Secrets of a Jewish Baker

April 30, 2007
Amateur bread bakers of every skill level will love Greenstein's collection of recipes that demonstrate his natural skill at teaching as well as baking (he operated a Jewish bakery in Long Island for more than 20 years). Excellent opening chapters on ingredients, tools and techniques, from kneading basics to microwave tricks and tips on identifying how a bread failed, are followed by well-chosen beginner loaves; the remaining recipes are divided into potato and corn breads, a catch-all "international" category ranging from Bavarian Farmer Bread to Indian naan, and chapters on sourdoughs, small breads and quick breads. Recipes like focaccia and Irish soda bread may be overly familiar, but Greenstein also offers such a delightful array of unusual breads, like sesame-flavored Greek Psomi or the scone-like Singing Hinny, that even expert bakers will find something new. Twelve menus for "mornings of baking" each yield enough breads to last throughout the week, aiming at time-pressed bakers, though even the experienced may have difficulty fitting the work into one morning. Despite the title, stereotypically Jewish breads are a minority, but Greenstein takes care to tell how to make most recipes kosher; bakers of all religions will appreciate the inclusion of guidelines for mixing dough in the food processor or stand mixer alongside the traditional method, as well as numerous v ariation ideas. Greenstein's expert guidance puts homemade bread within reach of anyone intimidated by the process, and makes baking a treat again for those who thought they had tried every loaf. This publication is an updated version of

April 16, 2007
Amateur bread bakers of every skill level will love Greenstein's collection of recipes that demonstrate his natural skill at teaching as well as baking (he operated a Jewish bakery in Long Island for more than 20 years). Excellent opening chapters on ingredients, tools and techniques, from kneading basics to microwave tricks and tips on identifying how a bread failed, are followed by well-chosen beginner loaves; the remaining recipes are divided into potato and corn breads, a catch-all "international" category ranging from Bavarian Farmer Bread to Indian naan, and chapters on sourdoughs, small breads and quick breads. Recipes like focaccia and Irish soda bread may be overly familiar, but Greenstein also offers such a delightful array of unusual breads, like sesame-flavored Greek Psomi or the scone-like Singing Hinny, that even expert bakers will find something new. Twelve menus for "mornings of baking" each yield enough breads to last throughout the week, aiming at time-pressed bakers, though even the experienced may have difficulty fitting the work into one morning. Despite the title, stereotypically Jewish breads are a minority, but Greenstein takes care to tell how to make most recipes kosher; bakers of all religions will appreciate the inclusion of guidelines for mixing dough in the food processor or stand mixer alongside the traditional method, as well as numerous v ariation ideas. Greenstein's expert guidance puts homemade bread within reach of anyone intimidated by the process, and makes baking a treat again for those who thought they had tried every loaf. This publication is an updated version of

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