Rating: 
Summary: The most complete bread book!!
Review: This is by far the best and the most complete bread book I have ever seen. Not only does it contain great recipes, it is also clear that Joe Ortiz spend time in researching the history of each country. I have made many of the recipes in the book, ranging from the time consuming sourdough bread to the simple basic french bread. I highly recommend this book!!!
Rating:
Summary: a joy of a book
Review: This is one of my three favorite bread books , along with Carole Field's superb The Italian Baker and the magnificent French professional Baking Series books. Mr. Ortiz imparts his great knowledge with both simplicity and style. The recipes are clear, to the point and reliable. In a word they work and work beautifully. The details about the various village bakers, particularly in France and Italy impart extremely well Mr. Ortiz joyous passion for bread. It is a definite basic authority and a joy of a bread book to own. A word of caution: at least in my edition I have found two places where the quantities from commercial to home recipes are in error- check the olive oil bath for the pizza dough and reduce to the commercial proportion rather than that given for the home sized quantity. There is an erroneous smount of salt in another recipe (too much)
Rating:
Summary: a joy of a book
Review: This is one of my three favorite bread books , along with Carole Field's superb The Italian Baker and the magnificent French professional Baking Series books. Mr. Ortiz imparts his great knowledge with both simplicity and style. The recipes are clear, to the point and reliable. In a word they work and work beautifully. The details about the various village bakers, particularly in France and Italy impart extremely well Mr. Ortiz joyous passion for bread. It is a definite basic authority and a joy of a bread book to own. A word of caution: at least in my edition I have found two places where the quantities from commercial to home recipes are in error- check the olive oil bath for the pizza dough and reduce to the commercial proportion rather than that given for the home sized quantity. There is an erroneous smount of salt in another recipe (too much)
Rating:
Summary: This book will get you started and keep you challenged.
Review: When I outgrew my bread machine, five years ago, a (chef) friend of mine loaned me his copy of Ortiz's book. Within a couple of weeks I was on my way, using a sourdough starter that I made from scratch, by following Joe's step-by -step directions, to bake good, basic sourdough loaves. In "The Village Baker", the author shares his travels, experiences and conversations with some truly skilled and honest regional bakers in Italy, France and Germany. Throughout the book, related recipes follow the account of the respective village baker's professional lifestyle and dedication to his craft. The book contains in-depth descriptions of all aspects of bread making, including a short section on decorative bread techniques. Recipes are provided for both serious amateurs and professionals alike. Eventually, I had to go out and get my own copy of the book, and have since read through it many times. The Village Baker is a wonderful blend of technical reference, human interest, and travel writing.
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