Description:
A is for amaranth, b for barley. Or buckwheat. Look for corn, millet, oats, quinoa, rice, rye, and teff as well. Wheat and wild rice bring up the rear, along with a handful of specialty flours. Such are the base ingredients in Beth Hensperger's inspiring The Pleasure of Whole Grain Breads. You may recognize Hensperger as the author of The Bread Bible, Beth's Basic Bread Book, and Baking Bread. She knows of what she speaks. Hensperger includes recipes for everything from waffles to muffins (English and regular), tortillas and biscuits, spice bread and pancakes. But the heart of the book is a wonderful array of breads. Whole-wheat and unbleached all-purpose flour may be the workhorses of these recipes, but the magic happens with the addition of other whole grains you may not have considered. Each lends its own flavor and texture. You know going in that the Three-Grain Vanilla Waffles with amaranth flour and toasted amaranth seeds are going to take you places you have never been before. The book opens with some brief yet concise basic instructions on bread making and baking, as well as the how-to of kneading and rising. Hensperger also tips her hat to machines with specific recipes and with explicit recommendations for machines that do the necessary work. Anyone who has experienced the delight of home-baked bread is going to love adding this extra layer of experience to their repertoire. Let Beth Hensperger show you the way with The Pleasure of Whole Grain Breads. --Schuyler Ingle
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