Beautiful Bread: Create & Bake Artful Masterpieces for Any Occasion

by Theresa Culletto

In this inspiring, visually stunning cookbook for beginner and expert bread bakers alike, learn how to turn artisan focaccia breads into over 30 showstopping edible creations!

Let professional baker and bread artist Theresa Culletto show you how to take your bread baking to the next level by turning rustic focaccia breads into artful masterpieces. In Beautiful Bread, you will not only master how to make four types of focaccia—white, whole wheat, dark multigrain, and sweet—you will also learn techniques for decorating them with vegetables, fruits, herbs, seeds, and more through over 30 stunning bread art projects inspired by flowers, famous artists, nature, and holidays, including:

• Monet’s Lily Pond
• Under the Sea
• Solar System
• Christmas Tree
• Saint Patrick’s Day Lucky Clover
• Spring Tulips
• Cherry Blossoms
• Easter Basket
• And more!

For beginners, Theresa offers a comprehensive overview of bread baking 101, including essential ingredients, tools, and terminology. For seasoned bakers, she provides a plethora of inventive tips and techniques. Complete with step-by-step instructions, a vibrant photo accompanying each project, and recipes for savory and sweet toppings and fillings, Beautiful Bread will soon have you creating edible art that’s almost too beautiful to eat…almost.

• ISBN13: 9781631068461
• Publish Date: 19 October 2023 (first published 10 October 2023)
• Publish Status: Active
• Publish Country: US
• Imprint: Rock Point
• Format: Hardcover
• Pages: 176
• Language: English

Reviews

[annieb123]

Originally posted on my blog Nonstop Reader.

Beautiful Bread is a stunning collection of recipes and tutorials for instagram-perfect baked goods (mostly focaccia) by Theresa Culletto. Released 10th Oct 2023 by Quarto on their Rock Point imprint, it's 176 pages and is available in hardcover and ebook formats. 

This is an inspirational guide to creating beautifully styled breads. The designs are mostly floral/botanical in nature and they're all fully edible. Detailing is created by the use of edible flowers, spices, herbs, and vegetables (see cover). 

The book's introduction covers tools, ingredients, and supplies, followed by basic focaccia recipes. The following inspiration/tutorial chapters are grouped roughly thematically: flowers, artist inspired (including a jaw-dropping reinterpretation of van Gogh's Irises), nature inspired, and holiday recipes/bakes. 

Recipe ingredients are listed in a bullet sidebar for each bread, followed by step-by-step instructions. Ingredient measures are given in imperial (American) units only. Necessary supplies will be available at any well stocked grocery store in most of North America. Access to a wide variety of edible flowers, fresh herbs, and spices will be necessary for many of them. 

Although it's undoubtedly a niche genre, making really beautiful and wholesome focaccia for special occasions and for gift giving, the extra love and consideration in these breads will provide both satisfaction to the baker -and- to the recipients. And they are, all of them, absolutely instagram worthy. 

Four stars, this would be a great choice for public and/or school library acquisition, for gifting to cookbook collecting friends, and for home use. 

Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.