Bread on the Table

Starred review from September 2, 2019
In this greatest hits of bread, Norman hits all the right notes. After years baking at home and abroad, Norman settled down in Austin, Tex., and opened Easy Tiger, a combination beer garden and bakery, where he describes what it’s like “baking bread in a tortilla town.” He offers class recipes from Europe, such as pain au levain and miche (a country loaf of stone-ground flour) from France, a Danish rye bread, the popular German country bread landbrot (he also includes a recipe for pretzels), and Italian ciabatta. The breads call for different ingredients and techniques, but Norman, a patient and thorough teacher, describes key stages in the development of each: he explains the key steps in building a sourdough starter, the crucial role of water in developing a crunchy crust, and how to use a stand mixer to simplify the bread-making process. He also shares plenty of ideas for carb accompaniments: a classic croque monsieur is spot-on; a DIY gravlax is perfect for Scandinavian rye bread; and a beer cheese spread from Munich is not to be missed. This terrific work is sure to appeal to veterans and novices alike.

November 1, 2019

Debut author Norman (Easy Tiger Bake Shop and Beer Garden, Austin, TX) shares bread ideas from three decades of bakery experience and his studies and travels in Europe. Norman distinguishes his book from others by emphasizing the fact that bread plays different roles in different cultures, and then going into more depth in chapters dedicated to French, Scandinavian, German, and Italian breads. The main focus on European bread recipes, pre-ferments, and sourdough starters makes the book similar to Danial Leader's Local Breads, which omits Scandinavian, but covers Czech and Polish breads. Norman includes detailed background information and simple recipes for beginners, but also encourages experienced home bakers to stretch with unconventional suggestions for smoking flour to increase flavor and for improvising a steaming pan. He prefers hand-mixing, touting his modified kneading method (a combo of traditional kneading and the autolyze method). But he explains how to achieve success with a stand mixer, too. The book is text-heavy with photos depicting finished breads and appropriate crumb structure, but few that illustrate shaping techniques. Chapters end with serving ideas to showcase the bread and have bonus recipes for accompaniments including gravlax, oysters, and sausage salad. VERDICT Recommended for home bread bakers of all calibers.--Bonnie Poquette, Milwaukee

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