5 replies to this topic

[artisanbaker]

is the best bread baking book i've seen in years. check it out!

http://www.amazon.co...=glance&s=books

[Wendy DeBord]

What specificly stands out?

[artisanbaker]

Rye breads.

But also, there is a wealth of understandable technology that can be easily applied by both a home baker and a pro. That is why i think so highly of it: it will appeal to both home baker and pro alike in the same way that "The Village Baker" does.

It has baker's math so formulas are readily available for pro use. It has a wide range of recipes for many vareties of breads. The pictures are beautiful but there could always be more. Occasional anecdotes and factual bites.

Jeffrey is one of the finest bakers in the country and his book is the first baking book that i have considered buying from a regular bookstore (not chips) in ages.

[ronnie_suburban]

Just an FYI for anyone in the (Long Island, NY) area that Mr. Hamelman will be speaking at a Guildhall Gathering of the Bread Bakers Guild of America on Monday February 7, 2005. He will discuss the new book at a wine and cheese reception hosted by the Artisan Baking Center and The Bread Bakers Guild of America.

For more information, please consult the eGullet calendar.

=R=

Edit: Corrected location from PA, to Long Island

[simdelish]

Chef Hamelman was my first ever Chef/Instructor at the CIA. He has a magical way with bread, but is able to convey and teach it realistically to his students. I credit him to this day with instilling good habits and techniques in me, that I use daily, even tho I am not a magical bread baker but a mere pastry chef. My first day at school Chef Hamelman told me the story how he had been chastised and taught by an old German woman who he first apprenticed/worked for -- to wipe out every bit of egg white in a shell -- never to waste that last precious drop! I do that by habit now too just as he did, in a split second, and even though it is now years later, hardly a day goes by that I don't think of him whenever I crack and empty an egg shell.

I found this blurb on a review, and believe it to be true:
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.

Although I don't have much use for it on a regular basis, I bought this book to keep as the ultimate reference, as I know it will tell me everything I need to know to make the perfect loaf, and exactly how to do it.

[devlin]

Bought this a couple of months ago after I'd leafed through a copy at a bread oven conference. So far I've not worked very far into it, but I got it more specifically for the near-encyclopedic aspect of it. Really useful in so many ways, and fabulous for the baker's formulas. I'm happy to hear the ryes are good. They're my next challenge.