A Passion for Bread

Starred review from November 4, 2013
At its most basic, bread calls for only four ingredients: water, flour, salt, and yeast. In this terrific and inspiring collection, Master Baker Lionel Vatinet shows readers how to manipulate those simple ingredients to make all sorts of bread using the same seven basic steps. Readers quickly learn great bread is more technique than fancy ingredients. First, Vatinet explains how to assemble the best possible ingredients (yes, you even have to pay attention to the water). He then dives into the bread-making, applying his seven steps to every recipe. Readers learn to make French breads, variations on ciabatta and focaccia, sough dough, cornbread and more. Vatinet even shows readers how they can use a pizza stone and a stainless steel bowl to create their own "bread oven" to achieve that highly-desirable crust. First-timers may be intimidated by the number of pages Vatinet takes to show how to create bread but they needn't be. His detailed and accessible instructions, paired with copious step-by-step photos, will instill confidence and ensure readers are able to create boulangerie-worthy breads at home. 470 color photos.