The River Cottage Bread Handbook: [A Baking Book] (River Cottage Handbooks) Hardcover – June 15, 2010

I have always wanted to learn to bake bread, but never thought I had the time or talent to do it right. On vacation this summer I ran across this book in a cookbook shop and requested it for Christmas. Lucky me that my husband was listening! This book is super. I spent a good plane ride reading it from start to finish. The step-by-step guide to bread baking, almost a breadmaking 101, introduced the equipment and explained the importance of each ingredient.The basic recipe that can be altered at will was a great way to introduce creativity into baking, something I've always thought of as quite rigid. I have made almost 10 batches of bread (30 loaves!) now using the basic recipe and I'm having a blast! It's wonderful to see, feel and taste the difference one ingredient can make. I'm also gaining great confidence in my ability to "do it right" and yet be creative. From this book I now understand what the dough should "feel" like, how the yeast should smell and what happened when my first loaves came out too chewy.I've also made the breadsticks, foccacia and, this evening, the bagels. All of the recipes were straight-forward and easy to follow - especially after taking the time to read the book cover-to-cover. My family is thrilled with my new hobby and so am I. This book is great. I recommend it for everyone, especially beginners.

I borrowed this book from the library, and after reading through the book, I ordered it. It explains how to make sourdough starter correctly, and most important, it has a real recipe for rye bread which I have been searching for. I started the sourdough, and I am about half way through the process. I have never created a starter because I did not have time to bake frequently. This book explains how to store starter for 2 weeks, so now I do have time to make sourdough bread.As other reviews have said, this is not exactly a beginners bread book, but if you read through all the instructions, the author does explain how to make bread that a beginner could follow. The only part a beginner may have a problem with is the amount of time to knead the bread dough. I know what it should feel like and act like before baking. It just takes practice, and every one makes mistakes at first. I plan on ordering a bread form for rising rye bread, and I will go from there. The measurements are both in English and Metric, so I can use either. The book also has other basic bread recipes, and ways to use old bread. I will use this book alot.

I love this book because it's more than just recipes; Stevens gives a real education in bread-making and encourages the kind of creativity that belongs in the kitchen. Don't open this book for the first time in the kitchen with your bag of flour at your side, ready to start baking. You need to spend some time reading beforehand and THEN head into the kitchen and get down to business. Don't expect to be a master a first, but there's loads of room to grow with this book on your counter.

I'm comfortable in the kitchen and have put together many a good meal, both from recipe and from good old fashion scratch. That said, baking bread always gave me pause. The litany of bread baking advice found online and in many cookbooks ranges from scientific to something like alchemy and none inspired in me much confidence to knead or even not knead bread (nor did the few I tried lead to well baked bread!).This book changed all that. I can bake bread now.The style is detailed in a way that most recipe books are not and in a way that I actually learn from. For example, if you are the type of person who encounters in a bread recipe "shape the dough into a round" and angrily wonders "HOW IS THE RIGHT WAY TO DO THAT?!" then this book is for you (hint: the Handbook describes in detail how to shape dough into a round).Best of all, the resulting bread is fantastic. I've not tried all the yeasted dough recipes but those I have (doughnuts, bagels, english muffins, pizza dough) all turned out better in texture and taste than others I'd tried pre-Handbook.Sourdough took me a while to get but now I kick ass at that too. All thanks to the River Cottage Bread Handbook.

Wonderful information! Lots of new things to make. Explains wonderfully how to make a starter for sourdough! I would recommend this to anyone who is just starting to make their own bread!

I have used this book frequently since I bought it. I was drawn to the easy to understand explanations of the techniques and approaches to bread baking this way. I liked the fact that there is a basic recipe to practice and then build on. I have baked all our bread for years and found that this was a welcome addition to my bread book library. I also enjoyed the photos and the chapter at the end about building my own bread oven. Haven't done it, but I could and just might!

Seriously? Reading a book about bread? Yes! Absolutely. And I loved every page.Very informative and delightful read.I plan to go have the spine cut off the book and get it wire bound so it will open flat when working in the kitchen and trying the recipes.

I have been baking bread for years but still enjoyed reading this book and I did learn some things too! My daughter, who is not a baker, finds it very useful and is buying her own copy. After we move to our new home, I am looking forward to building the out-door oven.