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Flour Water Salt Yeast: The Fundamentals of Artisan Bread and Pizza
NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • From Portland’s most acclaimed and beloved baker comes this must-have baking guide, featuring recipes for world-class breads and pizzas and a variety of schedules suited for the home baker.There are few things more satisfying than biting into a freshly made, crispy-on-the-outside, soft-and-supple-on-the-inside slice of perfectly baked bread. For Portland-based baker Ken Forkish, well-made bread is more than just a pleasure—it is a passion that has led him to create some of the best and most critically lauded breads and pizzas in the country. In Flour Water Salt Yeast, Forkish translates his obsessively honed craft into scores of recipes for rustic boules and Neapolitan-style pizzas, all suited for the home baker. Forkish developed and tested all of the recipes in his home oven, and his impeccable formulas and clear instructions result in top-quality artisan breads and pizzas that stand up against those sold in the best bakeries anywhere. Whether you’re a total beginner or a serious baker, Flour Water Salt Yeast has a recipe that suits your skill level and time Start with a straight dough and have fresh bread ready by supper time, or explore pre-ferments with a bread that uses biga or poolish. If you’re ready to take your baking to the next level, follow Forkish’s step-by-step guide to making a levain starter with only flour and water, and be amazed by the delicious complexity of your naturally leavened bread. Pizza lovers can experiment with a variety of doughs and sauces to create the perfect pie using either a pizza stone or a cast-iron skillet. Flour Water Salt Yeast is more than just a collection of recipes for amazing bread and pizza—it offers a complete baking education, with a thorough yet accessible explanation of the tools and techniques that set artisan bread apart. Featuring a tutorial on baker’s percentages, advice for manipulating ingredients ratios to create custom doughs, tips for adapting bread baking schedules to fit your day-to-day life, and an entire chapter that demystifies the levain-making process, Flour Water Salt Yeast is an indispensable resource for bakers who want to make their daily bread exceptional bread.
446 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 2012
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 498 reviews
July 15, 2013
"Flour Water Salt Yeast: The Fundamentals of Artisan Bread and Pizza," by Ken Forkish, is a book about intense privilege and complicated bread recipes and sweeping statements about what is and isn't the right way of making bread.
I make bread fairly regularly, one of my go-to books being "Beard On Bread" by James Beard. Like a lot of books about bread, Beard emphasizes that most people don't need a stand mixer and can mix by hand, and includes pictures showing different ways one can knead bread while also touching lightly on using a stand mixer. Forkish, on the other hand, boldly states that NOBODY needs to use a stand mixer EVER and provides only one way to "knead" bread which involves folding wet dough over and over in a way that would tear my carpal tunnel and arthritis affected wrists and hands UP. I'm sorry, but I absolutely do need to use a stand mixer if I want to be able to use my hands and fingers and not be in incredible pain for days.
He also pays lipservice in the introduction to the immense variability in room temperature, hydration level of flour, etc but then gives really rigid recipes using a kitchen scale and fairly strict schedules for rising.
Forkish's book features a lot of photos of rando ingredients, but not technique. It's a pretty book, but not that useful, especially for a beginning baker.
This is really an aspirational book more than anything else. If you want to pretend you have the resources to quit a really well paying job to wander around Europe for a while dropping mad cash on specialized lessons, then start a niche business in a new town during a huge recession and be able to support yourself despite not making any money for a year or two, this book is for you. If you're the kind of person who doesn't understand why people in a residential area wouldn't want someone running a commercial, wood-burning bakery next door driving up traffic and reducing the air quality, this book might be for you. If you're the kind of person who is willing to sell substandard goods to your customers because you haven't bothered to read your proofer's manual, this is your book! If you write a "manifesto" explaining to your customers why you over bake your product to the point people don't want to buy it because it looks and tastes burnt... yeah. You get the point.
I was most excited about the pizza recipes in the book. However, his "pizza dough" consists of "random bread dough you have lying around" and then photos of himself throwing dough in the air.
I grew up with my mom's home made bread and make bread myself. I know my way around a kitchen, used to work in a bakery, and make bread and pastries pretty regularly... I make pizza every week, for instance. I found this book disappointing and not very useful for my needs. I don't rally care about Forkish's personal motto or inspiration or whatever, and find photos of stacked bowls not that helpful. My big take away from this book is use a wetter dough than you normally do.
If you want to donk around with complicated starters and making your own levain, you might get some use out of this book. Temperature variations in my kitchen don't make that possible, though. It'd either die from cold or get moldy.
I make bread fairly regularly, one of my go-to books being "Beard On Bread" by James Beard. Like a lot of books about bread, Beard emphasizes that most people don't need a stand mixer and can mix by hand, and includes pictures showing different ways one can knead bread while also touching lightly on using a stand mixer. Forkish, on the other hand, boldly states that NOBODY needs to use a stand mixer EVER and provides only one way to "knead" bread which involves folding wet dough over and over in a way that would tear my carpal tunnel and arthritis affected wrists and hands UP. I'm sorry, but I absolutely do need to use a stand mixer if I want to be able to use my hands and fingers and not be in incredible pain for days.
He also pays lipservice in the introduction to the immense variability in room temperature, hydration level of flour, etc but then gives really rigid recipes using a kitchen scale and fairly strict schedules for rising.
Forkish's book features a lot of photos of rando ingredients, but not technique. It's a pretty book, but not that useful, especially for a beginning baker.
This is really an aspirational book more than anything else. If you want to pretend you have the resources to quit a really well paying job to wander around Europe for a while dropping mad cash on specialized lessons, then start a niche business in a new town during a huge recession and be able to support yourself despite not making any money for a year or two, this book is for you. If you're the kind of person who doesn't understand why people in a residential area wouldn't want someone running a commercial, wood-burning bakery next door driving up traffic and reducing the air quality, this book might be for you. If you're the kind of person who is willing to sell substandard goods to your customers because you haven't bothered to read your proofer's manual, this is your book! If you write a "manifesto" explaining to your customers why you over bake your product to the point people don't want to buy it because it looks and tastes burnt... yeah. You get the point.
I was most excited about the pizza recipes in the book. However, his "pizza dough" consists of "random bread dough you have lying around" and then photos of himself throwing dough in the air.
I grew up with my mom's home made bread and make bread myself. I know my way around a kitchen, used to work in a bakery, and make bread and pastries pretty regularly... I make pizza every week, for instance. I found this book disappointing and not very useful for my needs. I don't rally care about Forkish's personal motto or inspiration or whatever, and find photos of stacked bowls not that helpful. My big take away from this book is use a wetter dough than you normally do.
If you want to donk around with complicated starters and making your own levain, you might get some use out of this book. Temperature variations in my kitchen don't make that possible, though. It'd either die from cold or get moldy.
March 4, 2020
Making my own bread has been one of my latest fads. Among the most sensual experiences in life, this is somewhere on my top 5 — along with sex and music. But among all the things that can go wrong in the kitchen, making bread comes probably at number one — sex and music would also rank pretty high among the things that can go wrong in the kitchen.
Ken Forkish is a saviour in this regard, and, incidentally, his book is gorgeous to leaf through. First, Forkish’s own story is quite fascinating, from quitting a job he loathed at IBM to learning from the most celebrated French boulangers and entrepreneurs (the likes of Poilâne and Kayser) to opening one of the most famous bakeries in the United States, in Portland, Oregon.
Most importantly, the craft of bread-making is thoroughly explained, across a wide choice of recipes: you can start with a basic “Saturday bread,” then try making bread from a pre-fermented “poolish” or “biga,” and finally make your own levain or sourdough starter and bake a glorious pain de campagne. Of course, making bread is still making bread, so most recipes are quite similar in the outline: but a small difference in the process goes a long way (and sometimes goes the wrong way, in my experience). Some things were handy to me, for example: starting with an “autolyse” before mixing, restraining from adding flour on the counter when folding the dough, preheating the Dutch oven before baking the bread... Forkish also offers a full section on pizzas and focaccias — which are a byproduct of bread. There’s also a video channel that might be handy to understand some of the techniques: https://www.youtube.com/user/KensArtisan
All in all, one of the best books on this topic I have had the chance to lay my hands on, tied maybe with the excellent Bouchon Bakery by Thomas Keller.
Ken Forkish is a saviour in this regard, and, incidentally, his book is gorgeous to leaf through. First, Forkish’s own story is quite fascinating, from quitting a job he loathed at IBM to learning from the most celebrated French boulangers and entrepreneurs (the likes of Poilâne and Kayser) to opening one of the most famous bakeries in the United States, in Portland, Oregon.
Most importantly, the craft of bread-making is thoroughly explained, across a wide choice of recipes: you can start with a basic “Saturday bread,” then try making bread from a pre-fermented “poolish” or “biga,” and finally make your own levain or sourdough starter and bake a glorious pain de campagne. Of course, making bread is still making bread, so most recipes are quite similar in the outline: but a small difference in the process goes a long way (and sometimes goes the wrong way, in my experience). Some things were handy to me, for example: starting with an “autolyse” before mixing, restraining from adding flour on the counter when folding the dough, preheating the Dutch oven before baking the bread... Forkish also offers a full section on pizzas and focaccias — which are a byproduct of bread. There’s also a video channel that might be handy to understand some of the techniques: https://www.youtube.com/user/KensArtisan
All in all, one of the best books on this topic I have had the chance to lay my hands on, tied maybe with the excellent Bouchon Bakery by Thomas Keller.
December 30, 2021
3.5⭐️ till I read the whole book.
🍞🍞🍞
Final update:
Didn’t look that beautiful, but tasted like heaven! Specially the dough was perfect; the texture was just like baguette 🥰😋🥳
🍕🍕🍕
خب من همچین هم از دستورات فصل ۱۲ پیروی نکردم اما دستور خمیر فصل ۴ (که هم برای نونه و هم پیتزا) خوب بود و خمیرم هرچند صاف و صوف نشده سطحش اما تا الان که ۴۵ دقیقه گذشته، پف قشنگی کرده و چند تا ماچ هم براش فرستادم که خوشگلتر بشه.
صاف و صوف نشدنش هم احتمالا به خاطر اضافه کردن خودسرانه روغن زیتون بود که خواستم مثلا لطیف بشه و توی پخت خشک نشه. حالا نتیجه رو بعد میگم.
🍞🍞🍞
[آپدیت خمیری:
خمیره چنان پفی کرده که مپرس!
خمیرش عاااالی عالی عالییی😍
دفعه دیگه با همین دستور نون میپزم 😋🍞]
🍕🍕🍕
بعد دیگه اینکه وقتی یهو جو میگیردتون و پیتزا-نایت اعلام میکنین، اول مطمئن بشین که همه مواد رو تازه دارین!
من قارچ تازه نداشتم و قبلا توی فریزر یه مقدار قارچ خرد شده داشتم که گذاشته بودم واسه قیمه و قورمهسبزی. و وقتی واسه تاپینگ اول تفتش دادم (که آبش تبخیر شه و توی پیتزای قشنگم آب نیفته) لاستیکی شد و خیلی بد شد :( حالا میره توی آون و زیر پنیر مشخص نمیشه، ولی خب من که میدونم چه جوریه :(
و بعد هم که میرید سس زیر تاپینگ رو درست کنین، اینجوری نباشه که یهو ببینین گوجهفرنگی هم ندارین :( اینجوری مجبور میشین مقداری خلاق بوده و مقداری سس آماده بریزید توی ماهیتابه به اضافه یه مثقال رب گوجه و آب و بذارید ریز قل بخوره :( سیر رنده شده و روغن زیتون هم بریزین آخرش :(
بعد چون از همه این اتفاقها خیلی ناراحتین، با عصبانیت از خنگیتون، برید سراغ بستهی آرد که ببندینش که یهو پوفففف بشه هوا و یه لایه آرد بشینه روی موهای تازه شستهشدهتون. به این مناسبت، برید بستهی موتزارلا رو باز کنین و یه مشت پنیر بچپونین توی حلقتون که کمی آروم بشین :(
🍞🍞🍞
در تمامی مراحل هم حتما سعی کنین به کل آشپزخونه گند بزنین جوری که هرکی ببینه فکر کنه جنگ جهانی شده.
آخرش هم در حالیکه به مواد تاپینگ چپچپ نگاه میکنین، یه گوشه بشینین منتظر که خمیرتون کامل آماده بشه و ظرفها هم خودبخود شسته بشن.
🍕🍕🍕
میام نتیجه نهایی رو اعلام میکنم
پوف اوهوع اوهوع
🍞🍞🍞
Final update:
Didn’t look that beautiful, but tasted like heaven! Specially the dough was perfect; the texture was just like baguette 🥰😋🥳
🍕🍕🍕
خب من همچین هم از دستورات فصل ۱۲ پیروی نکردم اما دستور خمیر فصل ۴ (که هم برای نونه و هم پیتزا) خوب بود و خمیرم هرچند صاف و صوف نشده سطحش اما تا الان که ۴۵ دقیقه گذشته، پف قشنگی کرده و چند تا ماچ هم براش فرستادم که خوشگلتر بشه.
صاف و صوف نشدنش هم احتمالا به خاطر اضافه کردن خودسرانه روغن زیتون بود که خواستم مثلا لطیف بشه و توی پخت خشک نشه. حالا نتیجه رو بعد میگم.
🍞🍞🍞
[آپدیت خمیری:
خمیره چنان پفی کرده که مپرس!
خمیرش عاااالی عالی عالییی😍
دفعه دیگه با همین دستور نون میپزم 😋🍞]
🍕🍕🍕
بعد دیگه اینکه وقتی یهو جو میگیردتون و پیتزا-نایت اعلام میکنین، اول مطمئن بشین که همه مواد رو تازه دارین!
من قارچ تازه نداشتم و قبلا توی فریزر یه مقدار قارچ خرد شده داشتم که گذاشته بودم واسه قیمه و قورمهسبزی. و وقتی واسه تاپینگ اول تفتش دادم (که آبش تبخیر شه و توی پیتزای قشنگم آب نیفته) لاستیکی شد و خیلی بد شد :( حالا میره توی آون و زیر پنیر مشخص نمیشه، ولی خب من که میدونم چه جوریه :(
و بعد هم که میرید سس زیر تاپینگ رو درست کنین، اینجوری نباشه که یهو ببینین گوجهفرنگی هم ندارین :( اینجوری مجبور میشین مقداری خلاق بوده و مقداری سس آماده بریزید توی ماهیتابه به اضافه یه مثقال رب گوجه و آب و بذارید ریز قل بخوره :( سیر رنده شده و روغن زیتون هم بریزین آخرش :(
بعد چون از همه این اتفاقها خیلی ناراحتین، با عصبانیت از خنگیتون، برید سراغ بستهی آرد که ببندینش که یهو پوفففف بشه هوا و یه لایه آرد بشینه روی موهای تازه شستهشدهتون. به این مناسبت، برید بستهی موتزارلا رو باز کنین و یه مشت پنیر بچپونین توی حلقتون که کمی آروم بشین :(
🍞🍞🍞
در تمامی مراحل هم حتما سعی کنین به کل آشپزخونه گند بزنین جوری که هرکی ببینه فکر کنه جنگ جهانی شده.
آخرش هم در حالیکه به مواد تاپینگ چپچپ نگاه میکنین، یه گوشه بشینین منتظر که خمیرتون کامل آماده بشه و ظرفها هم خودبخود شسته بشن.
🍕🍕🍕
میام نتیجه نهایی رو اعلام میکنم
پوف اوهوع اوهوع
February 18, 2013
I asked for this book for Christmas after reading and rereading reviews of it. I'm a very experienced baker who has been making bread for nearly 40 years. I've wanted to be able to make a whole grain loaf that tastes like it came from a wood-fired brick oven, but my kitchen doesn't come equipped with such amenities. Today, I tried the Saturday 75% whole wheat bread and Wow!! The crust is amazing; the flavor is incredible, and I'm ready to dive into more of the book, but even if this is the only winner, the book has already been well worth the cost.
February 5, 2023
I have pros and cons regarding this book which I have to preface by saying none of the cons are the author's fault.
Pros first:
This book is gorgeous. The pictures are stunning, and I spent entirely too much time just flipping repeatedly through the pages looking at the pictures of crusts and crumb.
The absolute passion for his life's work breathes off the pages here. Ken loves what he does and it shows in every word.
Ken Forkish is an absolute brilliant master at what he does, and I'm so thankful for people like him bringing craftsmanship back to America in regards to baking. He meticulously walks the reader through steps to make the recipes listed, as well as technique and chemistry behind making artisan bread.
Cons:
Flip side of the coin- Ken Forkish is an absolute brilliant master at what he does. At times, I struggled to follow the complexity of some of his methods. I wish I had come away with a little more of an "I can do that!" feeling. That said, I still think they're doable with a bit of old-fashioned hard work and trial and error. And I'm a-gonna try.
Sidebar: If you see reviews for this book calling Ken Forkish entitled, you close out of that review immediately and keep right on scrolling. Ken put. in. the. work. to reach his level of expertise and success. He went years without a day off, often arriving to the bakery by 0330 to start the day. His book's narrative screams of someone so deeply embedded in expertise that he doesn't always realize his communication might not speak clearly to the layperson. As a nurse, I feel that shit. I'm deeply saddened by the number of people in the world who are unwilling to work for anything, armchair-quarterbacking others' success stories, sneering at people who made goals, and actually put in the work to reach them. I am stunned at people with the audacity to call anyone who literally pulls themselves to success by their own bootstraps "entitled" or "privileged."
Yeah nah. I'm not hearing that anymore.
I'd rate this book a G.
Review published December 28, 2020.
Pros first:
This book is gorgeous. The pictures are stunning, and I spent entirely too much time just flipping repeatedly through the pages looking at the pictures of crusts and crumb.
The absolute passion for his life's work breathes off the pages here. Ken loves what he does and it shows in every word.
Ken Forkish is an absolute brilliant master at what he does, and I'm so thankful for people like him bringing craftsmanship back to America in regards to baking. He meticulously walks the reader through steps to make the recipes listed, as well as technique and chemistry behind making artisan bread.
Cons:
Flip side of the coin- Ken Forkish is an absolute brilliant master at what he does. At times, I struggled to follow the complexity of some of his methods. I wish I had come away with a little more of an "I can do that!" feeling. That said, I still think they're doable with a bit of old-fashioned hard work and trial and error. And I'm a-gonna try.
Sidebar: If you see reviews for this book calling Ken Forkish entitled, you close out of that review immediately and keep right on scrolling. Ken put. in. the. work. to reach his level of expertise and success. He went years without a day off, often arriving to the bakery by 0330 to start the day. His book's narrative screams of someone so deeply embedded in expertise that he doesn't always realize his communication might not speak clearly to the layperson. As a nurse, I feel that shit. I'm deeply saddened by the number of people in the world who are unwilling to work for anything, armchair-quarterbacking others' success stories, sneering at people who made goals, and actually put in the work to reach them. I am stunned at people with the audacity to call anyone who literally pulls themselves to success by their own bootstraps "entitled" or "privileged."
Yeah nah. I'm not hearing that anymore.
I'd rate this book a G.
Review published December 28, 2020.
July 21, 2024
راجع به ساخت پیتزا بود. مدل ساخت خمیر و تخمیرش و دما و مواد مورد نیاز و چطور میشه که اونطوری میشه.
الان که کامل نخوندمش قاعدتن چون حس کردم باید برم وسیله بگیرم بیام درست کنم مدلی که میگه رو.
ولی کتاب به ظاهر خوبی بود تو این زمینه.
الان که کامل نخوندمش قاعدتن چون حس کردم باید برم وسیله بگیرم بیام درست کنم مدلی که میگه رو.
ولی کتاب به ظاهر خوبی بود تو این زمینه.
October 20, 2014
I bought this book looking for a solid rendition of the no-knead method. The recipe I've used most so far has been the overnight white bread recipe. And it rocks.
For several years I've been a huge fan of the The Cook's Illustrated Cookbook: 2000 Recipes from 20 Years of America's Most Trusted Food Magazine Almost No-Knead recipe because it is practically foolproof and it lends itself well to adaptation. Want to add garlic and some herbs? Walnuts and raisins? Substitute some whole-wheat flour? No problem! And while I love the CI version for its simplicity and consistency, it wasn't really blowing me away any more. I needed something to take my bread to the next level. Enter Flour Water Salt Yeast.
This isn't an exhaustive bread recipe book. It's a small collection of recipes that use Ken Forkish's method for baking artisan bread at home. That's OK with me--I don't need dozens of recipes. I just want a few really good ones that I can add to my repertoire.
Forkish gives recommended timelines for each of his recipes. Some are fine to leave overnight and others need a little more constant attention. Right now I'm loving the overnight white bread, which has a similar timeline to the CI recipe. I mix in the evening, rise overnight and put it in the fridge in the morning for a cold ferment, then I shape, proof and bake when I get home from work in the evening. I've made this recipe at least a half dozen times and each time I've had excellent results.
His methods use folding instead of kneading and bake at a fairly high temperature compared to other no-knead recipes I've used. He also recommends mixing and working the dough by hand. The very wet dough (78%) gives a great crumb--lots of holes--and the crust turns out to be a little thicker than the CI recipe. This is a beautiful loaf! Everyone I've shared these loaves with have loved them.
What really makes this bread work is the author's attention to detail. He gives a very precise temperature range that the water and flour should be, as well as the room temperature during the rise, and how to adjust if things are going to be outside those ranges. Paying attention to the little things will help prevent over or under proofing, should help to ensure good oven bounce, and will ultimately lead to more consistent results in the end product.
When I was deciding whether or not to buy this book, I wanted to know what equipment I would need for these recipes. What is required and what is merely recommended... Here's my take for this book: Definitely get a dutch oven or la cloche/rommertopf. Without a dutch oven it's nearly impossible for the home baker to get a classic rustic crust. (I use a Lodge 5 qt dutch oven.) All measurements are by weight, so get a food scale (I have a cheap digital one I got on Amazon). And while you don't HAVE to get proofing baskets, they aren't expensive and they should last a lifetime. So do it. As far as a mixing container, I use a 12 qt Cambro bucket I found on Amazon for $10, but a 4 or 6 qt would do the job if you already have one.
I wouldn't recommend this book for the novice bread baker. It's too easy to get discouraged if things don't turn out. Start with simple recipes you can find elsewhere online. Once you figure out what you're doing, come back to this one. You're going to love this book.
For several years I've been a huge fan of the The Cook's Illustrated Cookbook: 2000 Recipes from 20 Years of America's Most Trusted Food Magazine Almost No-Knead recipe because it is practically foolproof and it lends itself well to adaptation. Want to add garlic and some herbs? Walnuts and raisins? Substitute some whole-wheat flour? No problem! And while I love the CI version for its simplicity and consistency, it wasn't really blowing me away any more. I needed something to take my bread to the next level. Enter Flour Water Salt Yeast.
This isn't an exhaustive bread recipe book. It's a small collection of recipes that use Ken Forkish's method for baking artisan bread at home. That's OK with me--I don't need dozens of recipes. I just want a few really good ones that I can add to my repertoire.
Forkish gives recommended timelines for each of his recipes. Some are fine to leave overnight and others need a little more constant attention. Right now I'm loving the overnight white bread, which has a similar timeline to the CI recipe. I mix in the evening, rise overnight and put it in the fridge in the morning for a cold ferment, then I shape, proof and bake when I get home from work in the evening. I've made this recipe at least a half dozen times and each time I've had excellent results.
His methods use folding instead of kneading and bake at a fairly high temperature compared to other no-knead recipes I've used. He also recommends mixing and working the dough by hand. The very wet dough (78%) gives a great crumb--lots of holes--and the crust turns out to be a little thicker than the CI recipe. This is a beautiful loaf! Everyone I've shared these loaves with have loved them.
What really makes this bread work is the author's attention to detail. He gives a very precise temperature range that the water and flour should be, as well as the room temperature during the rise, and how to adjust if things are going to be outside those ranges. Paying attention to the little things will help prevent over or under proofing, should help to ensure good oven bounce, and will ultimately lead to more consistent results in the end product.
When I was deciding whether or not to buy this book, I wanted to know what equipment I would need for these recipes. What is required and what is merely recommended... Here's my take for this book: Definitely get a dutch oven or la cloche/rommertopf. Without a dutch oven it's nearly impossible for the home baker to get a classic rustic crust. (I use a Lodge 5 qt dutch oven.) All measurements are by weight, so get a food scale (I have a cheap digital one I got on Amazon). And while you don't HAVE to get proofing baskets, they aren't expensive and they should last a lifetime. So do it. As far as a mixing container, I use a 12 qt Cambro bucket I found on Amazon for $10, but a 4 or 6 qt would do the job if you already have one.
I wouldn't recommend this book for the novice bread baker. It's too easy to get discouraged if things don't turn out. Start with simple recipes you can find elsewhere online. Once you figure out what you're doing, come back to this one. You're going to love this book.
July 17, 2020
Picked this up about 6 weeks into Covid-19 shelter in place in Oregon, as by then it had become apparent that I may as well start baking my own bread as do anything else with my time. I've now read the entire book cover to cover, and over the past 10 weeks I've baked about half the bread recipes and one of the four pizza dough recipes, some of these many times. Everything so far has been *just amazing* -- every single new recipe is declared the new household favorite!
Some advice: Follow his directions exactly. Read the book, or at least the methods, from page 1. Do at least the first recipe in each section -- and ideally all of them in the order presented -- and make them in order, because each section builds on the skills you learned in the previous section, and each recipe within a section is a variant of the first one given. It's okay to cut the quantities in half if you're only baking for two, like me. But have an accurate scale and an instant-read thermometer. One thing he doesn't recommend that I have found essential, is an ambient thermometer for the kitchen, so I know how warm it is where the dough is developing. This has been a key part of controlling the temperature of the doughs and the levain, and it's helped me get consistent, and consistently delicious, results.
The other equipment he recommends is not strictly necessary, but it is extremely helpful: after making the first recipe a few times, I went online and bought everything I didn't have, and this greatly simplified matters. If I had to limit it to a couple things, I'd say the large 12-quart tub, the banneton basket, and the dutch oven have been the most essential. The tub makes it easy to mix and fold the dough, much easier to control the temperature of the dough than if it were in metal or glass, and it's super easy to clean up if I do so immediately after I no longer need it -- a few minutes and the task is done. The banneton basket completely eliminates the issue of dough sticking to towels, etc. And the dutch oven gives you a perfect crust, every single time.
My one serious reservation about this book is that his levain method (starting a sourdough culture) is *insanely* wasteful if you use the quantities called for. His directions are great, but the quantities are just unnecessary. Basically he calls for enough flour for an entire loaf of bread (500g) to feed it, every single day, for at least five days and beyond. That's more than five pounds of flour! After doing some arithmetic on the recipes, I determined that since I'm making half recipes at most, the most levain I would ever need is 300g total (including to have an ample amount left over to seed the next round).
I'd suggest that you do what I did, which I'll explain in this paragraph. For Day 1 through Day 5, I used 20% of his quantities, which left me with more than 150g of active, mature levain. Then starting on Day 6 and thereafter, I have been using 30% of his quantities: 30g levain + 30g whole wheat + 120g white flour + 120g water, which gives me 300g of 80% hydration levain. I'll use it in a recipe and immediately put the remainder in the fridge for next time. When reviving it out of the fridge, a couple days before baking, again I use 30% of the quantities he recommends for doing so in that part of the book. (And if I ever decide to make a full recipe, the 300g benchmark leaves me with plenty to scale it up to 60% of his quantities.) This process has worked beautifully, it's easy to remember, it's not as wasteful, and I'm on the third or fourth incredibly delicious loaf made with it.
The straight pizza dough is fantastic -- we use a baking stone for thin crust, and it's so incredibly delicious that my wife and I suspect we will probably never again have pizza delivered. The pizza dough also makes fantastic focaccia, with best results if I set aside a dough ball for the purpose and let it proof for an additional two hours. We haven't followed too many of the recipes in the back and have no plans to, but we may do them for fun some day.
Overall, just a fantastic baking book and I'm really thankful to him for helping me bring home baked bread back as a regular feature of my life.
Some advice: Follow his directions exactly. Read the book, or at least the methods, from page 1. Do at least the first recipe in each section -- and ideally all of them in the order presented -- and make them in order, because each section builds on the skills you learned in the previous section, and each recipe within a section is a variant of the first one given. It's okay to cut the quantities in half if you're only baking for two, like me. But have an accurate scale and an instant-read thermometer. One thing he doesn't recommend that I have found essential, is an ambient thermometer for the kitchen, so I know how warm it is where the dough is developing. This has been a key part of controlling the temperature of the doughs and the levain, and it's helped me get consistent, and consistently delicious, results.
The other equipment he recommends is not strictly necessary, but it is extremely helpful: after making the first recipe a few times, I went online and bought everything I didn't have, and this greatly simplified matters. If I had to limit it to a couple things, I'd say the large 12-quart tub, the banneton basket, and the dutch oven have been the most essential. The tub makes it easy to mix and fold the dough, much easier to control the temperature of the dough than if it were in metal or glass, and it's super easy to clean up if I do so immediately after I no longer need it -- a few minutes and the task is done. The banneton basket completely eliminates the issue of dough sticking to towels, etc. And the dutch oven gives you a perfect crust, every single time.
My one serious reservation about this book is that his levain method (starting a sourdough culture) is *insanely* wasteful if you use the quantities called for. His directions are great, but the quantities are just unnecessary. Basically he calls for enough flour for an entire loaf of bread (500g) to feed it, every single day, for at least five days and beyond. That's more than five pounds of flour! After doing some arithmetic on the recipes, I determined that since I'm making half recipes at most, the most levain I would ever need is 300g total (including to have an ample amount left over to seed the next round).
I'd suggest that you do what I did, which I'll explain in this paragraph. For Day 1 through Day 5, I used 20% of his quantities, which left me with more than 150g of active, mature levain. Then starting on Day 6 and thereafter, I have been using 30% of his quantities: 30g levain + 30g whole wheat + 120g white flour + 120g water, which gives me 300g of 80% hydration levain. I'll use it in a recipe and immediately put the remainder in the fridge for next time. When reviving it out of the fridge, a couple days before baking, again I use 30% of the quantities he recommends for doing so in that part of the book. (And if I ever decide to make a full recipe, the 300g benchmark leaves me with plenty to scale it up to 60% of his quantities.) This process has worked beautifully, it's easy to remember, it's not as wasteful, and I'm on the third or fourth incredibly delicious loaf made with it.
The straight pizza dough is fantastic -- we use a baking stone for thin crust, and it's so incredibly delicious that my wife and I suspect we will probably never again have pizza delivered. The pizza dough also makes fantastic focaccia, with best results if I set aside a dough ball for the purpose and let it proof for an additional two hours. We haven't followed too many of the recipes in the back and have no plans to, but we may do them for fun some day.
Overall, just a fantastic baking book and I'm really thankful to him for helping me bring home baked bread back as a regular feature of my life.
May 7, 2020
I have read a LOT of bread baking cookbooks and this is fairly similar as far as explaining how bread baking works. That said, this is not a good book for beginners. I have a couple of issues with this book. The first: the recipes create SO MUCH WASTE. He has you feed and discard levain three times to make twice as much as you’ll actually need for the recipe. Creating your levain requires more than 5 pounds of wheat flour. Every recipe makes two enormous loaves which is too much for the average household. The recipes require that you’ve read and retained everything that he’s discussed prior instead of just spelling out in every recipe: “note: you’ll need to feed and discard your levain twice prior to starting this.”
I had more mess ups with this book than any other, which makes me think it requires more advanced skills than, say, Peter Reinhart’s recipes. When the recipes work the bread is delicious but this is a book best left to more advanced bakers. If you want to start your own bakery and make hundreds of loaves per week, this is your book.
I had more mess ups with this book than any other, which makes me think it requires more advanced skills than, say, Peter Reinhart’s recipes. When the recipes work the bread is delicious but this is a book best left to more advanced bakers. If you want to start your own bakery and make hundreds of loaves per week, this is your book.
January 31, 2018
10/10 would bread again
July 10, 2021
OK I admit it. I was one of the people that started a sourdough culture during the pandemic. I also taught myself how to replace a watch battery and make minor watch repairs while stuck at home. So I'm not completely useless. My culture is called Black Death and it's my new pet. I'm at the local ordinance limit of 3 now with 1 dog, 1 cat and 1 culture I guess. It's a good thing they don't count the children as pets.
I've spent around 18 months trying to find a repeatable recipe that I like with my culture. I've had some great successes and some terrible failures. Prior to getting this book my most repeatable recipe was what I called "Four Stitch Bread" since one of the times making it I cut my index finger on the bread lame and had to get four stitches. My oldest son took pity on me at my birthday and gave me this book that he's used repeatedly and successfully.
This book is very scientific. My previous approach has been more art than science so it's been difficult to adapt to Forkishs methods. But I suppose I should give it 18 months or so to practice before making a final decision. The best thing about following his instructions for "levain" (that's French for sourdough I think) bread is that it does develop a really wonderful rich sourdough flavor. Of all the loaves I've made (that were edible because let's face it the first few were just garbage in the literal sense of the word) the taste has been my favorite part. His technique leads to very thick crusts and I prefer mine more moderate. The texture and lift of the bread is wonderful.
The author clearly loves bread. The book is not just recipes but filled with life stories and events as he learned the art of bread making in Europe and of starting and eventually expanding his own bakery and shop in Portland, Oregon. That really personalizes the book to the point where I talk out loud to my imaginary version of the author while I'm making his bread just like I do when I use an Alton Brown recipe. Hopefully the real Forkish would respond as helpfully as my imaginary one does too. (My imaginary Alton isn't bad either but he does make that face with raised eyebrows at me sometimes, clearly implying that what I'm doing is insane.)
All in all if you want to learn about bread making from a clear master of the art this is a great book to start with. Plan on using tools to get measurements exactly right and follow his instructions carefully. It's starting to work for me and I can foretell that eventually I'll have a great sourdough loaf thanks to what I am learning here.
I've spent around 18 months trying to find a repeatable recipe that I like with my culture. I've had some great successes and some terrible failures. Prior to getting this book my most repeatable recipe was what I called "Four Stitch Bread" since one of the times making it I cut my index finger on the bread lame and had to get four stitches. My oldest son took pity on me at my birthday and gave me this book that he's used repeatedly and successfully.
This book is very scientific. My previous approach has been more art than science so it's been difficult to adapt to Forkishs methods. But I suppose I should give it 18 months or so to practice before making a final decision. The best thing about following his instructions for "levain" (that's French for sourdough I think) bread is that it does develop a really wonderful rich sourdough flavor. Of all the loaves I've made (that were edible because let's face it the first few were just garbage in the literal sense of the word) the taste has been my favorite part. His technique leads to very thick crusts and I prefer mine more moderate. The texture and lift of the bread is wonderful.
The author clearly loves bread. The book is not just recipes but filled with life stories and events as he learned the art of bread making in Europe and of starting and eventually expanding his own bakery and shop in Portland, Oregon. That really personalizes the book to the point where I talk out loud to my imaginary version of the author while I'm making his bread just like I do when I use an Alton Brown recipe. Hopefully the real Forkish would respond as helpfully as my imaginary one does too. (My imaginary Alton isn't bad either but he does make that face with raised eyebrows at me sometimes, clearly implying that what I'm doing is insane.)
All in all if you want to learn about bread making from a clear master of the art this is a great book to start with. Plan on using tools to get measurements exactly right and follow his instructions carefully. It's starting to work for me and I can foretell that eventually I'll have a great sourdough loaf thanks to what I am learning here.
December 31, 2012
Unlike many recipe-based "cookbooks," Forkish takes readers behind the scenes and tells the story of his own evolution as an artisan bread baker. He shares the science behind the bread baking processes from around the world that he has adapted for his Portland bakery. His technique appears much more complex than in other bread making books, but being able to create a true levain or poolish to bake from expands the repertoire of the home baker. Gorgeous photos make this a book more likely to be on the coffee table than the bookshelf.
April 4, 2020
February 2013: It seems a little precipitous to rate a book before reading much more than a few pages.
But after skimming through the entire book, this appears to be a fabulous book for someone just starting to bake bread. (It also appears to be a great one for advanced bakers.)
It's full of wonderful photographs, clear instructions on how to mix, knead, shape, etc. etc.
I wandered into the levain section to read the following:
Oh dear. Having created and murdered two separate wild-yeast starters over the years and having vowed never to try again because all I seem able to do is create SOUR (really sour - revoltingly sour) starters and even sourer bread with it. But suddenly, reading that one sentence is enticing me into maybe, just maybe trying one more time. Do I dare?
My only argument so far: Glossy paper. Why?!! It's a cookbook! It's a cookbook with the word "water" in its title.
edit April 2020: In spite of the glossy paper, I love everything about Ken Forkish's book EXCEPT for his wild yeast instructions.... I did read those instructions more closely and decided they weren't for me - or any home baker, for that matter. Day 1 calls for 500 grams of flour and 500 grams of water!! (I use 500 grams of flour to make a loaf of bread!) Day 2 calls for throwing away three quarters of the mixture and adding 500 grams more flour! And so it goes for 5 days - I can't condone that sort of flagrant waste.
But for commercial yeast breads, Flour Water Salt Yeast is our go-to book. Our favourite recipes are for pizza dough (specifically: "overnight pizza dough with poolish") and "Harvest Bread with Poolish".
His instructions to use a thermometer to measure the water temperature moved our bread to a new level. It turns out dough temperature really does make a difference!
We have also made Forkish's Saturday Overnight Bread (substituting some of the all-purpose flour with whole wheat flour) on countless occasions to go with countless happy and delicious meals. (We only made the same day Saturday bread once - it's good, but not nearly as good as one made with an overnight rise.
From time to time, we also like to use Forkish's idea of baking the bread seam-side up, so that there is no need to score. The bread scores itself in the most beautiful ways.
+ + + + +
Please take a look at some of the results from Flour Water Salt Yeast on blog from OUR kitchen :
• Let the celebration begin! Spring Focaccia (BBB May 2016)
• Thermometer Bread (Harvest Bread with Poolish)
• Kneading Slack Dough by Hand Revisited
• Same Day Bread Reviewed
• I LOVE using a Brotform! (White Bread with Poolish and Saturday White Bread)
• Sifting: the key to lofty whole wheat bread (Bookmarked) (The Saturday 75% Whole Wheat Bread)
• Great Pizza!
But after skimming through the entire book, this appears to be a fabulous book for someone just starting to bake bread. (It also appears to be a great one for advanced bakers.)
It's full of wonderful photographs, clear instructions on how to mix, knead, shape, etc. etc.
I wandered into the levain section to read the following:
At Ken's Artisan Bakery, we feed the levain three times a day. There are two reasons why I didn't go that route in this book. First, my bakery is a lot warmer than the typical home kitchen, so the levain matures much more quickly and needs more feedings to keep it from getting sour. [p. 126]
Oh dear. Having created and murdered two separate wild-yeast starters over the years and having vowed never to try again because all I seem able to do is create SOUR (really sour - revoltingly sour) starters and even sourer bread with it. But suddenly, reading that one sentence is enticing me into maybe, just maybe trying one more time. Do I dare?
My only argument so far: Glossy paper. Why?!! It's a cookbook! It's a cookbook with the word "water" in its title.
edit April 2020: In spite of the glossy paper, I love everything about Ken Forkish's book EXCEPT for his wild yeast instructions.... I did read those instructions more closely and decided they weren't for me - or any home baker, for that matter. Day 1 calls for 500 grams of flour and 500 grams of water!! (I use 500 grams of flour to make a loaf of bread!) Day 2 calls for throwing away three quarters of the mixture and adding 500 grams more flour! And so it goes for 5 days - I can't condone that sort of flagrant waste.
But for commercial yeast breads, Flour Water Salt Yeast is our go-to book. Our favourite recipes are for pizza dough (specifically: "overnight pizza dough with poolish") and "Harvest Bread with Poolish".
His instructions to use a thermometer to measure the water temperature moved our bread to a new level. It turns out dough temperature really does make a difference!
We have also made Forkish's Saturday Overnight Bread (substituting some of the all-purpose flour with whole wheat flour) on countless occasions to go with countless happy and delicious meals. (We only made the same day Saturday bread once - it's good, but not nearly as good as one made with an overnight rise.
From time to time, we also like to use Forkish's idea of baking the bread seam-side up, so that there is no need to score. The bread scores itself in the most beautiful ways.
The Saturday White Bread] recipe is designed for someone who wants to make good, crusty loaves of white bread from start to finish in one day. [...] Here you get the taste-good benefits of a medium-length fermentation, resulting in a versatile, delicious bread that’s great as a dinner bread [The Saturday White Bread, p. 81]
~ ~ ~ ~
[Overnight White Bread] dough rises overnight, and the extended bulk fermentation gives it more time to develop complexity in its flavors than the two Saturday Breads (pages 81 and 85). [...] This bread has many uses and won’t last long. [Overnight White Bread, p. 89]
~ ~ ~ ~
I don't call for scoring the loaves with a razor before baking. Because the loaves are baked with the seam side up (the side opposite the smooth top of the shaped loaf in the proofing basket) and after a complete proof,fissures will naturally open on the top of the loaf as it expands in the oven. I love the organic look of the natural splits. [p.76]
+ + + + +
Please take a look at some of the results from Flour Water Salt Yeast on blog from OUR kitchen :
• Let the celebration begin! Spring Focaccia (BBB May 2016)
• Thermometer Bread (Harvest Bread with Poolish)
• Kneading Slack Dough by Hand Revisited
• Same Day Bread Reviewed
• I LOVE using a Brotform! (White Bread with Poolish and Saturday White Bread)
• Sifting: the key to lofty whole wheat bread (Bookmarked) (The Saturday 75% Whole Wheat Bread)
• Great Pizza!
October 2, 2017
Para quem quer aprender a arte de fazer pão, esse livro é um ótimo começo. Explicações detalhadas e concisas ajudam principiantes a fazerem pães deliciosos!
January 11, 2021
This is a serious book for serious bakers. I love baking bread but I use the bread machine for the hard work. Breaking bread is serous and hard work. Next time you are lucky enough to come in contact with a beautiful loaf of bread - dark and crisp crust; airy interior and fragrant... remember this is someone’s work of art.
Read
April 13, 2024Lots of good information- understandable but full of technique. Now time to try some of the recipes!
July 24, 2020
Oh man...the method presented in this book looks intimidating, but it actually helped me crack the secret of bread making. Highly recommend.
October 28, 2018
Those that know me well know I have a creative side. I like to cook, bake, and brew beer along with mead, pyment, metheglin, and other fermentables. I give this book 5 stars, because I love it. It is the best text I have on baking breads, focaccia, and pizza. With the exception of the last two, it focuses more on French bread making methods, and demonstrated in Ken's Portland bakery. We this text, you can be well on your way to professional quality break making, whether you use commercial (monoculture) yeast, a poolish, biga, or a Levain. For the uninitiated, these methods allow you to use natural culture yeast present in the environment for more richness, more complexity, and more variety. The book is well-written with some personal and interesting history from the author, introductions in general to the various methods, and specific recipes. Ken spent a lot of time and effort adapting his professional methods to home use and simplifying the recipes for ease and consistency. For instance, all his recipes start with and are built upon the same 1000 grams of flour. I really appreciate Ken sharing with us the wisdom of his life in an artisan bakery. If you are at all into bread, focaccia, or pizza, you should put this book in your personal library.
October 31, 2018
Good, but not great.
I do a lot of baking and I have ended up "collecting" a lot of bread and baking books. FWSY has some solid positives - the recipes are easy, straightforward, and should be manageable by almost anybody (and really, if you can't handle this, just stick with store-bought and/or get a bread machine). The recipes also work. You will make good bread with this book.
The "but" is that while you can make good bread with these recipes/techniques, great bread is going to be out of your reach. That's not really a sharp criticism of the author, but rather just the trade-off between convenience and quality that seems to be unavoidable with breadmaking.
I also found the recipe selection to be relatively limited next to the breadmaking books that I prefer (Hamelman's Bread, Bread Baker's Apprentice, and A Passion for Bread).
I do a lot of baking and I have ended up "collecting" a lot of bread and baking books. FWSY has some solid positives - the recipes are easy, straightforward, and should be manageable by almost anybody (and really, if you can't handle this, just stick with store-bought and/or get a bread machine). The recipes also work. You will make good bread with this book.
The "but" is that while you can make good bread with these recipes/techniques, great bread is going to be out of your reach. That's not really a sharp criticism of the author, but rather just the trade-off between convenience and quality that seems to be unavoidable with breadmaking.
I also found the recipe selection to be relatively limited next to the breadmaking books that I prefer (Hamelman's Bread, Bread Baker's Apprentice, and A Passion for Bread).
January 3, 2021
This is nothing I haven't read before in a dozen books on artisan bread and pizza from Jim Lahey, Peter Reinhart, or a host of other bakers and to be perfectly honest, I didn't like this guy's delivery, the way he spent half the book patting himself on the back, and the whole "talking down to the reader" thing.
Things like saying "levain" is the French word for "sourdough," so (not a direct quote) "you can call it sourdough if you want to, but I shall refer to it as a levain for I am the King of Dough and you are merely a fool with a KitchenAid," turned me off entirely.
Actually, the French word for sourdough is sourdough and the English word for levain is "leaven" and it's elitist nonsense like that I didn't care for.
Dude, you mix up flour, water, salt, and yeast and you bake bread. You're not Jonas Salk whipping up the cure for polio.
Things like saying "levain" is the French word for "sourdough," so (not a direct quote) "you can call it sourdough if you want to, but I shall refer to it as a levain for I am the King of Dough and you are merely a fool with a KitchenAid," turned me off entirely.
Actually, the French word for sourdough is sourdough and the English word for levain is "leaven" and it's elitist nonsense like that I didn't care for.
Dude, you mix up flour, water, salt, and yeast and you bake bread. You're not Jonas Salk whipping up the cure for polio.
September 24, 2014
Excellent and clear bread baking book, especially for beginners. If no-knead is bread 101, this is bread 201 with a lot of excellent recipes. Ken Forkish, of course, is the owner of Ken's Artisan Bakery as well as two other restaurants in Portland, OR. He's taken the most important aspects of breadmaking and distilled them into easy lessons. His web site also has a series of videos worth viewing.
June 17, 2022
4,5 stars - English Ebook
First off, if you are looking for a book of great, simple recipes that you can throw in the breadmaker real quick once you get home, this is NOT the book for you. If you're looking more for a diverse bread recipe book vs break knowledge, this is not the book for you.
This is a very good equivalent of a breadcrafting 101 textbook. Now, I say 'breadcrafting' vs just 'baking' because this book takes you far beyond "mix X and Y, bake at Z, eat."
Using the same very simple ingredients (see title), you will make a variety of different flavors, based on times, ferments, etc. You will learn how to literally use temperature and times as ingredients and how these can make bread made with the very same ingredients VERY different.
You will truly learn the basics of making great bread. I would note that this book also calls for a covered dutch oven to finally bake these loaves in, which will replace much in the way of expensive baking equipment and give a lovely crust.
For the book itself: There are literally over a hundred favored methods of breadmaking all over the world. This book contains a much smaller focused area than, say, Peter Reinhart's "Bread Baker's Apprentice".
The recipes are for lean dough, non-enriched breads, made straight, with delayed fermentation, and finally as pure sourdough. The doughs he uses are very wet (usually well in excess of 70% hydration), and his preference to hand-forming everything in the bowl vs using a mixer, etc, will actually give some excellent groundwork in learning dough handling.
An advantage to wet doughs (among other things like quality), is that you can most easily feel changes in the dough as you work it, teaching you to make bread by feel, and really KNOW when things are ready. The basic recipe is varied with different flours, bigas or poolishes, and finally making and using a sourdough culture. The variations one learns of a recipe are incredible in terms of taste and texture, when the main variables are time and temp.
This book is a fantastic stepping stone for more varied texts (Bread Bible, Bread Baker's Apprentice, and the all but sacred bread text "The Taste of Bread" by Raymond Calvel).
If you are looking to learn the basic knowledge needed to make truly magnificent bread in your home, this is the book to start with.
If you are a more advanced baker, but still need to solidify the basics covered in this text, you will find that material familiar but new at the same time, and will get more than your money's worth.
First off, if you are looking for a book of great, simple recipes that you can throw in the breadmaker real quick once you get home, this is NOT the book for you. If you're looking more for a diverse bread recipe book vs break knowledge, this is not the book for you.
This is a very good equivalent of a breadcrafting 101 textbook. Now, I say 'breadcrafting' vs just 'baking' because this book takes you far beyond "mix X and Y, bake at Z, eat."
Using the same very simple ingredients (see title), you will make a variety of different flavors, based on times, ferments, etc. You will learn how to literally use temperature and times as ingredients and how these can make bread made with the very same ingredients VERY different.
You will truly learn the basics of making great bread. I would note that this book also calls for a covered dutch oven to finally bake these loaves in, which will replace much in the way of expensive baking equipment and give a lovely crust.
For the book itself: There are literally over a hundred favored methods of breadmaking all over the world. This book contains a much smaller focused area than, say, Peter Reinhart's "Bread Baker's Apprentice".
The recipes are for lean dough, non-enriched breads, made straight, with delayed fermentation, and finally as pure sourdough. The doughs he uses are very wet (usually well in excess of 70% hydration), and his preference to hand-forming everything in the bowl vs using a mixer, etc, will actually give some excellent groundwork in learning dough handling.
An advantage to wet doughs (among other things like quality), is that you can most easily feel changes in the dough as you work it, teaching you to make bread by feel, and really KNOW when things are ready. The basic recipe is varied with different flours, bigas or poolishes, and finally making and using a sourdough culture. The variations one learns of a recipe are incredible in terms of taste and texture, when the main variables are time and temp.
This book is a fantastic stepping stone for more varied texts (Bread Bible, Bread Baker's Apprentice, and the all but sacred bread text "The Taste of Bread" by Raymond Calvel).
If you are looking to learn the basic knowledge needed to make truly magnificent bread in your home, this is the book to start with.
If you are a more advanced baker, but still need to solidify the basics covered in this text, you will find that material familiar but new at the same time, and will get more than your money's worth.
February 26, 2025
järjekordne küpsetamisraamat, mille lappasin lõpuks läbi diagonaalis, sest kesse jaksab kõiki retsepte lugeda, eriti kui nende tekstiline osa on kõigil täpselt ühesugune.
mulle tegelikult meeldisid need osad, kus autor kirjeldas oma teekonda pagaritöökoja pidamiseni ja - eriti - üht hommikut pagari elus. huvitav oli teada saada, kuidas see suures mahus käsitööküpsetamine siis tegelikult välja näeb. huvitav ka retseptide mõttes, sest ikkagi tuleb välja, et juuretis võib olla või mitte, aga pärmi pannakse ikkagi ka lõpuks. lisaks õppisin selgeks terminid "biga" ja "poolish" (aga vahet tegema neil ei õppinud).
alguses mõtlesin, et korra ikka proovin mõne Keni retsepti järgi ka ise küpsetada. selle näpuotsatäie pärmi ikka leian majapidamisest. aga ma ei teagi, tema lähenemine juuretisele on, et igal toitmisel tuleb lisada (ja hiljem ära visata) ca 500g jahu ja ma kuidagi nagu... ei ole nii rikas, et nii palju toitu raisata? jäävad siis ainult pärmiga retseptid, aga need mind jälle nii palju ei huvita justkui.
mulle tegelikult meeldisid need osad, kus autor kirjeldas oma teekonda pagaritöökoja pidamiseni ja - eriti - üht hommikut pagari elus. huvitav oli teada saada, kuidas see suures mahus käsitööküpsetamine siis tegelikult välja näeb. huvitav ka retseptide mõttes, sest ikkagi tuleb välja, et juuretis võib olla või mitte, aga pärmi pannakse ikkagi ka lõpuks. lisaks õppisin selgeks terminid "biga" ja "poolish" (aga vahet tegema neil ei õppinud).
alguses mõtlesin, et korra ikka proovin mõne Keni retsepti järgi ka ise küpsetada. selle näpuotsatäie pärmi ikka leian majapidamisest. aga ma ei teagi, tema lähenemine juuretisele on, et igal toitmisel tuleb lisada (ja hiljem ära visata) ca 500g jahu ja ma kuidagi nagu... ei ole nii rikas, et nii palju toitu raisata? jäävad siis ainult pärmiga retseptid, aga need mind jälle nii palju ei huvita justkui.
January 6, 2021
Since I've been delving hard into hobbies (gee, wonder why), I figured I'd start logging reference books that I've spent significant time with. Over the past four months, I read this cover-to-cover and have baked everything in the book at least once (with intentional exceptions of a bread that's easier with summer heat and focaccia with anchovies). I had hopped on the sourdough bandwagon back in April -- it was something I had wanted to do for some time, but back in the day of going places and doing things it was tough to schedule -- but had varying results with internet advice. This book was informative, easy-to-follow, and well-adapted from a bakery to a simple home kitchen. A few changes that would make this perfect: 1) addition of sourdough discard recipes, 2) recipes for how to use old bread (this is briefly discussed), 3) collapsing of redundant information across recipes (there is a whole section on steps/procedures that spans most recipes already, no need to repeat every time).
I'll continue baking breads and pizza for quite awhile to come!
I'll continue baking breads and pizza for quite awhile to come!
January 14, 2021
Consegui fazer duas pizzas bem boas, um pão do caraças e certamente muitos mais petiscos se seguirão.
A minha única crítica é que às vezes o livro parece querer agradar a iniciantes e profissionais ao mesmo tempo, principalmente quando aconselha comprar materiais em "distribuidores de acessórios para restauração"... Alguém me pode dizer onde eu encontro esse corredor no supermercado? :p
A minha única crítica é que às vezes o livro parece querer agradar a iniciantes e profissionais ao mesmo tempo, principalmente quando aconselha comprar materiais em "distribuidores de acessórios para restauração"... Alguém me pode dizer onde eu encontro esse corredor no supermercado? :p
June 14, 2021
I checked out about 7 books from the library on bread baking, and this one made it into my top two of favorites. If you want to bake better bread and are willing to put forth a little more effort and planning, this might be the book for you.
I also really enjoyed reading about his own personal journey on how this profession unfolded in this path. So 4 stars.
I also really enjoyed reading about his own personal journey on how this profession unfolded in this path. So 4 stars.
January 3, 2024
One of the best books for ANY kitchen! A must have if you are serious about your Bread! A very therapeutic and easy to follow Bible for every level of Chef!
December 27, 2024
counting this because it’s the first time i’ve ever read a cookbook cover to cover
super super educational book and i learned a lot / understand terminology and methodology better now. i’m curious to see if i really yield a better result with his somewhat more hands on (literally, rip to the dough whisk) method and some more unconventional tips (adding commercial yeast to sourdough? not using bread flour?)
super super educational book and i learned a lot / understand terminology and methodology better now. i’m curious to see if i really yield a better result with his somewhat more hands on (literally, rip to the dough whisk) method and some more unconventional tips (adding commercial yeast to sourdough? not using bread flour?)
August 10, 2022
One man's specific presentation of ONE particularly successful breadmaking tradition. As long as you accept the procedures here as A way, and not THE way, this book can be inspiring. I ignored this book during quarantine, but once I came home from a month working alongside a breadmaking hero, I have found that this to be a kind of substitute/supplement to the lessons I had been getting firsthand from my friend.
November 22, 2021
Mouthwatering. I’m surprised it’s taking me this long to get back to baking. I hope LO will join me on future endeavors!
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