Mastering Bread: The Art and Practice of Handmade Sourdough, Yeast Bread, and Pastry [A Baking Book]

Very well explained, great recipes 👌

...allowed me to raise the level of my bread making. I have been making my own breads in various ways over the years and during the pandemic I have developed a keen interest in sourdough (as many others have)Inside are recipes and personal testimonials of bakers, millers, professional artisans, who have rescued bread from the squishy boring white bread of industrialization to the ancient and vital craft that formed civilization.The forgotten methods of bread making that have emerged in recent years has revolutionized bread in North America...this book is the latest in a series of books (Tartine, Flour Salt Yeast..) has taken the mystery out of bread making....and opens a door for personal creativity. This method brings an understanding of HOW and WHY bread does what it does and empowers the home baker to think about what they are doing and to revel in creativity and patience. I am actually excited about baking my weekly loaf and want to experiment with the myriad of fresh milled flour becoming available across the country.The book is beautiful and full of valuable tips and recipes for the kinds of bread you would only see in a handful of true artisan bakeries. The secrets are revealed and passed onto us all in a giving manner that lets us remember that bread making is not a mysterious tool used by industry for profit...it is what makes us civilized, compassionate humans.

Bought it for my DIL She said she loved it.

This is a lovely, incredibly wordy cook book. I'm glad they love bolted flour but I wish there had been some discussion about using regular bread flour instead. So uninspired. Ordered another bread book for a more rounded approach instead of a manifesto for whole wheat. No variety in this book at all. If it's your thing, however, you will love it. Maybe one day I will too.

Such a beautifully made book. So much information and a must for any baker

Gave as gift. Recipient thrilled

After many failed attempts at making a decent tasting sourdough bread, I am so glad I purchased this book because it has opened up a whole new world of organic stone ground flour I never knew existed that has greatly improved the taste, texture and nutritive value of my baked goods. My sourdough and discard crackers taste so much better now and it is rather fun to experiment with the various kinds of wholesome grains available. While it is true that these grains are more expensive, require refrigeration and must be special ordered, the enhanced flavor is worth the price to me. The book is richly illustrated and the explanations are clear. There were some bread recipes I didn't care for and which required special equipment but all in all I found the book to be a good addition to my collection of cook books.

I own an embarrassingly large number of bread books and my ‘habit’ got worse last year during lockdown(s)…. However, my favorite is this book which is largely written by Claire Kopp McWilliams since it suits my style of bread making best - so it likely isn’t for everyone. But if you are primarily bread baking with ‘bolted’ (high extraction) flour, then this is the one. (If you are mainly cooking with store-bought AP or bread flour or, alternatively, with wholewheat (non-sieved) flour then there are better alternatives). But personally I like the ‘mainly’ wholewheat route (with some of the bran sieved) out. McWilliams includes a diverse set of directions including sourdoughs/levains and other ‘breads’ such as English Muffins and pretzels. She’s clear and gives good explanations on the why not just how for each technique. It’s comprehensive and has a good set of photographs for each bread. I’ve tried some new types of breads (including English Muffins and bagels) - all have come out well. The book explores different grains and approaches.However, if you are newer to bread making and/or mainly baking with AP or bread flour, then I suggest you get Emmanuel Hadjiandreou’s ‘How to Make Bread’ - which is also excellent and covers a wide range of breads and techniques.