“For the professional as well as the home cook, this book is one of the essentials for a bread baker’s collection.”
—NANCY SILVERTON, chef and co-owner, Mozza Restaurant Group
“Both novice and experienced bakers have cause to celebrate Peter Reinhart’s The Bread Baker’s Apprentice. Peter’s years of hands-on experience combined with his excellent teaching skills make this book the closest thing to having a master at your side as you bake.”
—LORA BRODY, author of Basic Baking
“There is simply no other work where a student, and for that matter, many seasoned bakers, can turn to understand how the magic of great bread baking works.”
—CHARLES VAN OVER, author of The Best Bread Ever
“Peter has yet again woven a fine tale about great bread, and his passion abounds. In The Bread Baker’s Apprentice, he delivers a tool box of information and insight—tools that empower us to roll up our sleeves and keep those ovens full!”
—PETER FRANKLIN, past chairman of the board, The Bread Bakers Guild of America
“This remarkable book is written and designed to bridge the information gap between professional artisan baking and simpler home baking. The tricks, the tips, the checklists, the math, the lingo, the path to perfect fermentation, are all here at my fingertips.”
—BETH HENSPERGER, author of Bread Made Easy
“If you are a serious home baker and wish to raise your level of baking several notches, then apprentice yourself to master bread baker Peter Reinhart in The Bread Baker’s Apprentice. He instructs with gusto in this delightful and comprehensive volume.”
—BERNARD CLAYTON, author of The Breads of France
“Just as bread nourishes the body, The Bread Baker’s Apprentice nourishes the baker’s soul. Peter Reinhart’s explicit recipes and detailed instructions are so well written that he takes the mystery out of mastery, giving you the sense that he is standing right beside you, coaching you to success.”
—FLO BRAKER, author of The Simple Art of Perfect Baking
CONTENTS
Introduction 1
ONE. WHAT IS IT ABOUT BREAD? 7
TWO. DECONSTRUCTING BREAD: A TUTORIAL 25
Assumptions and Rationales 25
The Twelve Stages of Bread: Evoking the Fullness of Flavor from the Grain 48
THREE. FORMULAS 109
The Final Grace Note: Wood-Fired Baking in Bennett Valley 303
Formulas
Pre-ferments 110
Pâte Fermentée 111
Poolish 112
Biga 113
Anadama Bread 114
Artos: Greek Celebration Breads 117
Bagels 121
Brioche and Brioche Relatives 130
Casatiello 137
Challah 140
Ciabatta 142
Cinnamon Buns and Sticky Buns 150
Cinnamon Raisin Walnut Bread 154
Corn Bread 157
Cranberry-Walnut Celebration Bread 160
English Muffins 163
Focaccia 165
French Bread 174
Italian Bread 178
Kaiser Rolls 182
Lavash Crackers 186
Light Wheat Bread 189
Marbled Rye Bread 191
Multigrain Bread Extraordinaire 195
Pain à l’Ancienne 199
Pain de Campagne 203
Pane Siciliano 207
Panettone 211
Pizza Napoletana 217
Poolish Baguettes 223
Portuguese Sweet Bread 226
Potato Rosemary Bread 229
Pugliese 233
Sourdough Bread and Variations 238
Basic Sourdough Bread 245
New York Deli Rye 249
100% Sourdough Rye Bread 253
Poilâne-Style Miche 256
Pumpernickel Bread 260
Sunflower Seed Rye 264
Stollen 268
Swedish Rye (Limpa) 274
Tuscan Bread 277
Vienna Bread 280
White Bread: Three Multipurpose Variations 284
Whole-Wheat Bread 288
Sprouted Wheat and Brown Rice Bread 291
Sprouted Whole Wheat Onion and Poppyseed Bialys 294
Beyond Ultimate Cinnamon and Sticky Buns 297
Potato, Cheddar, and Chive Torpedoes 307
Roasted Onion and Asiago Miche 310
