master of class, bread edition

If you're at all interested in artisan breads, then Peter Reinhart is no stranger to you. He wrote the book on it, or several actually. The Bread Revolution, Crust and Crumb, Peter Reinhart's Artisan Breads Every Day. He was there when bakers started adding whole grains, when European breads made their way across the Atlantic to American tables, when holistic recipes looked for alternatives to sugar and gluten, and to the local food movement. Throughout it all, he's been researching, experimenting, baking, writing, and teaching. Which is so fortunate for us, because even those of us who don't get the benefit of his classes still get to cherish his cookbooks. 

Which brings us to the Fifteenth Anniversary Edition of The Bread Baker's Apprentice (BBA, to those in the know). The original won the James Beard Cook Book of the Year Award along with a host of other awards. One glance at the book will show you why. 

I am a devoted fan of bread cookbooks. I collect them all and wish I had the time to dig in and spread flour all over them. But imagine my surprise at this one. It is singular in its depth and (pardon the pun) breadth. Filled with every bread recipe you can think of, with tips and techniques to make anyone a master bread baker in just, well, years. There is a lot to baking amazing artisan breads, after all. But this book is a masterclass from a master baker. 

First, he reminds us of all the reason we love bread in the first place. I don't know about you (and apologies for my gluten-free friends, although there are new alternatives to make this possible for you too), but to me bread is the heart of a meal. It offers comfort and warmth in a way that no other food does. You can use it to sop up a sauce, to add texture, to make food hand-friendly, or just for added deliciousness. 

Part two is a tutorial, going through the twelve stages of bread, breaking down the process so bakers learn not just now to read a recipe but how to read the bread dough. He talks ingredients, equipment, and fermentation. Mixing, kneading, shaping, baking--Reinhart takes readers through each step of the bread-baking process and gives you all the information you need to make the best bread possible. 

And then, part three: the formulas. This is where it gets real. Recipe after recipe of delicious breads: brioche, ciabatta, focaccia, French bread, Italian bread, wheat bread, rye bread, sourdough, pumpernickel, stollen, panettone, and so many more. Crackers, English muffins, rolls, buns, if you can think of it, you can find the recipe here. 

This fifteenth anniversary edition includes updated material and formulas, new notes and information about the improvements in bread baking that have been made over the last decade and a half. I feel like I shouldn't have to say this, but I will: if you are interested in baking bread, or you know someone who is, this new edition of BBA is as essential as, well, bread itself. 

I received this book from BloggingforBooks.com for this review. For more information on this title, go to http://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/250188/the-bread-bakers-apprentice-15th-anniversary-edition-by-peter-reinhart/