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 Easy with Children Jul 30, 2010
I have 6 children. We all make and eat this bread together. EASY, EASY and EASY are all I can say. Oh yea, DELICIOUS! The ONLY cookbook I own that the binding is tearing because of multiple use.
1 of 1 found the following review helpful:
It turned me into a bread baker Jul 28, 2010
After many years as a cook and baker I finally have added bread to my repertoire. I had been too intimidated to bake yeasted breads but this book has changed all that. Not only have I been baking and adapting its recipes, but the instructions are so good that I have been able to apply some of its methods to other baking and cooking. Except for bagels, I don't think that I have purchased any store bought bread since the day I got this book. The authors' website is also a very nice complement to the book for expanding the recipe base and embellishments to their doughs. As a working Mom, this book has helped in the constant struggle to get good, homemade, cooked-with-love food onto the table every day.
1 of 1 found the following review helpful:
WOW what a great and easy receipe to use. Jul 28, 2010
I think this is the easiest bread receipe ever. It was fun to be able to bake bread everyday. All my baker friend want to borrow my book.
1 of 1 found the following review helpful:
Unleash your inner bread baker Jul 27, 2010
A good starter book to dip your fingers and toes into the world of bread baking. The instructions are clearly written and easy to follow. If you are new to bread baking, the key is to read through all of the introductory chapters, tips and tricks, and the master recipe details, make sure you have the right ingredients (organic makes especially good bread) and the equipment, and follow the master recipe to the letter. Do this until you are comfortable with the process. At that point, with the other recipes as a guide, you can really unleash your creativity. Once you understand the basics of what needs to be in your bread, how the rising process works, and what well baked bread looks like, you can really be adventurous.
The process described here really is "no knead" and the bread I've produced has been crispy/chewy on the outside and with a wonderful soft crumb, even using whole grains like spelt and rye. Instead of a dough bucket, I use a large 1 gallon-plus plastic pitcher with a loose lid. In addition to making bread on a baking stone, I've also experimented with plain old parchment on cookie sheets for small loaves (works great) and rectangular loaf pans (with a parchment sling) for "wetter" breads (popping the breads out a little early to crisp the sides and bottom on the rack). As long as you have a steam pan in the bottom, it shouldn't be difficult to get a good loaf. The other key is to cook bread a little longer than you think it needs - it should sound kind of "hollow" when you rap it. Bake white breads at higher temps, and whole grains at lower temps. Get a thermometer to make sure your oven temp is accurate. ANd most of all, have fun!
1 of 1 found the following review helpful:
A how-to book that really tells you how Jul 26, 2010
Artisan Bread in 5 Minutes a Day is a how-to book that really tells you how to. Most books that instruct always seem to leave out something. Or when you take the next step, you come up against an unexpected outcome, and have a question the book does not address. On my first try I followed the text step by step and there were no surprises. What the authors described was what I found. For example, to make these breads you mix a very wet sticky dough. The authors said not to worry about handling it, the dough would be a lot easier to work with when it was cold. When I made the first loaf the cold wet dough was easy to handle and shape. Their words rang true at a variety of other steps.
My wife and I have wanted to be able to make small loaves that two people could finish in one meal (without getting too oomphy). With this technique we have pulled out fist sized chunks of dough and formed them. When warmed, risen and baked, these came out almost the perfect size.
I have been making bread for some time but consider myself to still be somewhat of a novice. A number of my loaves still do not come out as I expect, and I still have failures. Every loaf I have make from this technique (several) have had excellent crust and taste. It makes me wonder why I still make traditional loaves.
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