Bread: A Baker's Book of Techniques and Recipes

Bread: A Baker's Book of Techniques and Recipes is a technical guide and recipe collection written by master baker Jeffrey Hamelman, drawing from his decades of professional experience. The book contains over 100 bread formulas ranging from basic loaves to complex laminated pastries. The text begins with fundamentals of bread science, ingredients, and equipment before moving into detailed instructions for mixing, shaping, and baking techniques. Each recipe includes both home and commercial quantities, baker's percentages, and notes on timing and process variations. Step-by-step photographs demonstrate key handwork skills like braiding, scoring, and folding. Sections on sourdough cultivation, rye breads, enriched doughs, and decorative breads build progressively on core concepts. This volume stands as both a professional reference manual and an educational text that emphasizes understanding the "why" behind baking processes. The technical depth and methodical approach reflect the author's commitment to preserving and advancing the craft of artisan bread baking.

Professional bakers and experienced home bakers value this book as a technical resource, with readers noting its detailed explanations of fermentation, mixing methods, and temperature control. Many cite it as their go-to reference for troubleshooting bread problems. Likes: - Mathematical baker's percentages and metric measurements - Clear explanations of chemistry and technique - Professional production schedules included - Step-by-step photos of shaping methods Dislikes: - Dense, textbook-like writing style - Recipes scaled for commercial quantities - Small font size hard to read while baking - Complex terminology intimidating for beginners One reader said "the technical depth helped me understand why my sourdough wasn't rising properly." Another noted "the commercial quantities are impractical - I have to rescale everything." Ratings: Goodreads: 4.44/5 (814 ratings) Amazon: 4.7/5 (656 ratings) King Arthur Baking: 4.8/5 (32 ratings) The book ranks consistently in Amazon's top 100 bread baking books.

Flour Water Salt Yeast by Ken Forkish The book details fermentation processes, baker's percentages, and technical methods for producing artisan breads and pizzas at home.

The Bread Baker's Apprentice by Peter Reinhart The text presents bread formulas through a detailed breakdown of the steps, temperatures, and chemical reactions that occur during fermentation and baking.

The Perfect Loaf by Maurizio Leo This work provides mathematical precision and scientific explanations for the methods of sourdough bread baking, complemented by baker's percentages and temperature charts.

Tartine Bread by Chad Robertson The book presents the technical foundations of natural fermentation and the chemical processes behind creating crusty sourdough breads.

The Rye Baker by Stanley Ginsberg This text examines the science and techniques specific to rye flour fermentation, including formulas and technical specifications for traditional European rye breads.

🌾 Jeffrey Hamelman is one of only 83 Certified Master Bakers in the United States and served as the bakery director at King Arthur Flour for 15 years. 🍞 The book contains detailed explanations of baker's math and baker's percentages, making it possible for readers to scale recipes from a single loaf to hundreds of loaves with precision. 🌡️ Each recipe includes both U.S. and metric measurements, as well as home and commercial quantities, making it valuable for both professional bakers and home enthusiasts. 🎓 The book is used as a textbook in many professional baking programs and is often referred to as the "baker's bible" in professional circles. 🖼️ The book features hand-drawn illustrations by Chiho Kaneko, which provide clear visual guides for shaping techniques and bread scoring patterns.