What is the best bread cookbook?

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JoMama

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:chef:

Calling all serious bread bakers ...

I'm getting into bread baking and want to expand my knowledge & purchase one or two great bread cookbooks ... what are your recommends (& why)? Thanks!

:chef:
 
Peter Reinhart - Bread Baker's Apprentice. Why? Its the only one I have :P

Its a nice book though, definitely worth it.
 
There are SO many GREAT bread books. Depends whether you want basic bread baking, or various types of specialty breads.

The Bread Bible by Rose Levy Beranbaum; any of Peter Reinhart's books, any of Betsy Oppenneer's books, Beard on Bread, That ought to be enough to get you started. ;)

(I have a pretty good Bread chapter in my book, "Feastivals Cooks at Home." )
 
IMO the Artisan Bread book is more for beginners and not for someone who wants to really get into serious bread baking.

I'd recommend both the book that flukx listed -- The Bread Baker's Apprentice and one that ChefJune listed -- The Bread Bible, as well as Nancy Silverton's Breads from the La Brea Bakery book.

I have them all. My number one would be The Bread Baker's Apprentice.
 
Another, more specialized one, is Carol Field's "The Italian Baker." We LOVE the Pane Pugliese recipe from it, and there are lots of other goodies.

Baking with Julia has some excellent bread chapters, as well. The one with Nancy Silverton is a real standout.
 
Peter Reinhart - Bread Baker's Apprentice. Why? Its the only one I have :P

Its a nice book though, definitely worth it.

I definately agree! It's a great source of technique and knowlege beyond just recipes. And I would also add one that I use nearly weekly:

"Classic Breads" by Caldirola, Negri and Aru

Good luck and have fun! :chef:
 
for me, the best bread book has been "The King Arthur Flour 200th Anniversary Cookbook"

because it deals extensively with using whole wheat flour

this cookbook covers anything made with flour, not just bread
 
All this talk has gotten me into bread baking mode.

Imonna make me a Bittman loaf right now!

Also, bethzaring is right about the King Arthur book. Not specifically bread, but a greak baking book.
 
I'm glad I found this I have had a problem with bread this past few years and I used to be able to make pretty good bread (without a machine). I recently heard about "feeding yeast" and that really confused me. In the books like the Bread Bible & Baking with Julia does it spell out things as far as preparing yeast or is it assumed that the reader knows? I am clueless about yeast tricks and I need help too. :(
 
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