Amazon.com: Artisan Bread in Five Minutes a Day: The Discovery That Revolutionizes Home Baking: Jeff Hertzberg MD, Zoe Francois: Books

From Publishers Weekly
While the phrase artisan bread typically evokes images of labor-intensive sessions and top-notch ingredients, for authors Hertzberg and François it means five minutes. An intriguing concept—high-quality, fresh bread in less time than it takes to boil water. The authors' promises of no kneading, no starter, no proofing yeast and no need for a bread machine is based on the concept of mixed and risen high-moisture dough stored in the fridge for up to two weeks (dough is cut into pieces and popped in the oven for fresh loaves as desired). Note: for those tracking minutes, the five-minutes doesn't include the 20-minute resting time for dough or 30 minutes for baking. After concise, introductory chapters on ingredients, equipment, and tips and techniques, readers are presented with the master recipe, a free-form loaf of French boule that is the model for all breads in the book. Three main chapters—Peasant Loaves, Flatbreads and Pizzas and Enriched Breads and Pastries—are filled with tempting selections and focus on ethnic breads and pastries including Couronne from France; Limpa from Scandinavia; Ksara from Morocco; Broa from Portugal; and Chocolate-Raisin Babka from the Ukraine, but the basics (Oatmeal Bread, Bagels, White Bread) are all here, too. A smattering of companion recipes such as Tuscan White Bean Dip and Portuguese Fish Stew are peppered throughout. While experienced bakers and true gourmands will skip this one, those looking for an innovative approach to making bread just might find it in these recipes. (Nov.)
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Product Description

There’s nothing like the smell of freshly baked bread to fill a kitchen with warmth, eager appetites, and endless praise for the baker who took on such a time-consuming task. Now, you can fill your kitchen with the irresistible aromas of a French bakery every day with just five minutes of active preparation time, and Artisan Bread in Five Minutes a Day will show you how.

Coauthors Jeff Hertzberg and Zoë François prove that bread baking can be easier than a trip to the bakery. Their method is quick and simple, bringing forth scrumptious perfection in each loaf. Delectable creations will emerge straight from your own oven as warm, indulgent masterpieces that you can finally make for yourself. In exchange for a mere five minutes of your time, your breads will rival those of the finest bakers in the world.

With nearly 100 recipes to put this ingenious technique to use, Artisan Bread in Five Minutes a Day will open the eyes of any potential baker who has sworn off homemade bread as simply too much work. Crusty baguettes, mouth-watering pizzas, hearty sandwich loaves, and even buttery pastries can easily become part of your own personal menu, and this innovative book will teach you everything you need to know.

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Product Details

Hardcover: 242 pages
Publisher: Thomas Dunne Books (November 13, 2007)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0312362919
ISBN-13: 978-0312362911
Product Dimensions: 9.2 x 7.5 x 1.2 inches
Shipping Weight: 1.5 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)

Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars See all reviews (414 customer reviews)

Amazon.com Sales Rank: #78 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)
Popular in these categories: (What's this?)
#1 in Books > Cooking, Food & Wine > Baking > Bread
#1 in Books > Cooking, Food & Wine > Baking > Desserts
#1 in Books > Cooking, Food & Wine > Meals > Sweets

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Inside This Book (learn more)

Key Phrases - Statistically Improbable Phrases (SIPs): (learn more)
empty broiler tray, unrefrigerated dough, dough attachment, storing the dough, stored dough, capacity food processor, cornstarch wash, slide the loaf, dough from the board, pizza peel, deep parallel cuts, larger loaves, sprinkle the loaf, crackling crust, loaf pan breads, nonstick loaf pan, duty stand mixer, baking stone, silicone mat, other shelf, brioche dough, bagel dough, serrated bread knife, color photo insert, dough scraper

Key Phrases - Capitalized Phrases (CAPs): (learn more)
European Peasant, Italian Semolina, Light Whole Wheat, Chocolate Bread, Middle Eastern, Deli-Style Rye, King Arthur Flour, Caf� du Monde, Eastern European, New Orleans, The Boiling-Pot, Baking Time

What Do Customers Ultimately Buy After Viewing This Item?

	93% buy the item featured on this page: Artisan Bread in Five Minutes a Day: The Discovery That Revolutionizes Home Baking 4.7 out of 5 stars (414) $16.77
	2% buy The Bread Baker's Apprentice: Mastering the Art of Extraordinary Bread 4.8 out of 5 stars (213) $23.10
	2% buy Kindle: Amazon's 6" Wireless Reading Device (Latest Generation) 4.3 out of 5 stars (4,834) $299.00
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Customer Reviews

414 Reviews

5 star:		(341)
4 star:		(44)
3 star:		(11)
2 star:		(10)
1 star:		(8)

Average Customer Review

4.7 out of 5 stars (414 customer reviews)

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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

371 of 376 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Best Bread I've Ever Made, As Good as Almost All I've Ever Eaten, December 2, 2007

By	Louise DeSalvo (New Jersey) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

I'm a foodie; the kind of person who will drive miles to a bakery, who will visit Italy when the ricotta is sweetest. I'm also a skeptic. So, when I bought this book, I didn't expect much. But, was I ever wrong. What I love is that the authors turn everything you know about bread baking upside down, and the result is the best bread you'll ever make at home. Easily. Simply. Whenever you want. You must, however, read the introduction to the method to succeed as well as you might -- this is not a book to begin baking from the minute you buy it. But the few minutes you invest in all the suggestions pay off mightily -- how to tell when this particular kind of bread is really ready (I used to swear by an instant read thermometer -- forget that); how to dock it; how to store it, etc. The instructions are utterly clear. I've already baked ten loaves, each magnificent, and I've only had the book for a week. All kinds of breads are represented -- French loaves, ciabbata, pita, peasant -- I could go on and on. Enough for a lifetime of pleasure. Hertzberg and Francois are geniuses.

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393 of 399 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Some notes for sourdough/dense loaf fans, December 15, 2007

By	born every minute (Boston) - See all my reviews

This is a terrific book ... I've tried the basic approach and it is great. To make it more useful (for some) I'd like to add a few notes.

The book has an unfortunate, (for me) bias towards light, fluffy breads and breads that rely on "ingredients". So...

Sourdough breads: I've been refrigerating my dough for years to increase the sourdough flavor. This books opens the door to a very simple approach to sourdough.

As the book notes, the sourdough taste increases with time in the refrigerator. So simply keep two sets of dough running ... a "dormant" set and an active set. Start by making a batch of dough. Stick it in the refrigerator and don't touch it for at least a week. After a week or so, make a second batch of dough. (I would mix in a hunk of the previously mixed, week old dough to enhance the sourdough development.) Now put this second batch away and start using the first batch ... which will have started to taste like a sourdough. When this first batch is used up, make up a brand new "dormant" batch and put it aside while you start using the batch that's been sitting in the refrigerator for the past week or so.

In this way you can keep a sourdough going forever, without any additional work. (Since you only a new batch when an old batch runs out.)

Rye and whole wheat: The technique is IDEAL for rye ... which is a gummy, no-knead but extremely delicate dough. I would certainly use much more rye than any of these recipes call for and would use the sourdough technique I mentioned above to develop flavor.

It its also ideal for whole wheat. The big problem with whole wheat is not the crust, (I'll mention a technique to bring out a crust), but that whole wheat contains bran, which, when kneaded, cuts the strands of gluten/protein. That's why 100% whole wheat is so dense. But, since you do not knead this dough, the bran does not cut the protein strands and the dough is free to rise almost as much as a white flour.

Personally, I use 50% rye and 50% whole wheat and, using the books oven technique get a great rise.

Another technique that develops a very thick crust, no matter the flour, is to bake the bread in a preheated, covered oven pot or casserole pot at 450 degrees.

By the way ... to get actual pumpernickel, forget the powders, (coffee and chocolate ... yeesh!) and just use pumpernickel flour in place of rye flour. (Pumpernickel flour is nothing more than whole grain rye flour.)

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213 of 217 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent!, November 28, 2007

By	TropicalMinnesota - See all my reviews (TOP 1000 REVIEWER)

I have many bread baking books and was skeptical that this one would be any better or different. I expected either a catch in the "5 minutes", poor quality bread, or both. I made my first batch last week and was very impressed with both the ease and taste. You can really make the dough in just a few minutes and keep it in your fridge for use over the next 2 weeks. It was wonderful to be able to pull a chunk of the dough out of the container and have delicious bread (the last was more like a big roll) in just over an hour. I could make a loaf when I got home from work and serve it for dinner. There are many recipes included, but it also gave me a much more relaxed attitude toward the bread and I found myself making up my own additions by the time I was forming my second batch. I showed the book to a friend and rather than copy a few of the recipes, she decided to order the book herself because she said that everything looked good and it looked like stuff she would really make. Not many cookbooks earn that comment.

The book frequently calls for a pizza peel and baking stone. A set of the peel (or a suitable cutting board), stone (or an unglazed ceramic tile from Home Depot) and this book would make a great gift. In fact, I thought that I could cross several people off of my shopping list by buying the set or just the books for all. Unfortunately, it is already out of stock. Looks like I am not the only one who is impressed by it. I can't even give my book away and wait for a new copy because I spilled olive oil on it while making the sun dried tomato and Parmesan bread. By the way, it was delicious!

This is a great book for all cooking experience levels. The recipes are easy and the results impressive.

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Most Recent Customer Reviews

5.0 out of 5 stars The BEST!
We love good bread, but hate paying upward of $4 a loaf for it and are often disappointed with the purchase. Read more

Published 9 hours ago by D. Leschke

5.0 out of 5 stars Multiple Purchases
This is a fabulous book for adding real home made bread to your life. It's easy to do with kids. It's been a go to gift for me to give out as well. Read more

Published 1 day ago by N. Frazier

5.0 out of 5 stars Can't believe it works
I was highly skeptical of this book until I tried the basic recipe. Now I use the method almost exclusively. Read more

Published 2 days ago by Cristy L. Comstock

5.0 out of 5 stars Fabulous!
My first loaf turned out so beautiful I had to take a picture of it. I have been making bread for years and this rivals a slow rise french bread that takes hours to make. Read more

Published 3 days ago by S. M. Banks

5.0 out of 5 stars easy!
Love the book....love the bread. I receive many compliments on my aged dough breads. It really is as easy as they say. Read more

Published 5 days ago by Sandra Baker

5.0 out of 5 stars Incredible ... and I already knew how to make bread.
Simply incredible. Simply put ... I make bread and have done so for the past 30 years. This book totally changes the rules for making bread. Read more

Published 5 days ago by J. Gibbons

5.0 out of 5 stars It REALLY WORKS! Review from a non-baker!
Okay, so I really hate baking. Nothing works out right and I just don't enjoy it at all. BUT, I LOVE artisan bread. Crispy, crackling crust... Read more

Published 6 days ago by Aurora

1.0 out of 5 stars Reads well but doesn't work well
This book was very interesting and the ideas seemed promising but I could not make the recipes work as described. Read more

Published 6 days ago by Carol English

5.0 out of 5 stars I want to share my great find with artisan bread bakers!
I love this book, which I have on my Kindle, and so many others have already reviewed the book in depth so I won't repeat themselves--LOL. Read more

Published 8 days ago by Diane Kistner

5.0 out of 5 stars Homemade bread in a snap
Who knew that making bread could be so easy and fun. Put together water, flour, yeast, and salt and you have a wonderfully chewy crust and moist hearty bread on the inside. Read more

Published 8 days ago by M. Hughes

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