| | |  | Garnish Items | Home » » The Bread Baker's Apprentice: Mastering the Art of Extraordinary Bread | | | | | | | Description: | | Co-founder of the legendary Brother Juniper’s Bakery in Sonoma, California, author of the landmark books Brother Juniper’s Bread Book and Crust & Crumb, and distinguished instructor at the world’s largest culinary school, Peter Reinhart has been a leader in America’s artisanal bread movement for over fifteen years. Never one to be content with yesterday’s baking triumph, however, Peter continues to refine his recipes and techniques in his never-ending quest for perfect bread. In THE BREAD BAKER’S APPRENTICE, Peter shares his latest bread breakthroughs, arising from his recent pilgrimage to study in several of France’s famed boulangeries and the always-enlightening time spent in the culinary academy kitchen with his students. First you’ll peer over Peter’s shoulder as he learns from Paris’s most esteemed bakers, people like the brothers Poilâne and Phillippe Gosselin, whose pain ancienne has revolutionized the art of baguette making. Peter then walks readers through the twelve steps of building great bread, his clear instructions accompanied by over 100 step-by-step photographs. Then it’s on to over 50 new master formulas for such classic breads as rustic, chewy ciabatta, hearty pain de campagna, old-school New York bagels, and the book’s Holy Grail—Peter’s version of the famed pain ancienne. En route, Peter distills hard science, advanced techniques, and food history down into a remarkably accessible and engaging resource that is as rich and multitextured as the loaves you’ll turn out. This is original food writing at it most captivating, teaching at its most inspired and inspiring—and the rewards are some of the best breads under the sun. | | | Features: | |
• ISBN13: 9781580082686
• Condition: New
• Notes: BUY WITH CONFIDENCE, Over one million books sold! 98% Positive feedback. Compare our books, prices and service to the competition. 100% Satisfaction Guaranteed
| | | Product Details: | | | Author:
| Peter Reinhart | | Hardcover:
| 320 pages | | Publisher:
| Ten Speed Press | | Publication Date:
| November 14, 2001 | | ISBN:
| 1580082688 | | Package Length:
| 10.4 inches | | Package Width:
| 9.9 inches | | Package Height:
| 1.2 inches | | Package Weight:
| 3.22 pounds | | Average Customer Rating:
|  based on 263 reviews |
| | | | Customer Reviews: | |
Average Customer Review:
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 BBAAug 27, 2010
If you are into bread baking, THIS is the book for you. Reinhart explains the art of bread making from the simple mixing of flour and water to some of the best bread you'll ever eat. He shows and explains technique while providing you with master formulas for a variety your favorite breads. And, these recipes are easy; you don't need any special equiptment. I would highly recommend this or other books by Reinhart. I would put this on the top of my list as one of the BEST cookbooks I have ever bought!
Finally we learned to bake proper breadAug 15, 2010
After years of attempts finally we found a book that guided us through baking the most wonderful breads. The book is not too complex, well set up and organized with detailed descriptions of the process and pictures that visualize what needs to be done.
Highly recommended for novice and advanced home-bakers!
1 of 1 found the following review helpful:
 Great book for beginners, only one minor complaintJul 18, 2010
This is a great book, particularly for a person, such as myself, who's new to bread baking. Not only are the recipes great, with clear instructions that are easy to follow, Reinhart's writing is quite engaging. Another thing I like about this book is that the instructions are specified whether you're kneading by machine or by hand. For someone who doesn't have a mechanical mixer and doesn't plan on getting one, this is particularly helpful.
My only complaint about this book is that the measurements are given in only the US system, not metric. Since I live in New Zealand, which uses the metric system, this is an inconvenience. A word of advice if you use the metric system, when making a recipe write down the converted recipe first, before you attempt it. I almost screwed up my first attempt because I tried to keep it all in my head. I believe Reinhart addresses this problem in his later books.
This book is an Excellent tool!Jul 18, 2010
I had only dabbled in bread making before buying this book. I was sick of my loaves of bread coming out far too dense and not light and fluffy. No longer will that be a problem!! If you are considering getting this book, don't consider any longer, just buy it and you won't be disappointed!
I absolutely love how the front part of the book goes into scientific detail and it gives you a full run down on the way to achieve a perfect bread. Although the breads in this book can take a while to make (most of that time is just the fermenting stages) they are just so worth it. The smell of the bread coming out of the oven and the light fluffy texture is just divine. I have only made one loaf so far out of this book so can't wait to try the rest!
2 of 2 found the following review helpful:
bread book comparisonJul 11, 2010
I wanted a book that gave me not just recipes, but information on making bread. What makes a loaf firmer or softer? So I got a number of books from the library, and bought one book. Here is a comparison of them. I have NOT tried recipes from all of them, since at this point my main goal is information, not recipes (or 'formulas' as they like to call them).
Bread Science: The Chemistry and Craft of Making Bread, by Emily Buehler.
This is an independently published book; get it from Two Blue Books - it is more expensive used on Amazon than new direct from them. This book gives detailed coverage of bread making. There is a long chapter on the science of bread making that goes into more detail than you need, although it is interesting. You don't need to read that chapter; the rest of the book has enough information. And it is very good information on ingredients and processes. There are good diagrams on how to knead and how to shape. I found this useful and highly recommend this book.
The Bread Bible, by Rose Levy Beranbaum.
A big book with a lot of good information. This gives a lot of information on techniques, and includes useful information like expected ingredient ranges (water compared to flour). She covers equipment in depth, such as a comparison on mixing machines - and how to use each one. I am very pleased with this book, and highly recommend it. My understanding of how my actions impact the final bread have definitely improved with this and the Bread Science books. This is the book that finally turned the corner for me on how much kneading is required (more than I thought).
BakeWise: The Hows and Whys of Successful Baking with Over 200 Magnificent Recipes, by Shirley O. Corriher
This book only has a small chapter on making bread. It does give a decent overview, including the basics on shpaing, steaming, and such. But there certainly is not as much detail, and she does not emphasize flavor development the way some of the other books do. There are also no diagrams on how to knead or shape. Don't get this to be your primary book on making bread. Of course, there is a lot more in this book on other types of baking. The rest of the book chapters are called Cakes, Steam Leavened, Pies, and Cookies. There is some good information, but your cholesterol will suffer. She loves butter and cream, and makes no stab at making the recipes healthier. And I've never seen such a complicated brownie recipe before. I'm sure it's great. Just be aware what you are getting before you dive in to this book.
Local Breads: Sourdough and Whole-Grain Recipes from Europe's Best Artisan Bakers, by Daniel Leader
This book has information on ingredients, equipment, and techniques, including some diagrams, but the overview is higher level than in, say, The Bread Bible. Still, there is a lot of good information. The various sections include additional information and Q&A after some recipes. It seems to have a nice variety of recipes. Overall, this doesn't seem like a 1st choice for information but a good supplement book.
The Bread Baker's Apprentice: Mastering the Art of Extraordinary Bread, Peter Reinhart
Reinhart's books include a lot of story telling. This can be interesting, but certainly takes a lot of space. He includes his description of the required steps in the 2nd section of the book. There are some excellent pictures, such as the windowpane test. And there is a nice chart showing all the recipes and what techniques it uses, which is nice if you want to select a recipe that uses a biga, for example. He is a big advocate on slow rises and preferments, which most of these writers are. Personally, I prefer Beranbaum's book; I felt that book is better organized, has more information, and is a bit clearer. But this book is still a good choice, particularly if you prefer pictures to diagrams.
Peter Reinhart's Whole Grain Breads: New Techniques, Extraordinary Flavor, Peter Reinhart
Again, this has Reinhart's narrative style. His focus is, no surprise, whole grain breads. A lot of the basic information is repeated here, although in less detail than his Apprentice book. His recipes might initially strike you as very complicated. I made a 'spent grain bread'. It uses a soaker plus a biga, then makes the dough. However, it really was very straight forward and easy. So you might not want this as your only bread book, but it gives a lot of ideas for other breads.
With my new understanding on how to make bread, I expect I will be less dependent on pre-made recipes. That being said, having the recipes saves you from (failed) experiments and helps give new ideas. So for a good understanding, I recommend Beranbaum's "The Bread Bible" and Buehler's "Bread Science". I also might get Reinhart's "Whole Grain Breads" for a focus on those styles of bread.
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