Everyday Bread Baking

by Jenny Prior

[annieb123]

Originally published on my blog: Nonstop Reader.

Everyday Bread Baking is a tutorial and cookbook by Jenny Prior aimed at would be bread bakers. Released 17th Dec 2019 by Callisto on their Rockridge imprint, it's 203 pages and available in paperback and ebook formats. It's worth noting that the ebook format has a handy interactive table of contents as well as interactive links and references throughout. I've really become enamored of ebooks with interactive formats lately.

This is a technical baking manual with in-depth discussion of nearly all the aspects of creating bread. The ingredient measures are given in grams because of the differing densities of different flours. A kitchen scale is a useful and inexpensive piece of kitchen equipment. Before getting into a review of the actual content and layout of this book, I'd like to say that out of a *large* collection of cookery and baking books, this one contains one of the best discussions of pre-ferments and starters I've ever seen. I've seen terms like poolish and biga tossed around and never had the slightest clue what the difference might be, and now I do.

The book has a logical format. The introductory chapter (Bread Baking at Home) includes an overview of the scope and practicalities as well as some of the limits on the home baker. The author does a great job explaining the ingredients, covering the techniques involved and necessary equipment. The following chapters contain master recipes along with a plethora of variations linked directly from each of the master recipes. Chapters 3 - 5 contain specific recipes utilizing doughs and ingredients and techniques from earlier chapters, arranged thematically: everyday breads, entertaining & special occasions, and finally holidays.

Each recipe contains yields, prep and baking time, tools and other ingredients, and step by step instructions. Some, but not nearly all, of the recipes have accompanying photos. The tutorials for things like braiding challah bread and 'knotted' rolls are accompanied by clear photos which are small but easy to follow.

This is a very well made guide which, followed stringently, will give remarkably professional results. It -requires- some effort on the reader's part, but there are recipes here for breads which will otherwise be unobtainable unless one lives in a large city with a specialist/artisan bakery. The starters/pre-ferments and specific flours and commercial yeasts will also require some planning and effort on the baker's part. This is not a recipe book for tossing any flour + water + packaged yeast in the food processor to be slung into the oven and creating a passable loaf in an hour from start to finish.

Five stars.

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