| This is my annotated list of bread cookbooks.
The books marked with an "\r" are the books I own; the "\l" I have
borrowed from the Nashua Public Library but do not own. The "\w"
books were extracted from Note 891.2 by Meredith STEREO::Whitcomb.
Prices are appproximate.
Allman, R $7 ppr ISBN 0-88240-085-1 1976 \r
Alaska Sourdough
Limited. Allman would use sourdough for anything.
Beard, J $3 ppr ISBN 0-345-29550-1 1973 \r
Beard on Bread
This is a "classic", and it might be good, but my
copy is hard for my eyes to read and just recently
purchased, so I don't use it. I recommend others.
Because of the age of this text, it doesn't even mention
Rapidrise yeast, food processors, or convection ovens.
Braue, J $2 ppr ISBN 0-515-02045-1 1961 \r
Uncle John's Original Bread Book
OK, especially for breads of northern Europe.
Not recommended if you can buy Ojakangas instead.
Brown, E $3 ppr ISBN 0-87773-025-3 1970 \r
The Tassajara Bread Book
Recommended. Old, limited, but good.
Casella, D A World of Breads
$10 1966 David White, pub
Casella, D $10 ISBN 0-87250-032-2 1979 \l
The New Book of Breads
Recommended. Brief, simple, broad, good, but incomplete.
A nice ten page section on pizza type breads; one page on
French type breads, and that one not particularly good.
Clayton, B $25 ISBN 0-671-60222-5 1987 \r
New Complete Book of Breads (replaces his 1973 book)
Recommended for those who own a few good bread books
already. Very thorough, especially in alternate
mechanical processes for the same recipe. I'm having
good luck with the book.
Clayton, B $15 ISBN 0-672-52071-0 1978 \l
The Breads of France
Recommended. Rather thorough, but don't look for a
recipe for "French Bread" in Clayton's books.
I think Clayton's New Complete Book of Breads has
reproduced several of this book's recipes.
Cutler, C $6 ISBN 0-89256-317-6 1985 \r
Carol Cutler's Great Fast Breads
Pretty good book; organized by time, the total elapsed
time from start to table. Four chapters: less than 30
minutes, less than 60, 90, and two hours. So there
isn't anything on sourdough, and I don't think I'll try
her French bread (and, in fairness, she mentions the
limitations and differences in her hurried recipes).
Includes recipes for No-knead, "no-rise", yeast breads
that do indeed rise without a proofing period.
Dworkin, F & S \w
Bake Your Own Bread
Recommended by Meredith Whitcomb.
Early & Morris \w
Fast Breads!
recipes that take very little time to make
Recommended by Meredith Whitcomb.
Greene, D $9 ppr ISBN 0-89594-147-3 1984 \l
Whole Grain Baking
Recommended, especially for someone with little time
who buys bread books for occasional use, not serious
reading. In that context, this is another little gem.
Gubser, Mary \w
Mary's Bread Basket & Soup Kettle
360 bread recipes and 65 soup recipes
Recommended by Meredith Whitcomb.
Gubser, Mary $23 ISBN 0-688-04176-0 1985 \r
America's Bread Book
I'm not impressed. She doesn't seem to understand the
biochemistry of bread; I believe some statements to be
in error. However, my wife doesn't understand the
process perfectly, and Betty makes better bread than I.
! The organization of the book is a travelogue, not
! my preference for a cookbook. Essentially identical
! recipes appear in multiple places.
!
! I have not used the recipe section yet.
Hunter, B $2 Pivot ? #87983-078-225 1972 \r
Whole-Grain Baking Sampler
Limited but OK.
Jones, J & E $11 ppr ISBN 0-06-091359-2 1982 \r
The Book of Bread
I've only had this book for two weeks, but it looks
like it may become a favorite, rivaled only by Laurel's
Kitchen and maybe Ojakangas. It has multiple recipes
for batter breads, popovers, and French bread --- more
than I can say for most books. The theory sections
seem good.
Ojakangas, B $20 ISBN 0-525-24247-3 1984 \r
Great Whole Grain Breads
Very much recommended. Don't be misled by the title;
she uses some white flour in almost all recipes.
Roberts, A L $4 ISBN 0-486-24529-2 1967 Dover \r
Sourdough Breads and Coffee Cakes
This books is a little gem! Recommended for the
intermediate bread baker. I bought mine at LL Bean's.
Robertson, Flinders, & Godfrey $20 ISBN 0-394-53700-9 1984 \r
The Laurel's Kitchen Bread Book
Recommended for beginner or baker. Although the emphasis
is on whole grain baking, the book is very, very good.
The list price, $20, has been marked down to $6 at the
Royal Discount Bookstore in Merrimack. I intend to buy
some copies to set aside as future gifts.
Rosenberg, L $3 ppr ISBN 0-942320-13-1 1986
Muffins and Cupcakes
Not generally recommended. Fancy fluff.
? $ ? ISBN ? Fleischmann's Y-11191-3/76
Fleischmann's Bake-it-easy Yeast Book \r
Recommended! Brief, good, and probably free from
people who want you to succeed.
? \w
Bread Winners Cookbook
Recommended by Meredith Whitcomb.
Recommendations:
If you intend to bake only a few times a year, use the bread section of
Pillsbury's cookbook or Betty Crocker. And follow the recipes exactly,
including the *brand* of yeast. (Not all brands of yeast are the same;
some recipe techniques won't work well with another brand.)
If you intend to bake once or twice a month, buy Greene, Cutler, Casella,
and Laurel's Kitchen Bread Book. Later get the Fleischmann booklet.
If you are captured by bread baking magic, then add to your library the
recommended books by Ojakangas, Jones, Clayton, Brown, and Roberts.
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