Bread Illustrated

August 1, 2016
America’s Test Kitchen employed its usual exhaustive testing process for the recipes in this comprehensive guide to creating bread in the home kitchen. Each action that is vital to conquering the art of bread baking is broken down and photographed each step of the way, including mixing, kneading, rising, dividing and shaping, baking, cooling, and storing. After the basics are mastered in “Starting from Scratch,” which includes recipes for “Almost No-Knead” bread and monkey bread, graduation to honors class takes place. At this point, more complex techniques are outlined, and the authors explain how to use different flours to bake beautiful loaves of artisanal bread. As the reader progresses through each chapter, the more detailed the projects become. The beginner bread maker will benefit from the basics; the more experienced baker can start with sandwich breads or move forward to morning buns. The final chapter, “Raising the Bar,” covers recipes that involve a time commitment, such as New York-style bagels or croissants. With 1,000 photos and the expertise of the America’s Test Kitchen editors, this title might be the definitive book on bread baking. Photos.

September 1, 2016

Finally, the popular powerhouse many home cooks rely on for culinary instruction has devoted an entire book to bread. In its usual manner, America's Test Kitchen (The Complete America's Test Kitchen TV Show Cookbook 2001-2016) assessed numerous recipes, investigated the fundamentals and science of bread, and then tweaked ingredients and techniques to develop dependable recipes for over 100 sweet and savory breads. Organized like a class in which increasingly complex dishes build on techniques learned earlier, recipes include a lengthy "why this recipe works" narrative describing the importance of a particular item or tip. The emphasis is on precision, but aimed at home cooks, the book also explains when improvisation is okay. Specific brands of equipment and ingredients are discussed along with a helpful protein analysis of three major brands of wheat flours. Eric Kayser's The Larousse Book of Bread employs a wider range of ingredients, including spelt, rice, soy, and barley, and has more instruction on hand-kneading dough, though both titles share a similar scope and are equally well illustrated. VERDICT Recommended for novice and experienced home bakers alike, as well as anyone who enjoys learning about the science of bread baking.--Bonnie Poquette, Milwaukee

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