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Summary: "Breadman", a new Superhero, is Born!
Review: --My husband recently took up breadmaking as a hobby. I bought this book for him as a birthday gift, and it has transformed him! Peter Reinhart's explanations of the principles behind bread have enabled hubby (a.k.a. "Breadman")to understand the outcomes of his efforts, as well as produce professional-quality breads (well, "professional" at least to the rest of us common-folk in the family who are enjoying the results!). No more grumpiness over lumpy loaves! Hooray for crispy crusts with the perfect crumb to go with a steaming bowl of soup!If I could, I would like to thank the author for helping "Breadman" to overcome frustration and setting him on his way to becoming a "Breadmaster"!
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Summary: Beginner to Professional
Review: This book has everything. Everything from historical to design -about bread making, bread knowledge, and bread history. You will know everything about bread.
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Summary: Good for dreaming AND for baking
Review: This one explains everything in detail. If you have time time to devote to Reinhart's recipes (and can overlook his earnest new age personality which is less evident here than in earlier books), this is an essential baking book. The recipes work! The pictures are attractive! The intense explanations of technique are useful! What more could you want in a bread book for the most serious of home bakers?
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Summary: Very good
Review: This is the Reinhardt book one must have. The book still contains his personal anectdotes but not as much as either Brother Juniper's nor Small Town Magic but what it gives up in personal story telling it amply compensates with clear instruction. This book in conjunction with _Baking with Julia_ and _Breads of the La Brea Bakery_ will make you a very good baker indeed. All three books have their flaws but when combined give a very complete education short of taking a baking course. The Baker's apprentice gives a clear understanding of how bread works and the 12 stages to develop bread. Providing information for both the home and professional baker including machine and hand instructions; volume/weight/percentage measures and many pictures it is a very good volume that will be hard to top for the wealth of information. The flaws of the book are minor one being no pictures on how to hand knead which suprised me since he shows how to hand mix. Also, the chapter of sourdough seemed a bit skimpy which is where I think _Breads of La Brea Bakery_ seemed better. Further, his contention that starter from another region will become dominated by local yeasts contradicts the work of Ed Wood and his _Sourdoughs from Antiquity_. A controversial area but one that should not stop you from getting this book and baking. If you are a serious baker or just starting out this volume will be a touchstone. You will understand bread and how it functions and be able to repeat your success with understanding. Highly recommended
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Summary: An extraordinary book
Review: This is an expensive book worth every penny. Reinhart will show you how to bake bread even if you've never baked anything that didn't come out of a can and if you are an experienced baker, Reinhart will strengthen your understanding of how bread is made. His explanation of the science of how bread is mixed, baked and even tasted is definitive and clearly written. The section on shaping dough is aptly photographed and understandable. It is, by far, the clearest description of shaping dough found in the current crop of baking books. The bulk of the book consists of recipes, more accurately, formulas, for baking various kinds of bread. I've tried only two of them so far and both came out excellent. And one of the things that makes this book so helpful is that if your bread doesn't come out excellent you'll learn why it didn't and what to do about it. This book amplifies Reinhart's previous book, Crust and Crumb, and like that book the formulas will help you bake the best bread you've ever made. And the theory will help you to create your own signature variations. This is a priceless book and it is also a definite classic. If you don't bake, buy it for someone who does.
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Summary: If you love good bread, this is worth every penny and more
Review: This book is a real education in bread baking. You'll learn the science behind the process; as another reviewer stated, you'll feel like you are sitting in one of the author's classes at Johnson & Wales University. You'll learn various dough-shaping techniques, including tips that I otherwise would never have known, like how to create surface tension so that the loaf will rise up and not just out. Basically, you will learn everything you need to know to create really great bread and you'll learn it in an engaging, easy-to-read manner from a person who obviously has a real (and contagious) love for good food. You may find as I did that to begin with you will have to do a lot of flipping back and forth in the book, to review particular processes. However, once you learn how to shape a baguette or how to judge the dough's gluten development, as examples, you won't have to keep going back to review that information and you'll be able to follow the recipes with more flow. The Poolish Baguettes are to die for. I often make a batch when I have company (since a good deal of the work is done the day before) and let me tell you, if you want to see people REALLY SAVOR their food, give them a warm loaf of this bread! Of the other recipes I've tried so far, my other favorite is the foccacia. Another reviewer felt like you had to have a state-of-the-art kitchen to use this book. I must disagree, as I felt Mr. Reinhart went out of his way to teach the user how to recreate (to a reasonable degree) the commercial baking process, including steaming the loaves to create that delectable crunchy crust. If you love good bread and want to know how to achieve superior results baking it yourself, don't hesitate a moment to buy this book.
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Summary: A fantastic guide to bread baking
Review: All of the positive commentary I read before purchasing this book proved to be true. As fairly skilled cooks and bakers, we have had a strong urge to bake our own breads. The Bread Baker's Apprentice was the perfect choice for our introduction.
Each recipe is highly detailed in simple and very clear steps, leaving virtually no room for error. Each and every bread we have tried has been delicious and truly fun to make. The homemade pizza looks like it came out of a wood burning oven in Tuscany, and the taste is wonderful.
Forget those ho hum lo carb diets! Forget store bought bread! Bake some beautiful breads from Peter Reinhart's award winning book, and enjoy yourself.
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Summary: Excellent for the Experienced Baker; Novices Take Care!
Review: This is an outstanding book for the experienced baker, looking to expand to artisan breads! The detail in the book is quite good, however, there are some drawbacks for the inexperienced. Reinhart does not provide clear instructions with regard to some of the steps in the formulas (otherwise known as recipes). For example, in the ciabatta bread instructions, the baker is told to procede with the "fold and stretch" process, but never told how long to "fold and stretch." Once, twice, until smooth and elastic... When??? Additionally, one is referred back to previous instructions, necessitating multiple markers being placed in the book so that one can get to the proper instructions. I believe that the ciabatta bread had four different sections to which the baker was referred. I'd rate this as excellent, but if you are able to purchase only one book on breads would probably defer to something else.
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Summary: The Best Book on Bread Baking
Review: Simply splendid. Rheinhart has a playful way of writing about bread baking, about the ingredients and how to combine them -- the mystique behind leavening and the full development of artisinal flavor -- that makes it a breeze to read.
Buy it, you won't regret it. It's also a nice companion to THE BREAD BIBLE by Beranbaum. Not as thick as but with nearly the same number of recipes thanks to concise, though detailed, intructions.
Much prettier pictures and careful organization make it generally superior, though, so get this one if it's one or the other -- though I urge both.
Pages are glossy beautiful and pictures repel saliva.
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Summary: good reading and great bread
Review: I loved this book. I have read most of the first part but,not before I started trying the formulas. I've made bagles, brioche, and pain a l'ancienne. All of them great. while it does take an extra day to ferment most of the formulas it's not a problem. Just mix it and put it in the fridge. A good book book for people who want to take there bread making to the next level.
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