said, baking bread always gave me pause. Read more
Published 15 months ago by E. Mineart
5.0 out of 5 stars
Excellent!
We got this book at the library as my son was doing a Science Fair project on sourdough bread. We are now using his starter to make our family's bread. Read more
Published 15 months ago by Sierra S
4.0 out of 5 stars
Wonderful
Wonderful information! Lots of new things to make. Explains wonderfully how to make a starter for sourdough! Read more
Published 17 months ago by N. Raney
