Rating: 
Summary: My copy is covered with floury fingerprints-still!
Review: Of all the bread baking books I have (and I have a lot) this is the one I actually *use* the most. I have made more than 30 of the recipes, and they consistently come out very well. The book covers a huge variety of breads, from the so-called quickbreads that can be assembled in a matter of minutes to complicated ones that may take a week or more from preparation to final result. There are classic French breads, wholemeal breads, small breads-chances are, if you want to make it, it's in here.The instructions are very clear, even if there are no illustrations or photographs. After many failed attempts, I was able to make perfect croissants for the first time from this book! Finally, the book if presented with a great sense of humor-you'll love reading the recipe for dog biscuits, even if you don't have a dog.......... I wrote the above review in 1997 - it's now 2003, and this book is still the break baking book I use the most. I've now moved to a country (Switzerland) where it's possible to buy great bread from any bakery, even from the supermarket. Yet I still turn to this book at least once a week for old favorites. Some that I have made more times than I can remember include scones (from mixing to eating in 30 minutes!), Old Milwaukee Rye Bread, Basic White Bread, Rosemary-Garlic Bread..the list goes on. Some I've yet to master after numerous tries - like the salt-raising breads. And I still haven't tried the dog biscuits. :)
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Summary: Lots of Easy Bread Recipes for the Rest of Us.
Review: The subject of bread baking seems to attract large, authoritative titled books, as this is the third 400 or more page book on bread which claims to be either complete or a bible. As the other two books (both entitled 'The Bread Bible' by Beth Hensperger and Rose Levy Beranbaum) were published in the last five years and Mr. Clayton's first edition of his book was published thirty years ago, Bernard Clayton has a distinct claim to have commanded this cookbook niche for the longest time, thereby having ample opportunity to correct, improve, and augment. From the author's new introduction, I see he has been doing that faithfully for the last thirty years. In a sense, Mr. Clayton is very old school, as he was in a position to consult not only with Julia Child, but also with Craig Claiborne and James Beard, both of which have left us for tables on high. The augmentation of thirty years' effort gives us a volume which weighs in at 685 pages at an exceedingly reasonable $35. Kudos to Simon and Shuster for giving the volume the price of most cookbooks which rarely exceed 300 pages. While Mr. Clayton arose from an 'old school' background, the general technique behind his bread recipes is very modern and will be very welcome to the inexperienced home baker. The heart of his technique for yeast breads is to use the newest incarnation of commercial yeast, typically called 'Rapid Rise'. I believe this yeast was specifically developed to work with bread machines. The fact that 'Rapid Rise' yeast can be added to dry ingredients without being proofed in warm water and sugar or flour is what distinguishes it from the older 'Active Dry' yeast from producers like Red Star and Fleishmans. Virtually every yeast based recipe in the book mixes the yeast with dry ingredients and starts with water at 120 degrees Fahrenheit rather than blooming the yeast in water at about 105 degrees Fahrenheit. The very best thing about Mr. Clayton's book in comparison to it's closest competitor, 'The Bread Bible' by Rose Levy Beranbaum is the fact that Mr. Clayton makes a point of showing you how bread baking can not only be easy, but it can be relatively easy with an incredibly wide range of historically and ethnically interesting breads made with manual kneading, bread machine, stand mixer, and food processor. After reading books by such hyper fussy bakers such as Beranbaum, Silverton, and Reinhart, this is a real revelation. The second best thing about this book is revealed in the title. This is a complete book of BREADS. Note the plural. The most important aspect of the book is that it presents, in depth, recipes for twenty-four different types of breads, including many ethnic favorites. I found, for example, a recipe for the Russian Easter bread, Kulich, a close cousin to the local Lehigh Valley favorite, Paska from the Ukraine. None of the other encyclopedic approaches to bread included this recipe. However, I did recently find it and the true Ukrainian recipe in the new book 'Celebration Breads' by Betsy Oppenneer. The great thing about this variety is that it gives pretty complete coverage to all special needs, such as those who need a gluten-free bread, those who need a yeast-free bread (and are tired of Irish Soda Bread), and those who want healthy, whole grain bread recipes. It even covers recipes for crackers and batter breads and baking for dogs, if you can believe that. The most amazing thing about the subject of bread baking is that in spite of the great size of this book, it simply does not cover everything, and, what it does cover is done from what is not the only or even the best point of view. While this book does touch on breads made from starters, the book does not deal with this subject in any detail. The book does not even include the words sponge, poolish, or biga in the index. It is on this subject where Ms. Beranbaum really shines. Unlike Mr. Clayton who gives a relatively cursory introduction to the techniques of yeast bread baking, Ms. Beranbaum gives about 90 very detailed pages to the intricacies of artisinal baking with both natural and commercial yeasts. I have already noted Mr. Clayton's focus on 'Rapid Rise' yeast and it's techniques. Other writers prefer either 'Active Dry' or even moist, 'live' yeast that must be refrigerated. Other baking experts such as Peter Reinhart also make compelling arguments for very long rise times, which, in the interest of appealing to the amateur, Clayton does not discuss in depth. If you want an exceedingly rich source of baking recipes for a very reasonable price with a very friendly voice which will make you confident that you will do well when you bake bread, this is the book for you! If you have no interest in a deep understanding of bread baking or in natural yeast techniques, you will need no other book. If your interest in baking is more professional or more in need of deeper understanding, check out Beranbaum or Reinhart's books. Highly recommended. Makes bread baking inviting.
Rating:
Summary: Essential for anyone who wants to bake!
Review: There came a point in my life when so I missed the Saturday afternoon smell of home-made French bread that I began experimenting with baking. Mind you, I was never a great cook -- I was too impatient, and had no confidence in my own abilities -- so tackling a project as intimidating as making my own bread was a huge step for me.
My first bread was, well, passable. It smelled good, but was amazingly chewy. So I got a bread machine. I didn't give up my hand-made project, though; it had, by this time, become a matter of pride. Eventually, after much practice, my bread was deemed "almost as good as bread-machine bread!" by my grateful family.
Then I stumbled upon this book. Bought it, took it home, made "The First Loaf." And suddenly, my bread was much, much better than anything the bread machine turned out.
Mr. Clayton doesn't just present you with a recipe. He instructs you on the very theory of bread-making, from the role of each ingredient and equipment to the process of constructing your own oven if you so desire.
I make all of my bread now with a wooden spoon and a large bowl, and I often make it without any recipes at all. Bread is now much more for me than something I make when I get nostalgic -- it is my hobby, and my therapy. And whenever I decide to try a new kind of bread, this book is the first place I turn to. No matter how skilled I become, this book still has something new to offer.
My next project is the brioche. Wish me luck!
Rating:
Summary: This is the only bread book you'll ever need!
Review: This book is a *must have* for anyone who wants to make homemade bread. The directions are clear and concise, including even different preparation methods for the different recipes. I started making bread as a hobby -- after buying this book and finding so many fantastic ideas in it, my hobby has changed into a passion.
Rating:
Summary: My favorite bread book, gift and place to go for information
Review: This is it! Every recipe you will ever want plus more. Great directions, easy to follow. Written beautifully. Never made a bad recipe from this book and there is always something new and fun to try. Reading it is as fun as making the recipes.
Rating: 
Summary: Recipes can be a little hard to follow.
Review: This otherwise wonderful cookbook has been fouled by including two sets of instructions for each recipe: one for food processor users and another for hand kneaders. They are intermingled in a way that makes it very difficult to follow the recipes. The problem could have been avoided by setting the special food processor instructions off in a little box or maybe by using italic type. As it it, I have to go through each recipe before I begin mixing and carefully strike the paragraphs that do not apply in my circumstance. Two books might have been the best bet. It keeps me going back to my old, worn "Beard on Bread".
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