Rating: 
Summary: Unfair criticism of a great book
Review: I recently was given this book as a gift and have been enjoying it immensely. Everything is working exactly as advertised. One review here was puzzling though; everyone except this one reviewer seems to think this is a great book. ...I wondered why this reader had such poor results, so turned to page 127 for the Classic Pullman Loaf. The first thing that leaps out of the recipe is 2-3/4 TABLESPOONS of salt! Now this should have been a red flag for someone who has been "baking for years", and it grossly contradicts Van Over's description of salt earlier in the book (2% relative to the flour, by weight). Comparing the weight of the salt in grams also shows that 2-3/4 tablespoons HAS to be an error, and Van Over even says in the Salt section that too much salt causes a dense heavy loaf.
So, it's a great book, with at least one very obvious typo. No book is perfect. 2-3/4 teaspoons is obviously correct, and anyone thoughtfully reading the book should be able to figure this out. If not, perhaps dumping packaged mixes into a bread machine might be a better choice.
Rating:
Summary: the best bread ever
Review: I searched high and low for a reasonably priced version of this book and eventually found it! It is by far the best bread book that I have discovered. It's easy, concise and PRECISE! I finally was able to find some high gluten flour from a bakery in my area for sale and can reproduce wonderful baguettes that even my European friends salivate over! I think this book exemplifies the joy of producing excellent bread for a fraction of the price, yet resulting in delicious taste. It has changed the way I make bread forever.
Rating:
Summary: the best bread ever
Review: I searched high and low for a reasonably priced version of this book and eventually found it! It is by far the best bread book that I have discovered. It's easy, concise and PRECISE! I finally was able to find some high gluten flour from a bakery in my area for sale and can reproduce wonderful baguettes that even my European friends salivate over! I think this book exemplifies the joy of producing excellent bread for a fraction of the price, yet resulting in delicious taste. It has changed the way I make bread forever.
Rating:
Summary: I can't believe this book is out of print!
Review: I stumbled onto this book a few years ago by mistake and quickly became enchanted with it. The recipes are clear and concise, and the bread is unbelievably delicious. But best of all the method allows for easy cleanup (no small feat when you're talking about homemade bread), the ability to plan your baking according to your schedule (by retarding dough in the refrigerator), and relatively quick mixing time (45 sec. for a first-rate rustic bread)! I can't praise it enough. Mr. VanOver has done us all a wonderful service with this book. I have at least a dozen books on bread baking, but this is the one I turn to time and time again for great bread that I don't have to labor over for days.
Rating: 
Summary: With adjustments, a very good book
Review: I would not have purchased this book, based upon the method described. I didn't believe it would work. However, after reading the customer reviews, I took a chance. I am glad I did, although the initial scepticism was borne out. The techniques described will produce acceptable to good baguettes. However, once you move on to loaves, you will be in trouble. The recipes are fine, but for really good results I found, through trial and error, that nothing compares to mixing the ingredients in the food processor just long enough for them to be combined, then (preferably after covering and waiting for 5-10 mins), putting the dough into a standing mixer with the dough hook for 3.5 to 4.0 minutes. The resulting dough is far superior to anything else I have tried and there is no comparison to the dough produced using just the food processor. (Shirley Corriher "Cookwise: The Hows and Whys of Successful Cooking" also gave up on food processors as the sole mixer and I agree).The only other suggestion is that if you kitchen is 20C (68F) or less, you will need to add to the proving time. Don't be put off by these remarks. The recipes are very good, with the above qualifications.
Rating: 
Summary: Good methods, most of the recipes work fine.
Review: I've made about half of the breads in the book. My favorites are the basic baguette, the pizza/focaccia, the bagels and the ciabatta. I was not as happy with the brioche or the semolina bread. When I made the danish it brought the house down, but this is an advanced product that requires additional technique. It was great to learn an alternative way to make doughs. Seconds with a food processor or 10 minutes with a groaning stand mixer? You decide.
Rating:
Summary: Friendly Bread
Review: If it wasn't for 'The Best Bread Ever', I wouldn't be baking bread more than 3 times a week. I gave an impressive loaf of his Oatmeal Bread to a friend last night. Now, I just got home from work (Wednesday at 6:15pm) and am beginning a loaf for a co-worker on Friday (first rise tonight, retarding in the refrigerator until tomorrow night, and the final proof and baking on Thursday night) Thank you Charlie for all of the friends!
Rating:
Summary: Try it...you'll love it!
Review: If you've never baked a loaf of bread or if you are an avid baker, this is the book for you. Charlie Van Over's "The Best Bread Book Ever" will teach you a bread baking technique that will add pleasure and taste to all your efforts. The use of a food processor as a kneading tool is not new, but his specific method is. Based on long years of experience, Van Over has developed such a precise process, you can only succeed. You will get bread that is more tasty, dough that is friendly to work with, and raves from your eating audience. I have tried numbers of baguette recipes, including the one I learned at Le Cordon Bleu in Paris, and his outstrips them all. The pizza dough is perfect (better than just best!); because he provides instructions from start to finish, you can serve up a pizza that will make you pause before ever ordering out again. The book includes a wide range of recipes, including a lovely feta and herb focaccia, a rich, delicious brioche with variations, and several sourdough breads. (Unlike some intimidating starter recipes, his is both simple and effective.) Happily, your own favorites are adaptable to his technique. Importantly, his writing style gives you the eerie and pleasant feeling that he is right by your side as you measure the ingredients, pulse the food processor, shape the dough, and slide it onto the baking stone. Bake and eat...you'll have a great time with Charlie!
Rating:
Summary: Try it...you'll love it!
Review: If you've never baked a loaf of bread or if you are an avid baker, this is the book for you. Charlie Van Over's "The Best Bread Book Ever" will teach you a bread baking technique that will add pleasure and taste to all your efforts. The use of a food processor as a kneading tool is not new, but his specific method is. Based on long years of experience, Van Over has developed such a precise process, you can only succeed. You will get bread that is more tasty, dough that is friendly to work with, and raves from your eating audience. I have tried numbers of baguette recipes, including the one I learned at Le Cordon Bleu in Paris, and his outstrips them all. The pizza dough is perfect (better than just best!); because he provides instructions from start to finish, you can serve up a pizza that will make you pause before ever ordering out again. The book includes a wide range of recipes, including a lovely feta and herb focaccia, a rich, delicious brioche with variations, and several sourdough breads. (Unlike some intimidating starter recipes, his is both simple and effective.) Happily, your own favorites are adaptable to his technique. Importantly, his writing style gives you the eerie and pleasant feeling that he is right by your side as you measure the ingredients, pulse the food processor, shape the dough, and slide it onto the baking stone. Bake and eat...you'll have a great time with Charlie!
Rating: 
Summary: Most recipes don't work
Review: Is the author campaigning to have all his friends write glowing reviews of this book? The basic "Best Bread Ever" recipe for a baguette works quite well, and so does the pizza and a few others. But the further you get from these basic recipes, the more disastrous the results. Van Over claims that his "Basic Pullman Loaf" will "win you kudos from anyone lucky enough to taste it." What a joke...I tried that recipe 5 times and each time ended up with 2 8-inch long doorstops. And I've been baking for years and generally know what I'm doing in the kitchen. Sorry, Charlie, the problem is with you...test all of your recipes, not just the first few in the book.
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