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Bread: A Baker's Book of Techniques and Recipes Hardcover – September 3, 2004

by Jeffrey Hamelman (Author)

4.7 244 ratings

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The warm, complex aroma of a fresh-baked loaf of bread can be utterly tantalizing; the first bite, a revelation. In Bread: A Baker's Book of Techniques and Recipes, award-winning master baker Jeffrey Hamelman presents the definitive, one-stop reference on the art and science of bread baking - a kitchen essential for seasoned home bakers and professionals alike. Hamelman, a professional baker for nearly three decades, was a member of the United States national baking team that won first place in the 1996 Coupe du Monde de la Boulangerie, the bread-baking World Cup. Here, he shares this experience, putting world-class artisanal loaves within reach of any serious baker. Opening with a comprehensive overview of the foundations - essential ingredients; hand techniques for kneading, scoring, and shaping; the basic process from mixing through baking - he lucidly guides bakers through all elements of this richly rewarding craft.

Bread contains 118 detailed, step-by-step recipes for an array of breads: versatile sourdough ryes; breads made with pre-ferments; and simple, straight dough loaves. Recipes for brioche, focaccia, pizza dough, flat breads, and other traditional baking staples augment the diverse collection of flavors, tastes, and textures represented within these pages. From the delicate flavor and aroma of classic French baguettes to the mellow smoothness of Roasted Garlic Levain, a bread for every season and every palate is here.

Each recipe clearly outlines the key stages, with easy-to-use charts that list ingredients in both American and metric measures, quantities appropriate for home baking, and baker's percentages. Hundreds of drawings vividly illustrate techniques, and 35 handsome color photographs display finished breads. Sidebars accompany each recipe and section with valuable tips, from the subtle art of tasting and evaluating breads to the perfect fare to complement Vollkornbrot. A complete chapter on decorative breads - with instructions on techniques as well as a wide variety of exquisite patterns - will inspire magnificent display creations.

Laced throughout the book, Hamelman's personal narratives offer a compelling portrait of a lifelong love affair with bread and vividly communicate this passion. For bakers seeking to finesse this time-honored craft or simply to learn the tricks of the trade from a real master, Bread is a resource to be consulted time and time again.

Length

432
Pages
Language

EN
English
Publisher

Wiley
Publication date

2004
September 3
Dimensions

7.9 x 1.4 x 9.5
inches
ISBN-10

0471168572
ISBN-13

978-0471168577
See all details

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Editorial Reviews

Review

"...comprehensive illustrated manual..." (Food Science & Technology Abstracts, Vol 37 (7) 2005)

From the Inside Flap

The warm, complex aroma of a fresh-baked loaf of bread can be utterly tantalizing; the first bite, a revelation. In Bread: A Baker's Book of Techniques and Recipes, award-winning master baker Jeffrey Hamelman presents the definitive, one-stop reference on the art and science of bread bakinga kitchen essential for seasoned home bakers and professionals alike.

Hamelman, a professional baker for nearly three decades, was a member of Baking Team USA,which represents the United States in the international Coupe du Monde de la Boulangerie, the bread-baking World Cup. Here, he shares this experience, putting world-class artisanal loaves within reach of any serious baker. Opening with a comprehensive overview of the foundationsessential ingredients; hand techniques for kneading, scoring, and shaping; the basic process from mixing through bakinghe lucidly guides bakers through all elements of this richly rewarding craft.

Bread contains 118 detailed, step-by-step recipes for an array of breadsversatile sourdough ryes; numerous breads made with pre-ferments; and simple, straight dough loaves. Recipes for brioche, focaccia, pizza dough, flat breads, and other traditional baking staples augment the diverse collection of flavors, tastes, and textures represented within these pages. From the delicate flavor and aroma of classic French baguettes to the mellow smoothness of Roasted Garlic Levain, a bread for every season and every palate is here.

Each recipe clearly outlines the key stages, with easy-to-use charts that list ingredients in both American and metric measures, quantities appropriate for home baking, and baker's percentages. Hundreds of drawings vividly illustrate techniques, and 35 handsome color photographs display finished breads. Sidebars accompany each recipe and section with valuable tips, from the subtle art of tasting and evaluating breads to the perfect fare to complement Vollkornbrot. A complete chapter on decorative breadswith instructions on techniques as well as a wide variety of exquisite patternswill inspire magnificent display creations.

Laced throughout the book, Hamelman's personal narratives offer a compelling portrait of a lifelong love affair with bread and vividly communicate this passion. For bakers seeking to finesse this time-honored craft or simply to learn the tricks of the trade from a real master, Bread is a resource to be consulted time and time again.

CHIHO KANEKO is a fine artist whose work has been exhibited both in the United States and Japan. She also works as a translator and interpreter. She is a native of Japan with a background in landscape architecture, agronomy, and art.

From the Back Cover

"It was a most agreeable surprise to find that such a book exists in English, and I find it most difficult to adequately express the joy that this has brought me. I see something of myself in these pages, and often, a better version of myself. I can only hope that those whose mission it is to make good bread seize the opportunity to read Jeffrey Hamelman's book, heed his advice, and adopt his methods with due care and respect."
Raymond Calvel

"With this work, Jeffrey Hamelman will increase professional bakers' knowledge and savoir faire. Its approach to research and quality is a revelation. The book combines technique with quality, and I am convinced that it will become a benchmark reference work on artisanal baking."
Christian Vabret

"What a wonderful book! It's sure to become the definitive guide for professional and home bakers alike. Jeffrey Hamelman's voice as a seasoned baker and teacher makes the technical information clear and easy to understand."
Amy Scherber owner of Amy's Bread, New York City

"Bravo to Jeffrey Hamelman! Bread: A Baker's Book of Techniques and recipes is the new classic for serious home bakers and professionals. Jeffrey has melded accurate and detailed technical information and a comprehensive array of artisan bread formulas with short essays that capture his passion and appreciation for his craft. Chiho Kaneko's exquisite line drawings complete the book, bringing to the pages a sense of handcraft and the simple beauty of Jeffrey's breads."
Maggie Glezer

About the Author

JEFFREY HAMELMAN has been baking professionally for nearly thirty years. For half that time he owned a bakery in Vermont. He has served as a baking and pastry instructor at several culinary schools and has baked and taught in France, Germany, Canada, Ireland, Brazil, and Japan. In 1996, he was selected as Captain of Baking Team USA, the three-person team that represented the United States in Paris at the Coupe du Monde de la Boulangeriethe World Cup of Baking. In 1998, he became the 76th Certified Master Baker in the United States. He is Director of the Bakery and Baking Education Center at the King Arthur Flour Company in Norwich, Vermont. In this capacity, he teaches professional baking classes one week each month and bakes for three weeks each month in King Arthur's production bakery.

Product details

Publisher ‏ : ‎ Wiley; 1st edition (September 3, 2004)
Language ‏ : ‎ English
Hardcover ‏ : ‎ 432 pages
ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0471168572
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0471168577
Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 2.12 pounds
Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 7.85 x 1.4 x 9.45 inches

Best Sellers Rank: #689,470 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #3,300 in Baking (Books)
- #29,943 in Literary Fiction (Books)

Customer Reviews:
4.7 244 ratings

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4.7 out of 5

244 global ratings

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Deborah R.

Best Bread Making Book!

Reviewed in the United States on November 14, 2023

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Love this book. Very helpful tips and techniques. Recipes with step by step instructions. A must for bread bakers of all levels!

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Southern Review

2005 IACP Award Winner!

Reviewed in the United States on September 5, 2006

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THIS is the definitive guide for professional and serious home bakers; it is precisely the caliber of detailed information serious bakers have demanded in order to reach their next plateau of bread baking excellence. This is unmistakably the most comprehensive bread book of its type on the market. I am so delighted with the results it has shown my own baking.

As a serious and dedicated cook, I have never experienced such instant gratification and remarkable improvements in my own craft than is evidenced via the advice available from this extraordinary reference.

Through dedicated effort, and much trial and effort - in the method of Nancy Silverman - my sourdough eventually met the high goal I set for it; to taste like that of Fisherman's Wharf sourdough. Nevertheless, my ciabatta and country style loaves remained, in my opinion, sub-par.

This book's detailed; professional instructions launched my country bread and ciabatta loaves to bakery status within only two passes! I am now able to go beyond my original benchmark and further tweak the percentages in BREAD to achieve what ever I want for this style of bread. It is such a wonderful experience! The first try did not deviate from BREAD's formula. The second pass was formulae - plus - experience, and that was the charm. We are simply blown-away at how something exponentially went from good to excellent in two batches.

JEFFREY HAMELMAN, a former bakery owner has been baking professionally for thirty years. In 1998, he became the 76th Certified Master Baker in the United States. Unlike the other author of five bread books, Mr. Hamelman's book, Bread stays on point.

He does not have the ungracious, annoying habit of referencing himself as "acclaimed" and famous, nor does he continuously interject references to old James Beard awards. Mr. Hamelman does not patronize the reader and talk down to them, nor does he disingenuously convolute his instructions to make them appear more complicated to elevate his own importance.

I bought four of the other author's books in a single optimistic purchase for which I regret. Reinhart's recipes produced baked goods that could double as doorstops and his sourdough starter was a waste of ingredients, both tries were scaled and to the letter!

There are 118 detailed formulas. Each formula is charted in four versions:

- U.S. Imperial weight - for professional yields (about 22-25 loaves)
- Metric weight - for large professional yields
- Home - Imperial volume (cups, teaspoons) w/some weights - 2-3 loaves
- Bakers Percentages

Home artisan bakers can easily scale their ingredients by looking at the professional metric weights and moving the decimal point for home yields. The only math necessary is converting fresh yeast to either active or instant yeasts. OR, if one wishes to customize ingredients, they can combine the baker's percentages as appropriate.

Additional information might be as follows:

-Ciabatta with Stiff Biga-

pre-fermented flour 20%
Dough Yield: U.S. __ - Metric ___ - Home: __

Overall Formula:
Each ingredient is charted in columns per US, Metric, Home, and %
BIGA - also listed in columns per US, Metric, Home, and %
FINAL DOUGH in columns per US, Metric, Home

Then detailed instructions are categorized as 1. Biga, - 2. Mixing, - 3. Bulk Fermentation: 3 hours, - 4. Folding, - 5. Dividing and Shaping, - 6. Final Fermentation: time - 7. Baking.

The typeface and layout are such that they are user friendly. Mountains of information is there at one's ready without flipping all over and digging for salient information.

Lastly, Hamelman is the baking director of King Arthur Flour. They sell their live sourdough to the public. It is perfectly balanced lactic to acetic and originates from 200 year old cultures. Save yourself the aggravation of fiddling with organic grapes, or other methods that do not always work. Buy a small culture from King Arthur and watch it sponsor a lifetime of artisan loaves. Mine had been making beautiful music for years. It is delicious!

210 people found this helpful

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Athanasius

The best book, but not for most beginners

Reviewed in the United States on December 31, 2010

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Many books can tell you the basic science of bread-baking. Few get at the true art of the master bread-baker. This is one of the best.

I've read other comments from beginners who were disappointed and/or confused. I can understand that. I did buy this book when I was a relatively inexperienced bread-baker, and I read parts of it. But then I put it on my shelf. After about three years of baking bread about once per week (using other books and recipes), I came back to it. And now I think it's the best book on bread that I own.

I think many people go through a few stages of learning to bake bread. (1) They try a simple recipe or two, something a friend gave them or something from a favorite cookbook. With a few tries, they turn out passable bread. (2) They play with some other recipes, try some variations, have some successes and some failures. (3) They realize they need to know more about the science of bread-baking, which leads them to read more books, buy a scale to measure ingredients, and suddenly become fussy about all sorts of little things. For some, it's proper kneading, for others proper shaping, for others it's temperature control or steaming the oven. We all go through phases. But finally, (4) we get most of the basic understanding together, and now we need a master baker to summarize what we should know, clarify a few things, and point out some of the errors or bad technique we've picked up along the way.

This book is best for people in stage (4), though it could be good for some people in stage (3). There are plenty of books for the fussy learning stage -- some like Reinhart's "Bread Baker's Apprentice," some like Beranbaum's "Bread Bible," and there are other favorites. A lot of reviews here disparage such books, but they have their place. And yet they are also lacking -- Reinhart, for example, doesn't really have good detailed instructions on shaping. Hamelman has a whole chapter on it, and even a whole chapter on braided breads and technique. That information alone took my baking results from reasonably good to excellent.

If you're a beginner looking for a pretty book with lots of pretty pictures and detailed instructions for every recipe, this isn't it. (Reinhart, for example, has a glossy photo of each beautiful bread with each recipe; Hamelman, on the other hand, has only a few pages of colors photos, and a two-page spread within that short section is devoted to showing the different textures of baguettes baked with different techniques -- you'd be amazed what proper slashing can do, and not just on baguettes!) But if you're experienced baking bread and want to know what you've been doing wrong all these years, how to fix it, and even explanations for why these new techniques will work better, this is the book.

23 people found this helpful

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Paul

A Treasure Trove

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on June 18, 2012

Verified Purchase

I've been making all of the bread for our family for about 5 years now, and I've bought loads of books in the search for the perfect loaf. Of all of them, there are only two I really rate:

- Dough by Richard Bertinet. This is my "how" book. It's great for learning the basic techniques, and getting you away from that bread machine and into the world of real bread. My only criticism is that the recipes are a bit limited and unadventurous, but that fits with it being a beginner's book.

- This book, Bread: A Baker's Book of Techniques and Recipes by Jeffrey Hamelman.
This is my "why" book. For those with an enquiring mind, it explains why you do certain things, and introduces advanced techniques, not just in folding, shaping and braiding, but also in scaling, so you can do any recipe in any quantity, to suit your needs.

It also has a huge range of recipes. Not being content with mere 'straight' doughs, which merit only 17 pages, we have 40 pages of doughs made with yeasted pre-ferments (where Poolish, Biga and Pate Fermentee enter your vocabulary), followed by 56 pages of sourdoughs (and introduces us to the three main types of sourdough starter!). All in pursuit of the perfect tasting - and looking - loaf.

And as an added benefit, all of the recipes are presented in 3 ways; for the home, for a commercial bakery, and as baker's percentages. Brilliant.

As for concerns by some reviewers about metric/imperial units - conversion isn't difficult, particularly when you see that recipes are presented as baker's percentages. But I must admit, my favourite 12(ish) recipes have the weights in grams written in, in two different quantities (2 loaves and 3 loaves), to suit what I can handle. This is a working book, not for the coffee table, so I don't mind writing in it!

I think you need both books; "Dough" to learn the basics, then the Hamelman book for everyday use. But if I had to choose, this is the one I just couldn't do without. It never has time to rest on the bookshelf.

6 people found this helpful

hair-raiser

Amazing Book

Reviewed in Germany on August 11, 2011

Verified Purchase

Since I got interested in bread baking I have been looking for a book to explain me why. Why i have to knead, to ferment twice, to punch the dough, to spray water into the oven etc. Until I found this one. Simply incredible.

About the author:
The book is written by a person who loves bread and has been making it for decades. As you go through the book you can feel the love he feels about it. His English is concise and clear.

About the printing quality:
Good thick paper with stylish fonts. A lot of hand graphic drawings on manual bread operations and only a few color glossy photos. Along with the regular text you have blocks that describe some additional story or topic. Did I mention: hard cover with a paper jacket.

About the content:
The first part of the book (~100 pages) focuses on the bread/dough theory. Follows main part that contains formulas/recipes for different bread types. At the end you have some notes on small details like sourdough production, dough temperature etc.
Although the author focuses mostly on mass bread production (bakery style) he provides enough useful information for the home baker.

Conclusion: a really amazing book, a must for every home/bakery baker. Precise and to the point - no useless glossy photos like most of the books nowadays.

3 people found this helpful

David- Bolton, Lancs

Bread: A Baker's Book of Techniques and Recipes

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on February 25, 2010

Verified Purchase

I have quite a lot of books on cookery in general, cookery methods etc. and this book tops the lot.
It is not a book for general recipes of bread making, although it does contain a significant amount - 200 pages.
It is more for the casual home baker, or even the commercial startup, who wants a complete understanding of bread making. The first 60 pages give a thorough explanation of the constituent parts of bread, followed by 30 pages on Hand Techniques. The next 200 pages cover making just about any bread made in the world, with fully scaleable quantities in commercial US lbs, commercial Metric kg, Home making quanties and Bakers percentages. Each recipe has notes on taste, nature, preparation & appearance of the bread. If you are looking for a book full of glossy photographs, then this book is not for you, although there are some photos. This book does not need them. Although the book is of american origin, the author, Jeffrey Hamelman, does make comparisons with european grains and yeast involved. This is quite simply the best book on baking I own and can only inspire every reader/owner of the book.

30 people found this helpful

Philip55

Nice book

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on May 13, 2012

Verified Purchase

Its difficult to know where to atsrt in reviewing this work.. I bake bread by hand at home and I already have the River Cottage handbook as a guide.. However I felt that I needed some more in depth knowledge and came across this book right here on Amazon.. I held back somewhat due to its American bias in ingredients but after It arrived I found that all the weights and measures were actually very workable for me as there is a home listing as well as a bakers listing for all the ingredients both in LBS and cups.. I love the way the book explains the process of bread making from the seed sowing to oven and incorporates as many potential failings during his descriptions. I like this book very much and I have begun reading it from start to end and I have already discovered so much new information. Highly recomended and practicle book to keep and use when baking bread at home or indeed at a bakery where you intend to be the sole bread maker and do it all yourself..

9 people found this helpful

Amazon-klant

Good book but of limited use outside the US

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on May 25, 2012

Verified Purchase

The intended target audience for this book are professional bakers, this shines through such as in the description of techniques (how to handle 20 kg's of dough, anyone?) and the assumption that all mixing will be done with a pro mixer instead of kneading by hand. Still, the techniques are clearly written and have descriptive drawings that illustrate every step. The recipe index is fairly compendious, with the emphasis lying on breads made using pre-ferments although a variety of straight doughs and specialities are also discussed.

However, it is seriously -and for amateur bakers perhaps fatally- flawed:

The recipes scaled for professional quantities use (also) the metric system, which is fine if you're running a bakeshop and feel like baking 30 loaves in one go. The scaled down recipes for the home baker however indicate no metric quantities and go on endlessly about cups of flour, ounces, degrees Fahrenheit etc. This is all the more galling since the author himself writes that it's preferable to use metric quantities when dealing with ingredients. Unfortunately he doesn't practice what he preaches. The day is saved to some extent because the bakers' formula is also always given and this allows for easier conversion.

This is a great book for learning about baking in general, learning about technique, the ingredients etc. But if you're an amateur bread baker who's interested in baking a few loaves in one go and especially if you're in a country using the metric system I'd think really, really hard and consider some alternatives before pressing the 'buy' button.

30 people found this helpful

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