Rating: 
Summary: Utterly Inspiring!
Review: After seeing this book at my local book store, I mentioned to my wife that it would make a wonderful Christmas present, knowing she usually takes this hints. However, I could hardly wait until Christmas Day, yes I received it, and almost bought it because I could not wait to get into it. This book is fabulous and has not dissappointed me in anyway, just the opposite. That is why I say it is inspiring. I have had it for a little over one week, have read most of the book, and tried about 6 receipes. All with wonderful results. What I appreciate most is the detail on why I am doing what I am during the baking process and how it affects the end results. Both my family, and friends who have received loaves as gifts, like the results as well. Highly recommended.
Rating: 
Summary: Coffee table reading
Review: Artisan Baking Across America: The Breads, The Bakers, The Best Recipes by Maggie Glezer, is a beautiful book for coffee table reading;it is not however a "how-to" book for artisan bread baking. It is chock full of information with all the special vocabulary of bread baking--"poolish", "levain", etc. BUT! It is not a user-friendly book which makes it possible for me to do what I was hoping to do--namely bake these crustly delicasies. So, if you are wanting to read about bread making, this is the book for you. Otherwise, buyer beware.
Rating:
Summary: Coffee table reading
Review: Artisan Baking Across America: The Breads, The Bakers, The Best Recipes by Maggie Glezer, is a beautiful book for coffee table reading;it is not however a "how-to" book for artisan bread baking. It is chock full of information with all the special vocabulary of bread baking--"poolish", "levain", etc. BUT! It is not a user-friendly book which makes it possible for me to do what I was hoping to do--namely bake these crustly delicasies. So, if you are wanting to read about bread making, this is the book for you. Otherwise, buyer beware.
Rating: 
Summary: Interesting but limited
Review: First, a warning: I am interested both in baking delicious bread and understanding some of what's happening in my bread in the process of making it. And I bake almost entirely sourdough.I thought that parts of this book were interesting. It certainly has gorgeous pictures of delicious looking bread. The descriptions of bakeries were wonderful. What I found odd was that the descriptions of why some things are done (especially in the sourdough and rye chapters) seemed a little weak. And I didn't think that the recipes were very interesting. The take home parts of this book were, for me: (1) the descriptions of how the bakers operate, what they do to their bread. Those gave me ideas to try on my own bread. (2) It is a beautiful coffee table book. I've seen none better on bread.. However, if I wanted to learn more about BREAD, I would go to something like Bread Builders by Daniel Wing and Allen Scott or some analogous book for yeasted breads.
Rating:
Summary: Excellent reference for bread lovers!
Review: For the more experienced bread baker, or those who are facinated with bread baking, this book is wonderful! There are great recipes, and also great stories about the bakers who do this for a living. I personally love the list in the book that divides the recipes between 1-day, 2-day and basic recipes. It helps you decide which recipes are worth looking at if you only have so much time to bake.
Rating:
Summary: Yes, I did need another bread baking book
Review: How many bread baking books do you really need?? Although I'm not sure I'll ever feel that I really have enough, this one is my absolute favorite. The photos are incredible, the directions give me the confidence to try some of the more difficult ones, and the list of suppliers will make it easy to find everything I need. The variety of recipes included will keep this book in the front of my bookshelf for a long, long time.
Rating:
Summary: a very beautiful book for food and book lovers
Review: i found this book at the library...on my monthly trek for inspirational cookbooks...i am a lover of books, food art...
i am trying to get started baking...i was laying on my bed
basking in the glow of this book until i read that one of the bakers had moved his restaurants to the
world trade center...this book was copyrighted in 2000, before
the tragedy...yes...it is a coffee table type of cookbook...very
heavy...yet it delves into the hisory of breadmaking even visiting a wheat farm...big, full color photos and reminds me of a tour in a good way. the book really is for beginners or anyone interested in what it is like to be a baker who runs a bakery...it reminds me a lot of the 'coffee table' book 'knitting in america' another great book for those in love with the craft..,this book makes me smile...i will add it to my wish list...
Rating:
Summary: The only baking book you need
Review: I have gone through almost all serious bread baking books that have appeared in print in the last 20 years. Most are useful and instructive, very few are inspiring and quite a few are ridiculously pedantic. Only one book became a trusted companion, consulted frequently and used regularly, Carol Field's Italian Baker. Maggie Glezer's will be the second such book for me. A great combination of excitement, practicality and information plus terrific photography. If you buy only one bread baking book, get this one, and if you are an italophile, get Field as well.
Rating:
Summary: What a nice surprise!
Review: I thought I had every good book there was about bread until I found this one. I bought it because the cover was gorgeous and it said to have information about different bakeries apart from recipes, and I have a project of opening an artisanal bakery here in Argentina. So I was ecstatic to find excellent recipes (Country french bread and Roasted garlic bread are great!) and information about many different bakeries. This is definitely a book to have if you like to bake bread.
Rating:
Summary: A Novice Baker Find this Book to be Wonderful
Review: I wanted a book about artisanal baking so that I could learn from the masters, so to speak. Up until now I'd only baked a dozen or so loaves from recipes gleaned from the internet so at first I thought the baking instructions would be too advanced for me. I plunged in, however, starting with the baguettes,and really loved the results. My most recent endeavor was the Focaccia, which was a big hit with my family. The author is very exacting in her measurements and clear with her instructions, which I need. (I'm sure, however, that as I become comfortable with baking and read books by other artisanal bakers, I'll relax a bit and trust my own creative process). This book is a great teacher as it goes through explanations of flours, interviews with bakers about their methods and tools, and descriptions of how doughs should look and feel. The book is a fine guide to bread baking and certainly isn't relegated to mere coffee table status in my house!
|
