Peter Reinhart has been my bread guru for several years; Crust & Crumb taught me a lot about baking, and contains unparalleled formulas for focaccia and sourdough bagels, two of my staples. So, getting his new book was a no-brainer… even before it won the Best Book of the Year award (2002) from the International Association of Culinary Professionals.
The Bread Baker’s Apprentice opens with a 50-page, 12-step analysis of the process of bread-baking. This is comprehensive without being overwhelming, and I think beginning as well as advanced bakers will learn from the explanations. Part of the appeal of Reinhart’s writing, for me, is his understanding and presentation of the science behind the process: for example, why slow fermentation creates better flavor. Many people fear baking as if it were an unknowable, mysterious art; in fact, as Reinhart demonstrates, baking world-class bread is as easy as mastering a few basic chemical reactions in one’s own kitchen.
The book contains over 40 basic “formulas,” covering a huge part of the bread spectrum: from baguettes to sticky buns, english muffins to lavash crackers, with regional favorites like Anadama and ethnic favorites like panettone as well. Included are recipes for several sweet, dessert-y things such as stollen, artos, and “celebration” breads.
Of the 40+ formulas, these are the ones I make regularly:
- A semolina bread Reinhart calls Pane Siciliano (p. 198). Shaped into a pudgy ‘S’, topped with black sesame seeds, and baked to blistery perfection, a loaf of Pane Siciliano makes a beautiful statement.
- Ciabatta, an Italian flatbread characterized by huge holes in the crumb and a floured, rustic exterior… perfect for dipping into olive oil and balsamic vinegar (p. 139).
- Pizza (p. 207)… about which much more has been written elsewhere.
Apprentice also contains a revolutionary new approach to fermentation, called Pain a l’Ancienne. This is one of the few innovative ideas I’ve seen in any bread book, and it is remarkable. Reinhart uses this approach in his new formula for pizza dough; the results are nothing short of spectacular. I’ve been making pizza from the Crust & Crumb recipe for several years, with great results, but the new recipe is both superior in performance, and significantly easier to make. Honestly, with a copy of Apprentice and a pizza stone, you can make world-class pizza at home.
Bottom line: whether you have zero bread books or (like me) seven, The Bread Baker’s Apprentice is a must-have.
Patronize these links, man:
posted to area: Cookbooks
updated: 2004-06-08 19:08:18
